Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-09-07

put tue iron on. Mary, and smooth 'em
out"
The woman turned startled face upon
her, and then went quickly for the clothes,
but something-was 1t a ar?-rollel
down the swarthy cheek, and min .led
with the bright drops she sprinkled over
them. When had she ever been called
Mary? When bad she heard any name
but Moll? Not since, away among New
Hampshire hills, pale woman had laid
her hand upon the tangled curls of her
little daughter, and prayed that from the
strange world TO which she was speeding
she might be allowed to watch over those
wayward feet lest they should 90 astray
Had size watched? did she know? Moll
hoped not; it made her shudder to think OF
1t. What would Heaven be for her if she
could see and knowP and yet, what did
she hear about joy in Heaven over one
sinner that repented? fthere was joy, it
must he that they knew; or, perhaps, only
good news was carried there.
That night Hetty sang again at her
sewing by the lamp, and from the attic
window, tar above her head, the wanderer
leaned out into the dark to listen. The
little chamber was bare of ornament
there was not picture on the cleanly
whitewashed walls, and the straight cur.
tain Was for decency not drapery; but it
seemed to this lost one a very chamber of
peace. The great Norway pine almost
brushed her cheek with its reslnous piumes,
balmy with moist night air. and bird
hidden somewhere among its branches
sent out startled. half-awake cry, and
then dropped off to sleep again. There
was pale, young moon low in the west.
ern sky, with black clouds scudding across
it, and the dull, steady sound of the river,
pouring over the great dam in the valley,
seemed TO come nearer and nearer like
the tramp Of feet. Martha Rogers went
out to the milk room and stood for mo-
ment in the door, shading the Pickering
candle in her hand. She was only taking
Il housewllely observation upon the ga h.
ering storm, but it seemed to the wanderel
that she might well be the woman who
had lighted candle to search for the lost
piece OF SILVER, and with dim compre
hension of love on earth and joy in Heaven
she tried 10 pray and fell asleep.
Silas Rogers listened to the days story
as he sat mending bit of ha ness Will
clumsy fingers. He may be forgiven if hi:
thoughts sometimes wandered to the hay
so fortunately secured from the storm ol
ran over he grist to be sent to the mill il
the morning if it proved Il wet day, oil
specuIated curiously on the superhumar
knowledge of almanac men; nut, on the
whole, he was tolerably attentive, and Ger
taiuly grasped the idea that mis- wife hac
secured valuable and much needed
helper.
1T seems a risk TO rum" said Martha
anxiously, land don't know but its pre-
sump- there's Hetty, and there's Reu
! ben ~
And there's the Lord" said Silas, stop
| ping to open his knife.
Yes" said Martha, with little start
"and can't quite get rid of what she sti,
about the piece that was lost; though. t.
be sure, the woman that lost it ought t.
| hunt it,"
'She never does; folks are always losin!
things for somebody else to find; tain
many Of 'em car say, those that thou has
given me have | kept, right straigh
along
But if YOU lose your own piece looking
after other folks"
Slas cut off his waxed end and gave tn
harness an experimental pull before h
answered
"Well, there's risks, as you say, but l.
rather take Il risk for the Lork than agin
him y
Martha Rogers took the risk for tn
Lord, and He abundantly justified and re
warded her faith. For the piece that wa
lost becomes peace to the heart that find
II and laws IL ouain In tho Mlstpr'l hand
and locking tho story of the wanderer il
her own breast, it was only to the ange
that she said, "rejoice with me-"
And when, years afterward, the woma
herself said before the committee of th
church, II am a woman over whom ther
is great JOY in Heaven" there were nC
wanting those who thought she was pr,
sumptuously claiming to be saint
Emily Harrington Miller, in The Christta
Union.