The Penn's Grove record., 1883-08-11

warming n tiny little spot, and ex-
citing one of the strongest sensations Of
his life.
Abel hurried off to bed, without
putting on his slippers or making his
punch, leaving his sister Griselda alone
with the child.
She found and prepared some milk
for it, and secretly avcwed it should
never leave her.
That night Abel Grimes dreamed
that little blue baby eyes were looking
at him and he got up and hurried OFF
the next morning. as if to escape from
the little one and himself.
As he made no further protest his
sister kept the child in the mansion,
hut out of his sight, and told the ser
wants it was an unexpected Christmas
present, which she priced more highly
than gold.
One day, seven or eight months later,
Abel came Unexpectedly into his own
sitting-room, and found the bright aud
playful little one tied in a chair, ham
I mering its little chubby fists on the
| Gus ion before it, and talking to itself
in the unknown language Of ba bydom.
esHello p said Abel Grimes, halting
in front of it; "you here yet, ma
dame 2"
"Jai ia 4! go, goo !' answered baby,
both hands and feet fly up and down as
If attached to springs.
Again something shot from that pure
little soul into the dark hard soul of
Abiel Grimes.
"Confound it," be muttered, II be-
lieve you're a witch"
"Jal jail goo goo ja-goo J" laughed
baby, all full Of springs.
The next moment she was up in those
strong arms, and her little velvet cheek
was softly pressed against his lips.
am glad | didn't kill you" he.
said.
At that moment his sister came
hurrying into the room, but paused
with fright and establishment on seeing
her brother present and baby in his
arms.
1.-The onls child / ever saw that |
could bear to handle" he observed with
a kind of a sheepish look, as he placed
| the little one in her arms. >
"Oh, Abel, she is in al angel sent
from heaven for the comfort of us
| both - cried Griselda with a warming
! enthusiasm.
The brother did not answer, and the
sister felt happy that he did not storm
and rave.
The secret work of heaven had be-
gun.
From that time forward there was a
change in Abriel Grimes.
The iron began to melt, the stone
began to soften, the soul began to
humanize, and people who had known
Abel Grimes for years began to won
der.
One day a poor man came to plead
| for a little more time in which to pay
his rent.
my little girls very SICK" he said
in a voice of DISTRESS with fearful
eyes, land I've been obliged to lose
time, and take the morey which I'd
| saved for you to buy medicine with for
her."
"You owe me a months rent ~ said
Abiel, taking up his pen and beginning
to write.
"And if you give me time"
"You will never pay me !" inter-
rupted Ahiel, at the same time hand
ing the poor fellow a receipt in full for
the amount, and a five pound note.
'Take that, and go home and nurse
your darling and, if not enough for
your distress, come back again 7"
"God bless you !" cried the poor man,
bursting into tears.
He has already !" mumured Abel
to himself. "He did it one Christ
mas night, when He sent me a little
angel"
Il come to tell you that my husband
is dead, and that l cannot, at present,
satisfy the mortgage you hold" said
a weeping widow to him at another
time.
take the mortgage itself down to
the recorder of deeds, madam, and let
him write satisfied on it," was the
reply of the once ard-hearted man, as
he handed the document, together with
an order for satisfaction, to his aston
ished visitor.
Like to the pent-up waters of a
stream when the Instructions give way,
so flowed forth the charities of Abiel
Grimes, and all who knew him marveled
and said.
behold a miracle !"
Years rolled on, and a thousand
places felt the secret influence of that
baby darling who had come so myster-
iously on that cold Christmas night TO
the then hard, cherries home of Abel
Grimes.
AS his heart softened under her genial
smiles, the now humanized bachelor.had
her named Mary Albright, in memory of
his first and only love, whom he fapcied
she resembled.
And as she grew In years, the once
gloomy mansion was made cheerful for
her sake, and every Christmas there
became a happy day Of rejoicing.
Ten years had passed, and the thin
hair of Abiel G rimes was becoming fieck-
ed with silver; but his face looked fresher,
and his heart felt younger, and his soul