St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-11-05

which the old woman determined che
should receive no more. My wife was
in terrible trouble, and l believe loved
the little thing more thoroughly every
day.
But the climax came soon after. One
evening as we sat before our bright fire,
we heard the sound of angry words,
and the screams of the child in the
room just above us. My wife was in
agony, and exclaimed, wildly:
"Oh, can't you do something, Georgef
Can't you stop that outrage? ? / cannot
stand it,"
knew l could do nothing, SO could
give her but little consolation. Pres
emily there was sound of feet descend
ing the stairs. Our door was thrown
open, and little Elsie rushed in, and
throwing herself into my wife's arms,
clasped her around the neck and beg
ged her to save her. "a.
"Save me save me! She will kill
me she said she would! Oh, save me
do save mel"
My wife, pressing her to her bosom,
began to cry quite as heartily as the
child did. A nice situation was in
Again feet were heard on the stairs.
The angry face of the old woman ap-
peared at our door. She looked fierce
ly at my wife moment, and then said:
"Give me my child Elsie, come
here this moment. How dare you in
terfere between mother and childq l
will teach her a lesson. will kill her"
and she made a grasp at the child.
The woman was very much the worse
for liquor. All this time the little one
was clinging to my wife as if her life
depended on her, and my wife was
clasping her tight to her breast, as if
she had no intention of letting her go.
[ advanced to the old woman and said
MADAME, you will please to leave
my room Immediately"
"Give me my child, then"
"When you are sober, and have al
lowed your passion to cool, you can
have your child not now"
81 will have heri I will have her ~
and she made an effort to seize her.
She had a cowhide in her hand, and
made stroke with it which fell partly
on the child's back and partly on my
wife's face, leaving a broad red mark.
This was carrying it too far. Strike a
man, but never strike his wife; he can
do that, if necessary. 1 took her by
the arm, and assisted her from the room
as fast as was consistent with pOliteness.
l am a strong man, but it was all /
could do to get her out; she stormed
and swore outside the door awhile, but
finally went mp stairs to her own room.
What would be the consequence to
Elsie when she did return7 That was
the question which agitated US now.
a hnA ho, ho
very severe. We examined the child's
back, and found great lines as large as
a mans hand. After some discussion,
it was decided that should go to the
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty TO
Children. Providence, however, dis
posed of the matter in his own way.
We heard the old woman again on the
stairs. She opened our door wide
enough to thrust her head in, and said
fercely, "Take her then, and keep her,
and curse you all !"
A moment after we heard the front
door slam, noticed the landlady, who
went at once to the old wOman's room,
and found she had gone, bag and bag
gave, leaving months rent due. 1
paid the rent, glad to get the little Ell
sic on such cheap terms and the land
lady handed me an open letter she had
found on the floor in one of the vacated
rooms. 1t threw some light, though
not much, on little Elsie:
"MADAME - You ask for more
money; have no more money. Your
Unsuitable greed for money has ruined
me. l have spent the last, and paid
you all my money; all Elsie's money !;
all the money could lay my hands on,
and now l leave the country forever.
You can get no more money from me.
You can do what you like with the
child. 1 shall do nothing more for her
or you. l would to heaven 1 had never
been appointed, had never committed
her to you. IF you can find any one to
adopt the child, you can tell them that
she is well descended, but of secret
marriage; it was afterwards, however,
openly acknowledged before her parents
died. Perhaps you had better give
their names. JAMES HAMMOND"
This accounted for the old woman
leaving the child, which 1 was thank
full to learn was not her child; she
could make nothing more out of her.
Now, if you could only see these two
Elsies, you would imagine that pei feet
Sou'onlhonI ulu oAlsG' 1hey are ue-
voted to each other, and are two of the
happiest souls in the city. l would be
Jealous, but for the life of me cannot
My wife winds me around her finger as
she used to do; and as we three sit OF
an evening, and my wife says in hel
old affectionate way, George, we are
the happiest family in the world; We
lack nothing that could add to oul
happiness" l verify believe that sucl
is the case; and when little Elsie says
''Papa, you and mamma and 1 are al
the world to each other" cannot de
ny it, and kissing her, reply, "My tw'
Elsies are all the world to me, anyhow !