The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-12-13

ana WltnOut the strong BODY ana resO-
lutte mind that supported me when was
thrown in the same way upon the
world My last prayer at night and my
first thought in the morning have for
many day been for herl" and too
much shocked herself at the conse-
quence of her son g neglect to have any
wish to palliate his conduct, she gave
hasty recital of the occurrences of the
day.
An lrmer shook bis head. "That
boy will Wuse you many heart.sore
yet, neighbor Slade," said he; ''there is
not as forward lad of his years, nor
as headstrong in the whole country
round. He is beyond the management
of a woman"
The grave looks of the other auditors
attested their concurrence in his opinion
but one of them, as il to afford some
relief to the mind of the mother, re-
marked
'Yet it may not have been the boys
fault; we are not certain but that she
died in the night"
''No, no." returned the widow, with
truthful earnestness ''did 1 not say
that for few moments had seen that
curtain raised and /, myself, carried
in wood, more than enough to last her
till the morning"
The assemblage was now increased by
the arrival of several women who had
obeyed the signal of the horn as soon as
the difficult walking would allow, and
they were clamorous in their expressions
of grief and horror.
"Poor thing she must have died
without struggle" said one of them
"her face is as calm as if she had passed
away in sweet sleep. Dreadful as it
is, because it might have been prevent
ed, they say freezing is an easy death to
die."
"And she died like Christian, with
the Bible open on her breast; )" added
another.
The tears of Widow Slade fell fast, as,
for the first time, she observed that the
arms of the dead woman were stiffened
across the open volume so firmly that
the restless motions of the famished
child had not displaced it from the bosom
whose agonies it had often soothed. "It
was but yesterday" she remarked, "that
she begged me to read the merciful
promises to the widow and fatherless,
which had been my comfort in my own
days of trial"
"And what is to become of this poor
lamb 7" asked one of the women, car
rying the child to the fire, which the
men had kindled; "there are no rela-
tions to claim it, for more than one of
us heard Henry Wilmot tell, when he
first brought his young wife among
us, that she was as much alone in the
world as himself. Poor innocent!-it
may have hard life before it,!
'Not If Heaven continues to bless me
as it has done !" said the pedlar woman,
clasping the child in her arms, while
her fine blue eyes frightened with a
noble resolution ''she shall share my
portion with melp
Too much depressed to feel any dispo-
sition for assisting in the last offices to
the dead, the pedlar woman wrapped
the child in her cloak, and prepared to
to discharge her selfimposed duties by
conveying it to the home which she
meant it should share. The neighbor
who had so freely expressed himself
about her son, offered his services to
carry her basket, and as they walked
together he said kindly, "Don't be so
down-hearted, noighbor Slade, nor fancy
that you are more to blame in this sad
affair than the rest of us. / hope,
though it will be lesson to that hard
headed boy of yours. Take my advice
and put him to a trade, or some place
where he will have master over him.
If you don It his idle habits will grow
upon him, and may cause you trouble to
the day of your death. Make up your
mind what you would best like to do
for his good, and if you need any one TO
help you in looking out place for him,
you may depend upon me. But cheer
up cheer up and don't take this so
much to yourself"
The gloom, however, upon the spirit
of the conscientious woman could not be
so easily removed. She raked together
the live Goals that were embedded in the
ashes of the stove, and added warm
draught of milk TO the food which her
basket had supplied to the sobbing child (;
then, throwing herself upon her knees,