, 1878-02-23
Faith that Heaven will Reward.


There is one bed-or, more strictly
speaking, bundle of rass-in the corner.
The household consists Of an old man as
ragged as Rip on the mountains, woman
whose face the wrinkles have twisted and
furrowed so deeply that it requires an i'm
mense sweep of imagination to think tha,
1t ever was young Four children, from
five to fourteen years of age, pale and
hungry, dart about the room like docb
rats. Except one, the little one, whose
hair lay back on her white forehead as il
it had been swept there by the winds,
whose hands were hkeshadows, and whose
eyes seemed to be fastened on the dingy
and desolate lonking ceiling. She lay on
a pallet, and the mother sat on the floor
beside her and administered now and then
! a taste of water.
"She's the only white one in the flock, y
said the man, as he tugged at his short
and bristling beard.
She's the only one of the gang that S
fitted to be an angel, she is, he continued,
as he stared upon the sick face before HIM.
She won't never get out of 1t there
amt no use tryin' it on her, he went on
IN an abstract way We had the coun-
try doctor, but such as them amt given
to hangin' round sick bed like her n.
He left some truck and she took it, but it
never mended her ailin', and l guess he Il
not come back
The little face turned over On its moth
ers arm, and there was hardly enough
life IN it to be preceptible' "Bymeby," +"
the father said, few minutes later,
g some weemen come in here and left I
pOne Of bread and made her somethin'
that kind o seemed To make her peert-
Ike, as she was when she crossed the mo,
and one of 'em-she was a smart-lookin
woman, and wasn't afraid Of dyrtyin her
clothin nor nothin', though her goods
was fine-she got down on the floor thur,
and shut her eyes kinder close, half way.
and held her hands, one of EN- on her
busGm, and tother on the child head,
and the brats quit runnm' round, and it
wus awful still. And the woman t, med
her face up agin the ceiiin." He paused
for moment, as if he had TO gather
little strength. And then Talk about
prayin She put up the best one ever
heard south of the hio, and | reckon it
was rs solid with Him as heard it rs any
that Was got OFF 1t kinder made things
more hopeful around, and the child opened
her eyes wide, Jest as if she knew the wo-
man WAS putin up for her. 1t got down
into me, though there wasn't any stakes
put up for he at all When she went
away said to Emily-that's wife-that |
would try my hand on just one prayer, it
seemed to help things SO. The old woman
shook her head, cause Inever thought of
such thing before. But l got down and
put up every cent | had mean every
thing could think of. And when | got
to the last word, the amen, it stuck to my
throat, but Emily got away with it She
said 1t right ont like it was in meetIn."
Il guess l made amisdeal somewhere, y
he continued rather mournfuliy. 1.-The
little one didn't look up any, and she S
been CROWN weaker every day. Emily
said d spilled the whole business, and
that L crowded the poor womans prayer
out. But never meant it. Ell Id known
| was interferin', Id never put up agin
her hand.
There Was blast of wind that came
and ratified the window, and kind of a
low moan, then the head Of the sick child
and it face turned over in the mothers
lap. Its thin lips met the wrinkled ones,
and the struggle WAS over
Tie grim-faced, hardy looking man bent
over the pallet, but the;e was a COED deal
of good sense left III him still He turn
ed to the reporter Who had gone to The
scene of misery and said :" Eut am not
the man to 60 back On good prayin', even
if | didn't win. l reckon the hand that
the woman put up viii win for somebody
els's little one, eff it didn't for ours. For
it was the solidest hard | ever see, not
'ceptin' the south side of the 'hio IL old
kaintuck. " A pauper child Was buried
yesterday Chicago Times.