West-Jersey pioneer., 1883-02-08
TRUSTING IN PROVIDENCE

mother, and so L tell you, SAID MIS-
Elsa Robbins, warming her clawlik'
fingers over the blaze of an armful 0
pine logs which she had just flung OIL
the fire. "And l am very glad mother
that we've got the russell apples safe in
to the cellar, for it's on them place IN.
main dependence for the interest none,
this year.
Mrs. Robbins sat knitting in the cush
ioned rocker-a wrinkled, bright-eyet
little old woman, whose caps were al
ways spotlessly clean, and whose dresses
never seemed to wear out.
Frost, eh?" said she.
Il rather guess so, responded Elsa
with a shiver Stars shinin like Sc
many little diamond specks, and new
moon behind the pinesr'
"Well, it's a good thing we aint stinte6
for wood" cheerfully remarked Mrs
Robbins.
You're always finding out some good
thing or other. mother" said Elsa, a lit
tie petulantly.
La, child, the world is full of 'enn
said Mrs Robbins, who had sweet
plaintive voice like a whip-poor.will
''The Lord He's deal better to us thar
we deserver'
''Well, then" quantity remarked Elsa
Il may as well tell you now as ever that
the roofs leakin' dreadful bad"
''Leakin', is it?n said Mrs. Robbins
''Where?'
up garret-'' said Els--zt-47> s'''
vr-oct st ORC room '' u
well, it's lucky it amt leaking over
the room we live in, said the inveterate
old optimist IF it was to leak at all
it couldn't have selected better spot.
"And the fence is down in the north
lot remarked Elsa, land Neighbor Car
ter's cattle are all inn
'Bless men said Mrs. Robbins. well
there amt much but rock and mullei1.-
stalks in that lot, anyhow, and Neigh
Dor Carter don't half feed his cattle
I'm glad the poor creeturs can have a
good bite for once in their lives!'
s'And I've had letter from Walters
widow" added Elsa; ''and she wants
to come here, with her children"
'sTell her to come, " said Mrs. Robbins
''It amt fine city place, and maybe
she and the little ones will find it hare
to make out on mush and molasses anC
baked potatoes, as we do. But She:
my nephew's widow, and she'll be wei
| come here"
| 'But, mother" /" said Elsa, ''think wha1
you are doing. Another family in this
cramped-up little house-a lot of noisy
children, racing and screaming about
a fine lady to be waited on, who is Ger
tainly as able to take care of herself a
we are to take care of her. And yol
know that we owe a large bill at thu
grocers' and we haven't paid for the Gov
yet, and the tailoress business is getting
duller every year, now that the folk
have taken the notion to go to the cit.
for their little boys suits. And"
'sWell, child-well, serenely interpose'
the old lady, "God will provide. He al
ways does. And it's a dreadful thinI
to be widow and homeless. Write t.
her, Elsa. and tell her to come"
But she has no money to trave
WITH bluntly added Elsa. ''She ha
written to cousin Marette up at th
Grange, and they won't even answe
her letter.
Dear, dear! that's bad" cooed Mrs
Robbins. ''No money at all. Poor sou
poor soulr'
'sWell-but, mother" pleaded Else
''we haven't got any money, either-t
sparer'
There's the chicken money" said Mr.
Robbins, looking wistfully up.
But that was to buy you warn
new cloak, mother
well, I'll make the old gray shaw
do for another year, " said Mrs. Robbins
'And Walters widow must have none
to pay her travelling expenses-poe
thing! 1t was very wrong of Olivia Ma
cite not to answer her letter-ver.
But Olivia and her husband were alway
close. It's their nature, do s'pose."
And Elsa broke out laughing, with
tear in her hard gray eyes.
''You dear old mother" said she.
believe | should have lost faith in hi
man nature and everything else, lon
ago, if it hadn't been for you. Let Wa
ter's widow and her children come. W
are poor and in debt, and can't fin
bread for our own two selves; but | b.
lieve, for once, I'll follow your examp
mother, and trust in Providence"
And she sat down and wrote to Waite
Robbins widow, inclosing that la
twenty-dollar bill, which was to hay
bought the warm winter cloak for I'll
old lady, who was SO contentedly kni
ting in the coral glow of tho freight.
Mrs. Walter Robbins was sitting (
the fire also, but not such fire as
lumes the farm house kitchen with
softer shine than any electric light.
was mere handful of Goals, in rust'
CRATE, over which she bent with a shu
der, as the wind howled by. shaking tt
I Ia