Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-02-15

sprinkled over them, When had she
ever been called Mary2 When had she
heard any name but MollS Not since
away among New Hampshire hills a
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 these wayward
feet lest they should 90 astray, Had
she watchedi did she know Moll
hoped not II made her shuddcr to
think Of Il, What would heaven be
worth if she could eee aud k.o"' ""d
yet, what did she hear about JOY in
heaven over one sinner that repentedY
II there was joy, It must be 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, for above her head, the wan
dcrer leaned out into the dark to listen.
The little chamber was bare Of orna.
mont there was not picture on the
clcanly whitc-washcd walls, and the
straight curtain was for dccency, not
drapcry; but it seemed to this lost one
q very chamber Of peace. The great
Norway pine almost brushed her cheek
with its rcsinous plumcs, balmy with
moist night air, and bird hidden
somewhere among its branches sent out
q startled, hali-awake cry, and then
dropped off to sleep again. There was
II pale young moon low in the western
sky, with black clouds scudding across
it, aud the full, steady sound Of the
river, pouring over the great dam in the
valley, seemed to come nearer and
nearer, like the tramp Of feet. Mar
tina Rogers went out to the milk room
and stood for moment in the door,
shading the fickcring candle in her
hand. She was only taking a house.
wfaly observation upon the gathering
storm, but it seemed to the wanderer
that she might well be the woman who
had lighted a candle to search for the
lost piece of silver, and with a dim
c,.- .ai,u anu Joy
in heaven, she tried to pray and fell
asleep.
Silas Rogers listened to the days
story as he sat mending a bit OF har-
ness with clumsy fingers. lie may be
forgiven if his thoughts wandered
sometimes to the hay so fortunately
secured from the storm, or ran over the
grist to be sent to the mill in the morn
ing, if it proved wet day, or specu-
lated curiously on the superhuman
knowledge of almanac men: but, on
the whole, he was tolerably attentive,
and certainly grasped the idea that his
wife had secured valuable and much
needed helper.
"It seemed a risk to rum" said
Martha, anxiously; "and don't know
but it's presumptuous; there's Hetty
and there's Reuben"
"And there's the Lord" said Silas,
stopping to open his knife.
eyes" said Martha, with little
start, "and I amt got quite rid ofwhat
she said about the piece that was lost
though, to be snre, the woman that
lost it ought to hunt it,
"She never does; folks are always
loosing their things for somebody else
to find; 'tain't many of 'em can say,
'Those that Thou hast given me have l
kept, right straight along"
"But if you lose your own piece
looking after other folks"
Silas cut off his waxed end and gave
the harness and experimental pull be-
fore he answered.
"Well, there's risk, as you say, but
I'd rather take risk for the Lord than
agiu him."
Martha Rogers took the risk for the
Lord, and he abundently justified and
rewarded her faith. For the piece
that was lost becomes ''My peace to
the heart that finds it and lays it again
in the Masters hand: and locking the
story of the wanderer in her own breast
it was only to the angels that she said,
"rejoice with me-"
And when, years afterward, the
woman herself said before the commit
tee of the church, 81 am woman over
whom there is great joy in heaven"
there were not wanting those who
thought she was presumptuously claim
ing to be saint.
Na ,,h,,a;n;an orar waiuhad medicine