The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-10-02
The Last Sixpence.

know, mother dear, you would not feel
happy if you could not contribute your mite
said the palc-faccd girl of twenty, pressing
NJ" her aged companions hands the six
pence which constituted all tho monetary
wealth they possessed. "Thcrc's quite
enough bread and butter and tea for break
fast in the morning, and if I get up very
carly, as | mean to do shall have finished
Mrs. Smiths dress by three o'clock, and
she's sure TO pay me directly l take it to
her."
''l'nt we've no candle or firing in the
house."
''i)ont you trouble about that when we
come back from church it'l be quite time
for Woodworking folks like lis to go TO bed;
so that we shan't want light, and our
landlady will lend lis Il shovclful of Goals
Tor tomorrow; 80 don't say anything more,
but take the sixpcncc and come along, for
the church bells have almost ceased"
For few seconds the aged woman hest
tatcd between her charitable inctinutions
and soicitudc for the orphan girl who call
ru her 'lruLllcr, Du; looking cur,lcs.Iy INTO
her companions face, and finding written
there the same desire that prcdominatcd
within her own breast, she placed the coin
in her pocket " ".
Without u word more on either side the
two females quilted the room they occu-
pied, and proceeded through the narrow
streets tceming with human beings to the
church, whittier the bells had invited them.
TO nearly every depth it is said there is Il
deeper still; but Mrs. Willis and her pro-
tcgc, Lucy Marks, were certainly among
the poorest in that very poor district.
Adversely makes rs acquainted with
strange companions, and Alfred Willis,
when he quilted England two years prcvi-
Ously to seek his fortune In Australia, little
dreamt that the comfortable home in which
he had left his mother and bcthr0thed wife
would have been so soon broken up, and
that by slow but sure degrees they would
have sunk to the poverty they now cXper-
fenced.
From the age Of fourteen Lucy had been
able to earn her own living, so that when
Alfred, after losing nearly all his capital
gave up the grocery business he had been
deludcd into taking, his only anxiety was
PROVISION for his mother. The 50, 500 he
had left when he was clear of his business
he, in a too confiding moment, lent to
man in whom lie trusted to the utmost,
with directions that the interest thcrcfrom
must be paid to his mother but ere Al
fred had reached his journeys end his friend
was bankrupt, and Mrs. Willis was pen
niless.
Troubles seldom comes sngly, so just at
this time Lucy was seized with rheumatic
fever, and for SIX months was unable to
touch her needle.
They were alone in the world, for Lucy
WIS an orphan, and Mrs. Willis, whilst
having no relatives of her own, knew moth
ing of her late husbands family, who years
before had founded n home III another
land.
n Rapidly their few worldly possessions
were disposed of, until at last they were
glad to find shelter in the small-thc very
small-front room they now occupied.
They had heard several times from the
much loved Alfred; but owing to the un-
certainty of his movements they had not
been able to reply, so that he knew moth
ing of the misfortunes that had bcfalcn
them. His last letter was n bright, cheer
fpl epstle, full of hope announcing tha
he was now far; better circumstanced than
when he left England; that he intended
: returning homo Ivy the Juno, the next
steamer leaving Melbourne. "
10 crown their sorrows, month before
z his expected return news came that the
Juno had folmdercd in mid .occan-some
dozen men, among whom Alfred Willis was
not included, alone surviving to tell the sad
tale. - .t
What n sweet relief was it to enter tho
portal of Gods house, and leave behind
them the crowded streets and the mob of
listless loiterers and frivolous pleasure seek
,eis Outside all was noise, hustle and
confusion; within, a'pcaceful calm, broken
only BY. the sllvcry tones. of tho aged minis
3, ter, as IN simple earnest language he plead
cd a. cause very dear to his heart.
The Sunday service was the one relaxa
ton Mrs. Willis and her adopted enjoyed
wet or fine they were never shsent; and NJ