The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1879-05-08
WITHIN THE FOLD.

"To tell the truth" " said John Havi-
land, rs he threw ABIDE the evening
paper and faced the little group in the
parlor. q am fast growing out Of
patience with this text-'A woman at
the bottom of it, would be strange
in this world, made Ip as far as We are
aware of nothing but the tW0 sexes, if
q woman would not Occasionally be
found at The bottom of anything good
It is the injustice Of the thing that
makes me angry. Now there are q hull-
ired of us poor fellows WhOowe all we
are, all we have, aud all we can hope to
become in this world or the next, to
the unselfiSh love of woman"
The gentleman's face was flushed, and
lie spoke very warmly and feelinGly, so
much so that his wife, rocking her baby
10 sleep in the further corner Of the
room, inquired:
"But why should you care, John7 It
has always been so, and always will be
50. We don't think much about it now,
because We have been taught to ex-
pect It." f- -.
"But you should care and you should
fight for each other more than you do.
There is one chapter in my life's history
that I have always kept locked in my
heart, but tonight feel as if it were
my duty to open it for your inspection (;
and do it for the love of wolnaIl---fOr
for the love of woman who made me
what am worthy to be, the husband Of
a good woman.
"Why, JohnP' said Mrs. Haviland,
softly approaching-babe still held tight
@ her bosom-"yOu absolutely frighten
me"
Lets have the story said the rest of
the group, certain that something good
might be Anticipated and John com.
slced, at first little tIhid, but gain
fIlk confidence as lle prOceeded
FWhen I first came to New York, at
the age Of ~ years, to seek my fortnne;
I can call myself q precoCious chap With
out danger Of being accused of an
unusaal degree Of selfappr preci6tiOn. ]
was Quick TO learn everything, the bad
as ven as the good My employer used
profsne language. ] picked up the Oaths
that he dropped with a naturalness that
surprised even myself The boys in the
Office all cheWed tobacco. This was q
little the hardest job / ever attempted,
but, afber two weeks of nausea and in
describable stomach wrenChings, I came
of victorious, and could get away with
my paper a day with the best of 'em.
''True, every word Of it." said the
speaker. -,
Zone afternoon was sent with a note
from my employer to house in the
upper part of the city. hadn't any
thing to read, butI had plenty Of tobacco,
and with that proposed to entertain
myself during the two or three hours /
must spend in the passage. For some
distance ] did not notice who were be-
side me, but by-and-by, a lady said, very
softly and pleasantly: 'WOuid you please.
little boy, be more careful. / am going
to a party this afternoon, and should
hate to have my dress spoiled
Il looked into her face. It was the
sweetest face l ever saw. Pale, earnest
and loving, to my bOyish heart it was
the cOunleIanCe Of an angel.p
'What in the world did you say" !" in
tenupted MTs. Haviland, her bright
eyes filling with tears, as she saw how
the memory Of this beautiful woman
affected her husband. ~
"Say There was very little could
ssy. think all I did for some time Waa
to look. E
Il managed to dispose of the tobacco
however, and wiped my mouth very
carefully, all of which I felt certain she
saw and mentally commented upon.
Have yOu a mother, little bOyF she
next asked, in the same low tone.
q No, ma'am,' I answered; and / felt
nv throat filling up, and knew I must
swallow mighty fast to keep from
so5bing.
"cYou have a father, then, I IsupposeP
she kept on.
%'No, ma'am; no father
"'BrOthCrs and siStersP
"'NeitheT, ma'am.'
"'Then the little boy is alone in the
world?
"'All alone, ma'am.'
"HoW long has his mother been
dead p and the dear woman looked
away from my face, and waited till I
could speak.
H'Two years I answered.
"tAnd you loved herr came next
" Dearly was all could say,
"She was silent for a mome0t, and
then she said so sweetly-oh! 1 shall
never forget it
"'And Whatdo you think Your dear
mother would say--how do yOu think
she would feel--tO know that her little
bov was guilty of such a disgusting
habit as thisF pointing to my cheek,
where the tell-tale quid had vainly tried
to stand its ground.
" I must leave now,' she continued,
but here is my card, and if you come to
me most any evening, 1 shall be glad to
see. .you, and perhaps we can be Of some
service to each other