The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1883-03-22
[From Fraser's Magazine.l
WHAT MAKES PEOPLE TO LIVE.
(TRANsLATED BY O. K0
Concluded.

y
''It happened six years ago." sh
said. "In one week these children
were left orphans; their father wa
buried on Tuesday, and their mothel
died ON Friday. They had been lef
fatherless for three days, when theil
mother was taken. She did not live
out the day. At that time I was lily.
ing a peasants life with my husband
We were next-door neighbors. Their
father, a peasant, was working in 6
wood. By some means they let tree
fall on him. 1t caught him across
the body. All his inside was crush ed
out. They had hardly drawn him
out when he breathed his last, and in
that very week his wife gave birth to
twins-these two children. The poor
woman was quite alone.
"She was alone when confined,
alone too when she died.
''In the morning | went to visit my
neighbor. When | came to her cot
tage the dear soul was already stiff
At the moment when she died she
rolled over and crushed one Of her
little girls, putting her foot out of
joint. The villagers gathered to-
gether, washed her, laid her out, dug
a grave, and buried her. They were
good, kind souls. The little girls
were left alone. What was to be
done with them? | was the only
peasant woman who had an infant at
the breast. It was eight weeks since
I'd begun to suckle my first infant. [
took them for time to my own home.
The peasants gathered; they were
puzzled what to do with them. Take
care of the little girls for while,
Maria they said to me. and give us
time to turn the matter over |
never expected she could live, and
then | thought the dear little angelic
soul was more dead than alive, and [
took pity on her | began to give
them suck, and as I'd one infant of
my own besides these two, sucked
three infants at one time. I was
strong young woman, and had good
milk. And God so ordered it that |
fed these infants. and buried my own
before the end of the second year.
God gave me no other child, and we
gradually became better and better off.
We are now living with the mer-
chant at the mill | have good wages,
and pleasant life of it. But I've no
children Of my own. What should ]
do alone, without these? How should
l not love them?'
With one hand the woman clasped
to her breast the little lame child, and
with the other she wiped away tear.
Matrona sighed, and said,-
"This bears out the truth Of the
proverb, You will live without father
and mother, but you'll not live with
out God"
This conversation was going on be-
tween them when suddenly, as by
sheet lightning, the whole cottage
was lighted up from the corner where
Michael was sitting. All eyes were
turned upon him, and they saw
Michael sitting, his hands folded on
his knees. He was looking upwards
and smiling.
When the woman left with the
children, Michael rose from his bench
and put down his work; he took off
his apron, made bow to the master
of the house, and said -
Forgive me, master. God has for
given me; you also forgive me-" And
his hosts saw that light streamed
forth from Michael's face Simon
rose, bowed to Michael, and said,-
Il see, Michael, that you are no
ordinary man | have no right to
retain you or to question you. But
answer this one question: when |
found you and brought you home
with me why Nere you so sad? and
when my wife gave you to sup why
did you smile on her, and since that
time wear bri ghter look? After
that, when the gentleman ordered the
boots, you smiled second time, and
from that moment wore brighter
look still; and just now, when the
woman came in with the little girls,
you smiled a third time, and bright
ened up altogether. Tell me, Michael,
how comes it that you shine so, and
why did you smile three times?"
And Michael said,-
II shine because [ was punished
and God has forgiven me- | smiled
three times because I had need to
learn three words of God. Now l
have learnt these words. learnt one
when your wife had pity on me, and
that is why smiled the first time; |
learnt the second word when the rich
man ordered the boots, and | smiled
second time; and just now, when |
saw the little girls, | learnt the last,
the third, and smiled third time"
And Simon said -
"Tell me, Michael, why you were
punished by God, and tell me those
words Of God, that too may learn
them"
''It was for this reason" said
Michael, ''that God punished me, be-
cause [ disobeyed him. | was an
angel in heaven, and disobeyed God.
Il was an angel in heaven, and the
Lord sent me to take a soul away from
a woman. I winged my way to the
earth and saw woman lying alone,
who had given birth to twins-two
little girls. The infants moved about
restlessly by the mothers side, and
she could not lift them up to her
breasts. The woman saw me, under
stood that God had sent me for soul,
and said to me in tears, Angel Of
God! I have just buried my husband,
he was killed by tree in the wood l
have no sister or aunt or countryman
r to bring up my orphans, don't take
away my soul; let me myself give
!, food and drink to the infants, and
! bring them up. The children cannot
!, live without father and mother" |
, listened to the mother, put one infant