Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-04-22
Kindness and It's Reward.


Alice sat in front of the little table
washing the breakfast dishes, bright
haired girl, with large, wistfuf blue eyes,
whom you would never suspect to be a
cripple until you saw that she was seat
ed on a wheeled chair by means of
which she propelled herself back and
forth.
Yet, although she herself was the on
iy servant of the establishment, the floor
was daintily clean, the windows shone
like sheeted diamonds and the curtains
were white and neatly darned.
For little Alice, at eighteen, was a
born housekeeper, and took as much de-
light in the details Of her homely, do
mestic life as if she had been child
playing with dolls house instead of
Moses Haywood's crippled daughter.
at is puZzling. sometimes, said Alice,
wrinklisg her pretty brows over the
housekeeper's book; because there's on
ly just so much money and the expenses
have got to be met i and if you get the
least little bit in debt. there it is, hang
ing around your neck like milestone to
the end of the year. But then, again
if there weren't any difficulties in this
style Of housekeeping, where would be
the credit?"
And then Alice would shake hel
bright, brown braids, bite the ends OF
her pencil and begin again with her
troublesome array of figures.
But upon this particular day the col
or burned more feverishly than ever in
her cheek; the teacups clinked nervous
ly together as she rinsed them.
But Moses Haywood, a white-haired,
prematurely old man, sat over his "Class-
lcal Dictionary" at the other end Of the
room and only smiled quietly.
Fifty pounds" said Alice. ats a
deal of money, father, dear, and you've
been years saving it up"
"You are right, my dear" said the
schoOl-master, calmly, sit is deal of
money. But what is money worth If
we can't use it to help our fellow crea-
lures with?"
"And dare say he's ever so much
richer than you, father" pursued Alice.
"He's my wife's cousin, Alice" said
the old man, "and he's in sore need. Be
comforted, my child, it is only loanI'
"Only a loanP repeated indignant
Alice. Father, you'll never see it
ggain. People are always borrowing,
and nobody ever thinks of repaying
money.
"Gently, daughter Alice, gently
chided the old man. at is best to be
charitable to all men in thought as well
as in deed. 1t is true that had antici-
pated laying this $50 out in a few
books for myself, a new dress for you,
and carpet for our sitting-room; but
never mind. We shall do very well as
we are, and if Mr.. Watkins really needs
this money
al don't believe he needs it half as
much as we do" burst in Alice.
And she wheeled her chair across the
room to give the linnet his fresh seed
and water, while Haywood, folding up
the fifty-pound note which had been the
bone of contention, placed it In an en-
velope and walked quietly away.
ats too bad, father" thought Alice,
left alone by herself. 81 do believe he
would give the coat off his back If any
one asked for it. But he ought to think
of himself, and he ought to think of me.
And a few unconscious tears splashed
down on the linnet's glass water-cup as
Alice thought of the long-treasured fifty
pounds.
Just q week subsequently Mr.. Walter
Watkins sat in his back parlor. wrink-
led old gentleman with light-blue eyes
like staring marbles and curious up
ward sneer to the curves Of his mouth
while on the table in front of him lay a
pile Of letters
snow well see," said Mr.. Watkins tC
himself, "what all the ties of relation.
ship are worth. I've written pitiful let.
ters to my six cousins, and I'll be will.
ing to wager the biggest diamond in my
diamond ring that there isn't penny In
all these letters. Well, we'll see, well
see."
The first letter, as 1t transpired. was
from the Rev. Theodore Talkington who
stated that he was quite unable to helI
his cousin Walter except by good ad'
vice.