The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-09-23

W - III tlthC- tsIlNl llC HCN Cl
quite gave up hope about the will But
six months passed a year-two-and
nothing was heard of it.
Now, Mr.. Tibbetts had charge of the
Van Note property, and as every one
knew the Widow Wickett's house was
upon it. She owned the building, but
not the land, and paid modicum Of
ground-rent. Mr. Van Note being very
"close, 1t became every year some one $
painful duty to extract that small sum
from the Widow Wicket. 1t was worse
than ii would have been to extract her
few remaining teeth.
LudOvicO was set at the work this
time, and being young and sympathetic,
came out of it quite crushed and miser-
able. At the tenth visit little pile of
the dirtiest bills and crookedest coin pro-
durable lay at his elbow, and the widow
thus held forth:
There's your money. Now you've
eXtortioned it out of me, take it. 1t was
give me by good lady to put the glass
in my windys and save me from rheu-
MATES agin the winter but no, I've got
to suffer now. l hope you'll think of
that when you re warm as toast in your
feather beds and blankets-yahn'
Indeed it's not !. / couldn't ask it
of YOU" said Ludovico, almost in tears.
"Lool herer' said the widow. "See
my panes. Two windys. Twelve panes
in each. Three whole in the lot. This
them boys broke, and this cracked I'M
knownst, and this my elbow went
through and when the stove-pipe fell
it went through these four; and this is
them boys again and l put bit of
stick that give under it, is the way it was
them went. The cat was on the sill
under it at the time. All, well! the
| Coryner'l II have me this Winter,n
LudOyico went away with swelling
heart.
AIR he said to himself. eff |
We're rich as my dear old friend intended
l should be, I'd not Cypress the poor"
There, sir" he said, handing the
money to Mr., Tibbetts, . the wretched
old soul has paid it, and now she can't
have her windoW-panes put in. She'll
die of cold. How cruel Mr., Van Note is.
90, Widow Wickctt's panes. We all
know about Them" said Mr. Tibbetts.
''They'r re her stock in trade. Why, lad,
they're always out"
"AIways. all these bitter winters ~
sighed Ludoyico.
Then an heroic thought possessed him.
He would take the money he had saved
! for coat and 90 to the glaZier and buy
nine panes of glass and some putty and
himself mend the Widow Wickett's
windows. And when Office hours were
over away he sped, carried out his good
| intnhfinn and a,,nnoraI oft tbn William
| WickettS door with his hands full of
glass and smiles of benevolcnce on his
face, and announced his intention.
The widow was Mortified. The broken
windows brought her half her income in
charitable gifts from plying strangers,
but she was obliged to submit, and pre-
tend to be grateful. She sat in her
rocking-chair, ruefully looking on, while
Ludovico extracted the old hats and
pans, and ripped off the parchment, and
threw the whole outside the window
into the door yard where the gooseberry
bush grew. Happily he worked, and
soon the windows were all restored to
their original condition.
1.-The Lord blessin' on YOU" whined
the widow, meaning something else.
90, don mention it," said Ludovico,
politely. "YOu musn' wash them until
tomorrow, or they'll fall out. Good
by"
Mrs. Wicket never washed anything,
but she began to mediate on doing it
instantly; and Ludovico marched away
He would have no coat, but his CON
science would not trouble him.
go, if | were rich, how good | would
be to the poor ~ he said.
At this instant something hit his heel
sharply. A blessed breeze had impelled
one half of the parchment he had taken
from the widows window after him.
He stopped and picked it up. The first
thing that struck him was his own name.
He looked at it closely. 1t was part of
a within his favor. Back flew the boy;
the widow was just examining the other
part under her tea-kettle, but he snatched
it from her without a word, and rushed
away. Mr.. Tibbetts saw him coming,
and his prophetic soul saw q great reve-
lation in the boys pale face.
What have you got there?" he
shouted.
Ludovico answered:
The Widow Wickett's window
pancS.
A few days after the widow was in
court, explaining how she came by such
window panes.
And 50 the boy came to his own, and
really is the rich man he dreamed of
being as he daubed the putty against the
frames of Mrs. Wicketts window; and
that cid lady is well provided for by the
gratitude of the VO1nU heir who hos
bought her house for her, furnished it,
and settled en her an income beyond
her wants but she keeps an empty
snulf-box in her pocket, and amiable
strangers are often heard to mention
that they gave a few pennies just now
to poor old soul, who never could save
enough for her one luXury--a pinch of
snuif-M Y. Ledger
Middle Life.