The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-07-01

cities. Once more, shutting out the rags
and the filth, and only observing the hair
now glossy and waving, from her deXtcrous
manlpulations, over shapcly head, and
marking the face, with its eyes of ,rlstrous
gray, and the perfect nose, and the mouth
like Cupid's bow, and the chin strong,
without being unscemly, seeing this with
out the dregs the boy was handsome.
Mrs. Walsh, thinking of the little mounds
i'll the church-yard, prayed God that she
might be happy mother; and if u boy was
to bless her maternity, she could not ask
that he should be handsomcr than she be-
licvcd she could make this boy.
Jim finished eating, and stood up.
| james, said the little wonlan--for she
was little woman, and perfect picture of
II loving and lovable little woman James,
when you are hungry, and have nothing to
cat, if you will come to this door, will
feed you. don't want you to 20 hungry. !"
81 should like to come, ma am"
"And, if feed you when you are hun
CRY, will you not try to be good for my
The boy hung his head, and considered.
Some might have wondered that he did
not answer at once, as Il grateful boy ought :;
| Dut Mrs. Walsh saw deeper than that. The
| lad was considering how he might answer
safely and truthfully.
eff they'd let ne be good, ma'um; but
they won't" he said, at length.
"Will you try all you can2"
"fcs, 'm,-I'll try all cam
Mrs. Walsh gave the lad small parcel Of
food IN paper, and pattcd his curly head.
The boy had not yet shed Il tear since the
| pain OF the wound had been assuagcd.
Some might have thought that he was not
grateful; but the little woman could sec the
gratitude in the deeper light of the eye.
| The old crust was not broken enough vet
| for tears.
Afterwards Mrs. Walsh told her husband
what she had done, and he laughed at her.
"Doyou think, Mary, that your kindness
can help that ragged waltz"
81 do not think it will hurt him, Silas."
1t was not the first time that Mrs Walsh
had delivered answers to the cruditc doctor
which cffcctnally stopped discussion.
After that jim came often to the wash
room door, and was fed; and he became
cleaner and more orderly with each succeed
| ing visit At length Mrs. Walsh was in
formed that friend was going away into
| tho far Western country to take up land,
and make a frontier farm. The thought
| occurred TO her that this might be a good
opportunity for James Ammcrton. She saw
| her friend, and brought Jim to his notice,
and the result was, that the boy went away
with the cmigrant advcnturcr. And she
| heard from her friend year later that he
liked the boy very much. Two years later
the emigrant wrote that jim was q treasure.
And Mrs. Walsh showed the letter to her
husband; and he smiled and kissed his little
| wife, and said he was glad. a
And he had another source of gludness.
| Upon her bosom his little wife bore robust.
healthy boy-their own son-whO gave
promise of life and happiness in the time to
come.
The years sped on, and James Ammerton
dropped out from the life that Mary Walsh
knew. The last she heard was five years
after he went away from Ernsworth, and
jim had then started out for the golden
mencc in earnest his own life battle.
But there was joy and pride in the
little woman's life which held it's place and
grew and strengthened. Her boy, whom
they called Philip, grew to be youth of
great promise--a bright, kind-hearted, good
boy, whom everybody loved; and none
loved him more than did his parents. In
fact, they worshiped him. or, at least, his
mother did. At the age of seventeen Phil
ip Walsh entered college, and at the age of
twcnty-one he graduated with honor; hut
the long and severe study had taxed his
| system, and he entered upon tho stage of
manhood not quite 80 strong in body as he
should have bccn His mother saw 1t, and
was anxious. His father saw it, and deci-
dcd that he should have recreation and re-
cupcration before he entered into active
business. DR.. Walsh was not pccuniarily
able to send his son off on expensive travel,
but he found opportunity for his engage
mcnt upon the staff of an exploring eXpedi-
ton, which would combine hcalthful re-
creation with an equally hcalthful occupa-
ton.
The expedition was bound for the Wes-
tern wilderness, and we need not tell of the
parting between the mother and her beloved
son. She kissed him, and blessed him; and
then hung upon his neck with more kisses
and then went away to her chamber and
cried.
Philip wrote home often while on his
way out and he wrote after he had reached
the wilderness. His accounts were glow
ing, and his health was improving. Three
months Of forest life, and forest labor, of
which Philip wrote in letter that had to
be borne more than hundred miles to the
pN''e3
silence. Where was Philip? Why did he
not write2 a.. F.# ~
One day DR.. Walsh came home pale and
faint, with q newspaper crumpled and
crushed in his hand. Not Immediately, but
by and by, he was forced to let his wife
| read what he had seen in that paper. She
read, and tainted like one mortally stricken.
1t was paper from far Western city, and
it told the sad fate of the exploring party
under charge of Colonel John Beauchampe,
how they had been attacked by an overpow-
cring party of Indians, and how those not
massacred had been carried away captive.
| Poor little woman! Poor DR.. Walsh /
But the mother suffered most. Her head
already taking on its crown of silver, was
bowed in binding agony, and herhoart was
well nigh broken. The Joy was gone out
OF her life, and thick darkness was round
about her. 3ui.l. Jft
And so passed half year. One day the
| n0atp,ar loft a nj NJ }l,o 4