St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-09-03

JIM finished eating and stood.
f'James,D said the little woman-for
she was a little woman-"when you are
hungry and have nothing to eat, if you
will come to this door, will feed you.
l don't want you to go hungry"
81 should like to come, num-"
"And if / feed you when you are
hungry, vii! you not try to be good for
my sake?"
The boy hung his head and consd-
cred. Some might have wondered that
he did not answer at once, as grateful
than that. The lad was considering
sadly and truly.
"If they'd let me be good, ma'am, but
they WON'T" he at length replied.
'Will you try all you can ?"
"Yes'm, I'll try all can"
Mrs. Walsh gave the lad small par
eel of food in paper, and patted his
curly head. The boy had not shed a
tear since the wound was assuaged.
Some might have thought he was not
grateful but the little woman could
see the gratitude in the deeper light of
| bis blue eyes. The old crust was not
broken enough yet for tears.
Afterward, Mrs. Walsh told her hus-
band what she had done, and he laughed
at her.
''DO you think, Mary, that your kind
ness can help that ragged waif p
81 do not think it will hurt him,
Silas ?"
1t was not the first time that Mrs.
Walsh had delivered answers to the
erudite doctor which effectually stopped
discussion.
After that, Jim came often to the
door and was fed and he came cleaner
and more orderly with each succeeding
visit. At length Mrs. Walsh was in
formed that friend was going away
into far western country to take up
land and make frontier farm. The
thought occurred that this might be a
good opportunity fol James AmmertOn.
She saw her friend and brought Jim to
his notice, and the result was the boy
went away with the emigrant adven-
turer. And she heard from her friend
year later that he liked the boy very
much. Two years later the emigrant
wrote that Jim was treasure. And
Mrs. Walsh showed the letter to her
husband, and he smiled and kissed the
little wife, and said he was glad.
And he had another source of glad
ness. Upon her bosom his little wife
bore a robust, healthy boy-their own
son-who gave promise of life and hap
piness in time to come.
The years sped in and James Ammer-
ton dropped out from the life that Mary
Walsh knew. The last she heard was
| five years after he went away from
Ellsworth, and Jim had then started for
the golden mountains on his own ac-
count to commence in earnest his own
life battle.
But there were joy and pride in the
little wOman's life which held its place
and grew and strengthened. Her boy,
whom they called Philip, grew to be a
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 wOr-
shipped him; or at least his mother did.
| AT the aye OF seventeen Philip Walsh
entered college, and at the age of twen-
| ty-One graduated with honor but the
long and severe study had taxed his
system, and he entered upon the stage
of manhood not quite so strong in body
as he should have been. His mother
saw it and was anxious his father saw
it and decided that he should have re-
creation and recuperation before he en-
tered into active business. DR.. Walsh
was not pecuniarily able to send his
son on an expensive travel, but he
found opportunity for his engagement
upon the staff of an exploring expedi-
ton which would combine healthful
recreation with an equally healthful oc-
cupation.
The expedition was bound for the
western wilderness, and we need not
tell of the parting between the mother
and the son. She kissed him and
blessed him, and hung upon his neck
with more kisses, 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 glowing and his health was i'm
proving. Three months of forest life
and forest labor, of which Philip wrote
in a letter that had to be borne more
than hundred miles to the nearest
post, and then followed months of si-
lence. Where was Philip? Why did
he not write
One day DR.. Walsh came home pale
and faint, with newspaper crumpled
and crushed in his hand. Not imme-
diately, but by and by, he was forced
to let his wife read what he had seen
in that paper. She read, and felt like
one mortally stricken. 1t was paper
from far distant city, and it told the
sad fate of the exploring party under
the charge of Colonel John Beauchampe,
| how they had been attacked by an
overpowering body 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 her heart was well-nigh broken.
The joy had gone out of her life and
thick darkness was around about her.
And so half year passed. One day
the postman left letter at the door
The hand of the superscription was fl-
glanced her eyes over the contents. o.
joy ! O., rapture Her boy lived, was
well, and was on his way home to her.
When DR.. Walsh entered the room he
found his wife fainting, with the letter
clutched tight in her grasp.
By and by, when the great surge had
passed, husband and wife sat down aud
read the letter understandingly.
"Thank God found true friend,
or should say a true friend found me-"
wrote Philip, after he had told of his
safety and his whereabouts. "But for
the coming of this friend should have