The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-04-25
THE barry IN THE BROWN
COTTAGE.
BY AGNES.

\ small brown cottage stood OIL
the roadside opposite an old mill
From the door you could see the
great wheel Slowly turning. The
milier's family lived in the brown
cottage. Shall / tell you how many
were in this family?
Just three.
There was no mother 10 the mil
ler's brown cottage; only two little
girls and baby One month ago
the mothers early life faded and flick
cred, as you have seen the light of q
lamp when the oil was consumed.
Then il vent out, and there were
tears aud grief il the brown cottage.
AS for he mother, sorrow and SICK.
ness had made both heart ard body
weak For long time before SIZE
died, a great shadow rested ou her
life-a shadow that grew darker day
by day. But she was loving and
holy, and in His own good time, the
Lord closed her fearful eyes in this
lower world tina, he might open them
in Heaven. And SO she went to
dwell with the angels
Where was the baby's fz,her ~ |
hear asked. "Did he not love and
care for it; and for his two little girls,
also ?"
said that shadow rested on the
poor mothers heart-a shadow tha,
grew darker every day. The shadow
rests on.many hearts. Tbs miller had
once been the kindsss CT husbands
and the tenderest of fathers. Wbal
changed him2 Drink. You know
too well what that means.
.0nce he took glass of beer only
now and then; not that it made him
feel any better, but really worse, for
it produced a heaviness of head and
limbs that were very unpleasant
while it lasted. Sometimes q head
ache was the consequence BuI
others drank beer, and ne joined iu
the useless and unsafe custom.
After a while, this uuw wholesome
stuff So changed the healthy, na,u-
raj stale of his stomach, that it began
TO crave the bitter and stimulating
draugbt Then he drank oftener
which, OF course, only made il worse
increasing the unhealthy condition,
and likewise the craving that could
never be satisfed--no, not even with
beer: and SO at times whiskey, gin
and brady were taken. These led
to ruin by quicker way than ale or
beer; because they are more iery
and burn with Gercer flame.
You can understand now why q
shadow had rested on the mother OF
these children; and why il had grow .
darker every day.
The baby was year old Hester
or Helty, as she was called. she had
Just passed her tenth birthday: and
Mary was seven. So yonng and
mOlherless.
At FIRST though it seems as If il
would have been better for them to
be fa.herless also. Bat God kaows
what is best always His tender
care was over these little ones. and
over their father, too.
Now that baby was one of the love
liess things aiive--so sweet aud
pure; so gentle, and vet SO iuli OF
lnfaniile JOY; and so winning in ell
his ways ths. none cSnld help loving
him.
This neighbor and that offered to
take him when his mother died but
Hetty, " ho had seemed 10 grow isto
a woman all at once, said. NO, no,
| cant part from baby"
Then q lady who had no children
took the hslfdrunken, wreiched faith
er aside, and talked to him until be
consented to let her have the baby TO
bring up as her own. She wanted TO
carry him right off; but the miller
said. "No: not uutii to morrow
"Be.ter le. me take him DOW, "
urged the lady.
Fer Hetty's sake. the miller re-
peated his No" He knew how
great was her love for the baby, and
there was enough of tenderness left
in his heart TO keep him from adding
this to her grief on the day OF her
mothers burial.
Now il happened that Hetty, un-
known to her father and the woman,
had beard what passed between
them. At first SIZE was almost beside
herself with pain. L, was as much
as her beart could bear TO lose her
mother and she felt thatto take baby
also would lust kill her,
The funeral over, all the neigbbors
went home except two more tender
hearted and plying than the rest. 1t
seemed cruel 10 them to turn their
backs upon these two little girls and
the sweet baby left motherless-
One Of them had been very dear
friend of the miller's vile, and she
grieved for her loss as that Of = be-
loved sister.
Taking Hetty by the band, and
leading her into her mothers room,
now so sill and desolate, she shat
The door, and Entting her arms about
the child, burst into tears. ard wept
over her for long time before she
could get calm enough to speak
Il wan, to talk with you, Hetty,n
she said al length. as she sar down
and composed herself. The bind
ing tears dried oct Of Hessy's eyes.
and she fixed them wistfullv on the