The Delaware ledger., 1883-08-11

his life.
Abiel 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 avowed it should
never leave her.
That night Abiel 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,
but 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,
Abiel came Unexpectedly into his own
sitting-room, and found the bright aud
playful little one tied in a chair, ham
mering its little chubby fists on the
cushion before it, and talking to itself
in the unknown language Of ba bydom.
'Hello I" said Abel Grimes, halting
in front of it; 'you here yet, ma
dame ?"
ia ia 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, he muttered, II be-
lieve you're witch ~
ia jal goo goo Ia-goo l'' 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.
" 1 am glad | didn't kill you ~ he
said.
At that moment his sister came
hurrying into the room, but paused
with fright and astonishment ON seeing
her brother present and baby in his
arms.
1.-The only 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, Abiel, she is in an angel sent
| from heaven for the comfort of us
both ~ cried Griselda with 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
Abiel Grimes for years began to won
der.
One day a poor man came to plead
for little more time in which to pay
his rent.
'My little girls very sick," he said
in voice of distress, with fearful
eyes, "and I've been obliged to lose
time, and take the money which I'D
saved for you to buy medicine with for
her."
''You owe me months rent ~ said
Abiel, taking up his pen and beginning
to write.
Sand if you give me time"
"You will never pay me p inter-
rupted Abiel, at the same time hand
ing the poor fellow receipt in full for
the amount, and five pound note.
"Take that, and go home and nurse
your darling Z and, if not enough for
your distress, come back again ~
"God bless you ~ cried the poor man,
bursting into tears.
"IIe has already p mumured Ablel
to himself. ''He did it one Christ
mas night, when He sent me little
angel"
81 come to tell you that my husband
is dead, and that 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 hard-hearted man, as
he handed the document, together Nth
an order for satisfaction, to his aston
iShed visitor,
Like to tho pent-up waters of a
stream when the distractions give way,
so flowed forth the charities of Abiel
Grimes, and all who knew him marveled
and said.
"Behold 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, cheerless home of Abiel
Grimes,
As his heart softened under her genial
smiles, the now humaniged bachelor had
her named Mary Albright, in memory OF
his first and only love, whom he fancied
she resembled.
And as she grew in years, the once
gloomy mansion was made cheerful fol
her sake, and every Christmas there
became a happy day of rejoicing.
Ten years had passed, and the thir
hair of Abiel Grimes was becoming fleck
ed with silver; but his face looked fresher
and his heart felt younger, and his sou
was far happier.