St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-08-29

But the desire is resisted, the battle is
fought, and victor's heart beats I'M
derneath the battered garments, beats
within the hungry little body.
sI"Billy, o, Billy !" and famished Lena
deveurd the orange, skin and seeds in
cluded, and then lay back upon the
rags with a smile of satisfaction on her
lips.
"Was it good, Lena ~
lawful good, Billy, dear Billy And
Lena dropped asleep. Billy crept in
beside her. He looked pityingly upon
the drawn little face, and then with the
petition 'Jesus Christ, If you'd give
me little mOre'n enough for Lena, I'd
like little bite; dear Jesus Pm pretty
hungry, too, but / can wait better'n
Lena" he too fell asleep.
1t is morning. The room into which
we are looking is neither elegant nor
commodious, but, still better, warm,
sunny and homelike. A strange sight
greets us; two dirty, tangled-haired
children sleeping in their clothes on a
low, soft bed, lightly covered with a
thin spread. Suddenly the boy, whom
we recognize as Billy, awakens, sits up
in bed and rubs his eyes. "Where am
/, where am ~ he wonders aloud, and
as he wonders Lena opens her blue
ewes in amazement and echoes, "Where
am 2"
"In your own little bed my poor lit
tie ones,n came the answer gently,
sweetly from the lips of one just enter
ing the room, a pale-faced, middle-aged
woman.
"Our bed, ma'am 2" questioned Billy,
slipping out of bed.
ayes, yours, dear; come to me-"
And dirty and ragged as Billy was, he
was embodied in warm, mOtherly en-
brace.
'Eat this warm toast and drink this
milk, dears,n she said a few minutes
later, "and then I'll tell you how you
came to awaken in this warm ROOM"
"NOw, ma'am, please tell US 2" asked
Billy, wiping his mouth after his re-
past.
"My husband is a policeman, and he
has been watching you, Billy, for some
time. He saw you walk the streets
looking for bite, my poor little one
he saw you tempted and yet turn away
victor, you brave little soul hungry
and cold and yet hero. God bless
youi He saw you carry your little sis
ter and cover her up tenderly, even
you as you searched for the
orange, even laid it in your pathway,
and then, little Billy, he saw you give
it to your little sister. He heard your
weak little prayer for rest, and then,
when he saw you sound asleep, he lift
ed you carefully and carried you softly
to our home-your home, for you are
DUR children now, you and Lena. Are
you glad, Billy 2"
80 ma'am it is too good to believe
100 good, too good" And the tears
poured down the grimy little cheeks.
But later in the day Billy believed,
or how could he help itq With little
narket-basket on his arm he went mar
leting for his new mamma, and you
could hardly have believed it to be
Billy. He was clean, and his black hair
waved over a fine, fair forehead, his |
gray eyes were bright with Joy, and his |
lefOrmed shoulders were hidden under |
| nicely padded gray wooden Jacket. |
Lena waited for him beside his new |
mamma. o, what joy to know that
she was warm, well fed and we'll cared |
or.
Dear little Lena, how pretty you
ook !" said Billy after returning with
lis load and being told to peep in the
'ittingroOm to see his sister. Pretty |
indeed, with the soft hair all coined out
Ind tied back with blue ribbons, the
lelicate little form clad in blue meri-
10 suit that had been "folded away"
many weary year.
S(NnH bless them for aUar uiUinn
est and home" prayed Billy, sinking
IN his knees beside Lena's chair.
eyes, God bless them !" echoed
anne Lena. "Oh, he will, Billy, he
Temperance Advocate.