The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1877-08-22

and loneliness. To drink, he must
face acquaintance, go through the vii
lage streets to the "ale saloon" where
ale was certainly not the strongest
drink handed over the bar.
And Tom craved solitude. Lying
on his face in the rank summer grass,
he pictured his life to come, sinking
lower and lower. He had not paid
too great heed o his mothers pray ers
and petitions, yet he realized that
mother-love and home influence had
saved him from the deeper degrade.
ton TO come. And Elsie ! The one
tender spot in Toms heart held Elsie
in sacred shrine. Her blonde beau
ty was simply angelic to Tom, and her
soft hand and tender voice had led
him from evil more than once. Well,
mother was dead Elsie would go ia
Maggie, "Of course > home was closed.
He would 60 take one look at the
darkened room where his lips had last
pressed his mnther's, and them
Tom shuddered
Then loneliness, temptation, des-
pair What nattered it to any what
became Of him now?
SO be went home, slowly, with sui
len brow aud bowed head. He did
not look about him, as he entered the
entry Of the cottage, where doors, front
aud back, admitted the evening air.
He did rot notice the home look re.
stored, where there had been the con.
fusion of long illness, the desolation of
death. He went into the sitting room,
where the windows were once more
open, and there a little figure stood
waiting. Not cloaked and bonneted
for farewell, but with white apron
over the black dress, white collar and
cuffs, how Of black ribbon in the
fair waving hair-a home figure.
II am so CAD you have come,
Tom" was his welcome tea is all
ready"
"Tea Elsie 1 I thought you had
gone to Maggie's, hours ago."
81 am not going to Maggie's."
"Not going to Maggie's Why,
where are you going? Who will take
care of you p
The little figure came very close to
Toms side, the fair head rested on his
breast, the sweet, sad face was lifted
to his, and Elsie said
"Will you take care Of me, Tom ?"
Il great rush of newborn true man
Illness choked Toms voice. A sudden
sense of mans protecting power filled
his very soul as he looked down at the
tender, cohGding face. JIe did not
speak until his arms closed about FL
sic tightly, his lips pressed hers quiv-
eringly. Then he said:
"God help me, Elsie, to take care of
you, if you will trust yourself to me p
1t was prayer with a promise, and
Jane, wiping her eyes as she softly re.
turned to the kitchen, after hearing
all unseen, murmured
"It'll be the saving of him."
The tea table was temptingly spread,
and Tom was hungry and weary.
There was no temptation after tea was
over to leave the wide lrm chair, where,
with Elsie beside him, he talked of
their dead, very solemuly and loving.
ly.
But the next day the first trial came |
Nobody was exactly willing to take |
Tom Conard into employment. He |
was good workman at his trade,
cabinet makers, but ne'er do.well, |
not 10 be trusted as steady, apt to dis |
appoint customers. All day he tried
in vain to get work, returning home |
dull and disheartened.
But Elsie was not discouraged. |
There were few hundred dollars ia
the bank, wlled to Tom by his moth
er, despite Roberts remonstrance, and |
when that was gone, her own small |
fortune could be commanded. She |
cheered him up by every kind, loving
word her tender heart suggested, and
then a great plan was proposed.
Elsie fairly trembled as she made it,
but she had given it hours of thought
and prayer, ana ventured:
Suppose you take that money, Tom,
aud open a furniture store of your
own. There is none at Heron's Hill, |
and we have to go to N-for even a
chair"
A store of his own Ambition was
keynote never before touched in
Toms heart. A store of his own
What would Heron's Hill say to that
And if he had such a weight of respon.
sibility as the care of Elsie and store
Of his own, he would not have any
temptation TO idleness, or worse.
Elsie, watching his face, said pres
emily:
"There's that little store of Hunters
Tom. Nobody has been there for
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