Morris tribune., 1881-03-24
led. "ohl what shall I do without my

ciasped hers, and q trembling voice in-
Have been ill long? Oh. Ellen why
did YOU call me back to a life OF misery
and SORROW"
Hush YOU must not talk now. When
YOU are stronger all will be explained, an
swered the delighted Ellen, and kissing her
pallid cheek, and recommending her to rest,
She fled to her brother with the welcome
tidings of Mrs. Parker's recovery.
On reaching Mr.. Wells study, she found
him in state of intense excitement, caused
by something he had read in the newspaper
which he convulsively clutched with one
hand, while with the other he pointed to a
paragraph that read:
Last night during a quarrel in one of
the drinking dens i'll this city, a young man
named Joseph Parker was shot through the
heart by an unknown assassin. AS Par
ker is stranger in the city, his body will
some of his friends might wish to claim it."
"A terrible end to an ill-spent life" was
Ellen's verdict, as, glancing over the article,
she realized how just are the punishments
of an all-wise God. Lucy has regalned
her reason" she told her brother, land is
sensible of her childs loss. We must con-
ceal il safely and the death of her husband
from her until she is sufficiently strong to
bear this double shock"
You are right; my dear sister,, rejoined
Mr.. Wells: "but in the meantime | will
have the unfortunate Parker decently in
tered"
Accordingly he proceeded to the morgue,
and there recognized in the bloated, scar
red face the features of once brilliant
man and the husband of the unhappy Lucy.
BY Mr. Wells orders the remains were con-
veyed to the nearest churchyard, and a
plain marble slab erected, to mark the
roasting place of him who had been the
cause of his unhappiness and of Lucy's
misery.
Under Ellen Wells skillful nursing Mrs.
Parker's return to health was rapid. Day
by day she g,ined new strength, till at
length the doctor pronounced her strong
enough to hear the tidingS of her child's
safety. AS yet Mr.. Wells had not seen her.
end only on one occasion had she mentioned
her preserver name. This was when speak
ing of her past wretched existence. she
blamed herself for having not only bighted
her own life, but for being the cause of his
misery. She told Ellen that her father had
extorted promise from her to marry Par
ker by avowing himself on the verge CT
bankruptcy from which his marriage alone
would save him. Accordingly she sacri-
feed her hearts dearest love III order to
save her fathers honor. Matters got worse
instead of better, after this Inflated mar
riage. Parker spent his time and money at
the gaming table, and finally not content
with squandering his wn money, spent that
of the firm also. A crisis was inevitable,
and when at last the house was declared
bankrupt everything was sacrificed to salts
| fly the creditors. Even her father was not
spared her; for, when he realized the ex-
tent of misery in store for himself and his
| cherished child, he took his own life. But
her trials did not end here. Her husband
! fell from one degradation to anoth-
er, till at last, from neglecting his
young wife he grew to abuse her.
With the aid of a few friends she obtained
several music scholars, and with the money
thus earned kept starvation from her door.
When at length her patrons refused to aid
one whose drunken husband was ever in
attendance, she resolved to fly with her
child, an infant of seven months, from the
scene of her many sorrows, to the east,
where she hoped to get employment-but
here she was followed and tortured by her
tyrant husbands presence. Life become
almost unbearable, but for her child, whom
she devotedly loved, she would have ended
her own existence. Jealous of the atteu-
ton she lavished upon her babe, the inhu-
man father threatened to take it from her.
Not dreaming him capable of so diabolical
an act, she did not fear the fulfillment of
this threat and on the afternoon of the day
they found her at their door, she left her
darling under his care, while she went
forth in search of employment. On her re-
turn after fruitless afternoons labor, she
found their lodgings deserted, and not a
trace of the whereabouts of her child to be
seen. Realizing that her husband had kept
his threat, she rushed, frantic with grief,
about the streets in hopes of finding some
clew to the little ones retreat. At length,
tired of wandering about. she sat down up
on doorstep to rest. Here she remem-
bered nothing further; and ooh! Ellen, "
the invalid continued, 'to think that I
should have come to you, to be nursed by
you back to life-you who would be justi-
fed in turning me from your door, because
of the blight l have cast upon your noble
brothers life. But God knows how bitter
ly have been punished for my folly"
Tears filed Mrs. Parker's eyes, as she
concluded her sorrowful story, and trink-
eled down her pale cheeks. Ellen, kissing
the tears away, vainly tried to cheer her by
picturing brighter future, the possibility
ofagain finding her missing child. She de-
clared she would never be happy while her
tyrant husband lived.
Ellen, embracing this opportunity, dis
closed the details of Parker's death and
burial to his heart broken wife, who listen
ed with bated breath and long drawn signs
till she had finished the sad recital; then
throwing her arms about Ellen's neck she
sobbed out her grief on her shoulder.
The latter endeavored to soothe her sor-
sows, but Lucy was inconosolable, not so
much at the loss of her miserable husband
as at the realization of her own destitute
and child. my poor baby" she walled,
IF I only had you could bear all else. "
Then bear with your trials, dear Lucy
your child is safe and WELL, Ellen said,
and proceeded to tell the weeping mother
how the child had been found at gentle.
mans door; how it had been taken in and
tenderly cared for, until she should be
sufficiently recovered to receive it back;
that this same gentleman was at that mo-
ment waiting to restore it to her arms, and
recommending her to quiet and rest, Ellen
left the room to prepare her brother for the
meeting.
Lucy had covered her face with her hands
and promised to comply; but finding her.
self alone she threw herself on her knees,
and raising her hands and eyes to heaven,
in fervent tones she thanked the Father of
the widow and the orphan for having spared
her to her fatherless little one. "Oh, Cod"
she concluded, ''bless and prosper him
who, in his charity, has succored my lost
lamb in it's hour of direst need" Rising,
she stood face to face with Frederick Wells.
For an instant her tongue refused to ar
ticulate word, but as her eyes fell upon
her lost darling, whom he carried in his
arms, she uttered glad cry, and snatchipg
the child to her bosom, the fond mother
almost smothered the frightened little one
with caresses.
Mr.. Wells, standing silent witness of
this reunion, felt amply repaid for his long
years of PAIN AID he thought how much
more blessed it is to give joy than sorrow.
When Mrs. Parker raised her eyes, stream
ing with tears of joy, to his face, and said:
Mr.. Wells, how shall ever pay this great
debt of gratitude, for not only do owe my
own life to your kindness, but also that of
| this child infinitely more precious tn me2n