South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1881-09-16

i'SSiS, 'tsti C't IVY lEl't iO')ociltt
the canoe from It's fastening TO take
Winnie Merton for ride had, while
rocking it, rocked too far anl tipped
il over; and now, while her boy WAS
almost drowning, she was lying in Il
helpless heap on the bank of the river.
Some were beginning to recover their
seit-rossc5sion and were calling for
ropes, when Mrs. Merton, stepping
out OF her slippers, poised herself i
moment Oh the BANK then Ne sicn-
der iiynrc, clad iral * w. " array
ofSw;s, muslin and ~ NY ons,
dropped like an arro, o. We Hcr,
aud struck out with EE so.SN 7
expert to where litt s.a
w:,s battling with t! Il and
holding bin 80 thai, vas IL
bovc water, swan j1"tshorc,
where many hands 0 II to the
bank and then. sw NLI back to
her rcbeil:oas little sieP-ttrGghtcr, she
carried her, half suif1.w:ci with
waves, back to terra iirma.
Winnie, by general advice from
without, had managed IS keep al all
most continual warfare ut home, al
though she was naturally q generous
hearted child and when she had re-
covered from her fright, aud made
sure she had not swallowed all the
water i'll the river, size looked gravcly
at her stcpmot!ler's soiled garments
and said, slowly
III you don't care, Mrs. Merton I'll
call you mamma, now
After that day Mrs. Merton had
many friends; for yoa eau always
reach Il mothers heart through her
children, and every woman seems a
mother to any child in the hour of
danger.
'Shc wls brave AMI sclC-posscssed,
and SHE saved M Elmer, all don't
mean to ever say another word a
Sunst her it she never goss with the
church That WAS '-Ail.at Mrs. Evans
sad ut the next meeting. anl ;rs she
seldom expressed an opinion for her
self, the ladies for the most part q.
gree! with her, except Mrs. uczekiah
Winters, who s;,iu,-
'Wcll, | d!nno : she may be all
right, but il woman that coul.i cntrap
Il lnan Of forty, an,! lie q minister
kin.l IF looks TO nc cs though she
WAS ilirt.'
1 And Miss Sop!rona &sTSbs nodLed
4 W. l.!ss !:!:.s.. irizzes epp!E: Ely as shs
good act
Well TO tell tie truth, folks did
generally speaking, keep all eve OF,
her; bat everything, seemed satistac-
tory. She did notl.:ns that scandal
zed their ideas OF l,hpricty, and they
had almost made up their minds that
with proper advice s!nc might do for a
minister's wife after al.
But the town ofI- was visited
one day by IL tfsvcling theatrical
troupe, and evcrybS 81; WIS going who
wasn't pillar in The church, and
wouldn't encourage no such insti,u
ton of Satan Yrs. Winters WAS
especially bitter "a :,in~t them. The
thcater, a long TINS ag,, hlL lei her
one son from his hoiac. aud the only
sweet, sacred spot il Mrs. Winters $
hard, religious lifaLsas her love for
her boy. her baby, Is she called him,
al'housh he WIS "!"'st a man when
The day the trospc arrived Mis-,
Winters was at honc alone, and the
faint sound ot distant music was arous-
ing to utterancc. IL grief she had
kept buried SO long.
LII just 60 to the sewing circle aud
forget my sorrow III listening to some
thing or other And away trudccd
Mrs. Winters to MIS- Richiicl DIS.
whose turn it WIS to entertain the
society.
Everybody was busy and gossipy,
and Mrs. Winters J*.s listening to the
report Of the bad IN N,,viour of the girl
OF the period wl< <IAIis Arinin;ha
White came bnstt Ing ~
Law me ladiSs have you hearI?'
and without waiting for. an answer.
she continued, oh, the dreadful, aw,
full actions of Imosene Merton! Sill
rah llalcomb, thai lives next door.
seen it with her ofr eyes, and she
told INC all abougN!--Nn1l poor, dear
Dir. Merton away OH church bust.
ness =
what is it? DO tell p Go on.
Arilnlntha, and explain were the
words from all sides.
wen, to begin with, my feelings is
owtully rlled up; but you ali Know
that them theater jellcrs como to-day.
We'll, oDe of 'cn,-I know lie was
one because he go; oil the train with
them-come to Mrs. Merton's to-day,
and she was seten' i'll that room Of
hers with them windows that swings
out; and he, instead Of going to the
front door or ringing tie bell like a
man, why, when he saw her a.sittin,