West-Jersey pioneer., 1883-02-08

| the f1OOr TO her side.
Mamma can't get warm" said she
Isn't there any firegn
There's a fire, DEAR, said Mrs, Rob
bins; but we can't have much, fo
there's only peck of coal left in th'
box
Mamma" went on the child, ''why
don't our fires shine bright like the fire
l see through other peoples windows
sometimes?"
1--WE can't afford it, DEAR sighed thu
widow. ''If you let the coal blaze anC
craclxle it soon turns into ashes, and W.
must economizen
Mamma" spoke up very tiny voice
from the bed, Il didn't eat quite enough
supper Can't have another half slice
of bread?''
There is no more, Bessie said Mrs
Robbins, with a pang sharper than {
serpent's tooth at her heart. $50 tc
sleep, dear; you'll soon forget that you
are hungry, and in the morning we are
to start for the country, you know"
CoooAC . CyCc clIell hiCd-
I'VE can have all the milk we want
then, mamma, can't we?" said she.
''And pick up nuts where they grow
among the leaves, and eat apples with.
out paying two cents apiece for them, >
chimed in Lille. "Oh, mamma why
don't everyone live in the country? Nam
ma don't you love Cousin Elsa and her
mother? Is cousin Elsa little girl.
Will she play with us?"
Il don't know" said Mrs. Robbins,
with quiver in her voice. mo, she
is not child, she is a woman. like me.
But think she must be an angel in her
heart
For Elsa Robbins had been the first
helping hand which had been stretched
out to lift the poor little widow out OF
the abyss of troubles which had over
whelmed her since her husband died. in
the far-away Mexican lands whittier he
had gone to make the fortune which,
alas! was never made.
She had become sadly used to sharp
words and cold glances, but kindness,
sympathy, tender recognitions of her
claims to kinship, were new and prec-
ious to her.
Just then there came a heavy creak-
ing footstep on the fioor-a tap on the
door.
Little Lille jumped up and scampered
back to bed. Bessie drew her curly
yellow head under the sheets.
Its mistake" said Mrs. Robbins,
spiritlessly. Nobody ever comes here. 2"
But she rose and opened the door,
There stood a stout, middle-aged man,
with cheerful blue eyes, a ruddy complex
ion, and leg-of- mutton whiskers, slightly
sprinkled with gray.
docs Mrs Walter Robbins live hereY"
he asked.
y
Miss Elsa had made waffles for supper,
and had fried some fresh crullers, brown
and ipht-as- -hnttarHu. ..1inos-Sha had
brought in the parlor lamp, and hunted
up two little china mugs, handleless, and
with the gilt inscription faded off, which
had been hers and her dead sisters, as
children long ago.
They'll please the little Ones" she
thought.
And Mrs. Robbins, in her clean cap,
sat smiling by the hearthstone, when
Walters widow came in, her black dress
powdered over with snow which had
10 FOL Oh thn of 611cly
and with two little girls clinging to her
hand.
''My dear" said Mrs. Robbins, you
are welcome-kindly welcome-you and
the dear little girlsn'
And Elsa came in, her face softened
for the moment, and led them hospita-
bly, to the fire.
'It's a poor place." said she; ''but
mother is right-you are welcomer'
The children looked timidly around at
the black beams which traversed the
roof overhead-the deep-set windows,
with their broad lodges filled with musk
plants and fish geraniums-the strings
of red peppers above the mantle-and
brass candlesticks, which glittered as if
they were made of gold, and then the
flre-the great, open chimney-place-the
blazing logs-the funnily-shaped and
irons, with round heads, and the
great Maltese cat, asleep upon the
gaudy rag rug. Was it all true! or were
they dreaming?
But when it came to hot waffles, and
maple molasses cookies, with fennel seeds
in them, and milk-just as much milk as
they could drink out of those dear lit
tie antique mugs-the children decided
the matter in their own minds, that they
were not dreaming at all. And after
they had gone to sleep in a bedroom just
off the kitchen, where the sheets smelled
of sweet clover, and the wall paper was
covered with punches of cabbage roses
with impossibly green leaves, and blue
ribbon fillets around the stems, Mrs
| Walter Robbins found courage to thank
the friends who had been so good to hel
in her necessity.
''But there's something I haven't told
you yet," she said timidly II couldn't
write it, because l did not know it my
self at the time that appealed to you
am not SO poor as every one Thought
Poor dear Walters mining ventures
have turned out better than any one ex
pected. A lawyer from the South came
to see me last night, and told me tha
| am to have at least thousand dollars
a year."
'Eh?' said Elsa, almost incredulously
''It amt possible?" chirped Mrs. Rob
bins.
"And," went on Mrs Walter, IF yol
will allow me to live here and share i
with you"
NO" said Miss Elsa, ''We have nj
right to it,
"But," pleaded the widow, ''you wer
willing to share all that you had will