The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-07-09

the house was made to look home-like
and comfortable before night. Miss
Sterling also cooked good supply OF
food in the course of the day, for which
the children seemed grateful, as there
appeared to be little or nothing prepared
for them to eat. And, on being told by
Mrs. Ramsay that she had not been to
see her husband but twice in the fort
night he had been imprisoned, rs it had
been impossible to get away from her
children, she promised to stay with
them an hour or two every other day, so
the poor woman might have chance to
go to the prison. She would, too, she
said, give her instructions in house
work.
"Miss Sterling, / have not words at
my command which can express my
gratitude to you for all your kindness,
but if ever have the means L will re-
ward you"
"I If you had millions would not want
cent for what l have done, Mrs. Ram
say. Whatever good deeds do hope
to be rewarded for hereafter, not here.
That command of our Savior, "Do
unto others as we would be done by" is
ever present on my mind. And l have
the desire and hope of beneliting you
spiritually as well as temporarily, as
pray almost without ceasing that you
may be led to forsake your sins and be-
come disciple of Jesus For your err
ing husband, too, L struggle i'll prayer
that he may repent.
Miss Sterling, L once made light of
your sanctimonious ways, and really be-
lieved that | and my worldly friends
would stand SO good chance i'll the
world to come as you now fortune has
turned against me, those friends no
longer recognize me, while you are
striving to do me good. There must be
reality in your religion, and, if my
dear husband could embrace it, although
he will not be forgiven by man he might
be by God. Will you not go and talk to
him, Miss Sterling ?"
&" Yes, will Since this affair hap
pened for which you and your husband
are now suffering, l have felt n greater
compassion for wrong-doers than hereto
fore. He was not naturally bad mt
heart. / remember when he was con-
sidered an upright, promising young
man, and had his associates and sur
roundings been the reverse from what
they were he might not have acquired
those ruinOus habits, and the taste for
fast living which have been his undoing."
Now, Miss Sterling, you are casting re-
Elections on me, and, If never before, L
can now see deserve it. Had he, for
instance, married wise, sensible being
like you, he would not now be criminal
hn WI nl
l, perhaps, encouraged him III his dissi-
pated habits, without the sense to know
they would lead him to destruction. Oh,
L can see how greatly was to blame"
"But you did not know he was living
so greatly i'll advance of his means, L
believe you told me-. "No, 1 did not
know but his income was sufficient to
warrant our living in the style we did.
Had L been less frivolous and thought
less l might have surmised that it was
not, but SO long as 1 could get every
thing that was elegant and to my taste,
without murmur on his part, did not
stop to ask questions. And now those
baubles that L so doated on then, must
be sold to give daily sustenance to me
and my children. My watch is gone,
my diamonds and other Jewels must go
next, and, when the money for all them
is used, what have to look forward to
but the almshouse ?"
81 do not believe you will be permitted
to go there, Miss Sterling said, feelingly;
sat all events, will try to think of some
way for you to do to prevent it. You
have good sewing machine; L will learn
you how to use it, and you may earn
something in that way. You also have
every article for household convenience,
and could furnish much-larger house
than this after disposing of all you say
you must to pay certain debts which duty
cOmpels you to; then, after you learn a
little more about housekeeping, you can
take two or three boarders, and with the
help of one servant get along very well. I"
1t appears to me, Miss Sterling the
mere thought of such an extremity one
year ago would have killed me outright,
but have now been taking daily lessons
in misery until l am prepared for nearly
anything. Your advice is good, and
without it / believe L should sink into
the depths of despair"
81 am glad if my counsel is of any
use to you, Mrs. Ramsay, for 1 know
youi Noii'utioii 10 PitidDlc oiit III Soiuc
respects-the disgrace attending the con-
duct and Imprisonment of your husband
making it so-but your present style of
living, compared to the former one, is,
in my opinion, the more enviable of the
two. God has brought you just where
you are that you may see the folly of
such extravaganza, vanity, and attempts
at earthly grandeur. 1t is well that He
has the power to humble us in the dust,
| that we may see our dependence on Him,
and that we have no right to squander
our means or the means of others in dis
sipation. Long before the arrest of your
husband was panied at the course you
both followed, and, from the reports of
his failing fortune, concluded there
would some day be crash, though did
not think it would come in the way it
did. for, however fast your husband
might have been, did not think him
downright dishonest. And 1 think now
his forgeries were committed when he
was under the influence of liquor.
81 know they We're, Miss Sterling, for
he told me so the other day when went
to the prison to see him. But he said
there would be no use saying so to any