The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1883-03-22


Bible she had ever read about the poor
kept coming and going through her
brain. She was diligent reader and
her memory was good When she would
taln have entertained herself recalling
the musical flow Of
Full knee-deep lies the winter snow,
Ana the winter winds are wearlly signing,
she could think Of nothing but,
Blessed is he that considereh the poor, the
Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.
Or,
If any Of you see brother have need, and
shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him,
how dWeeth the love of God in him?
She was not unmindful Of the poor,
she had he!pcd Mrs Barnes in various
little ways. Why must she feel so con
demned? she asked herself again and
again.
With fair weather came the cold again,
came stealing down upon the sleeping
world like thief in the night. Miss Ra-
chel was unusually tired and slept very
soundly, so that she did not Waken even
when the fire on her hearth had died
out, and the cold become so intense in
her room that the windows were frost
covered, and the breath Of tie sleeper
Went up in little clouds Of smoke. She
stirred uneasily several times, and was
just awake enough to know that she was
cold, and not awake enough to bestir
herself and get more covering For a few
minutes she lay in that haf-Waking state,
thinking she ought, and would, and must
rouse up and get more Blankets Final
ly, she thought she had done 50 and slept
on.
Very soon after that She found herself
far away from her own home, trying to
walk over 4 floor Of solid ice She gazed
about her in horror, The place was a
large, deep pit, lighted by Iurid glare.
Whichever way she turned her eyes, she
saw nothing but ice, icy floor and icy
walls, smooth and shining like glass. She
clutched at them to save her sliding
steps, but there was nothing to hold to,
her hands slipped and she fell III heap
on the floor She looked wildly above
her for way Of escape. At the top of
the pit She saw pretty rooms, with bright
fires and happy looking people sitting
about sewing, reading and chatting. She
shrieked fer help, but they only shook
their heads and went smilingly on with
their occupations.
On one side she saw the Widow Barnes
and her children, They sat amidst piles
of blankets, heaped all about them, and
they were soft and fieecy as her own had
been. Oh, if she but had one, to keep
out this deathly chill She screamed
out again in an agony Of torture, begging
that just one blanket might be thrown
down to her. But a mocking voice only
came back to her, and it said, 'Stop up
the chlnks and think you'll be comfort
able"
In shivering terror she aWoke, relieved
beyond measure to find herself at home
in her own bed, and then there flashed
over her mind the story Of Goody Blake
ard Harry Gill.
Had the Widow Barnes been praying
that she might never be warm again
And must She 60 through life with her
teeth chattering as they were now
Mlngling c0nfusedly with the words Of
the OLD ballad, "Chatter, chatter chat
ter still" came rush Of Scripture texts,
vivid and startling as if voice spoke
them IN her ears, and they were all about
the poor
She Vas 50 thoroughly stitlened by
cold and fear that she could scarcely rise
and 90 TO the closet for the needed COW
ering, which on this night she had for
gotten to place by her bedside.
Miss Rachel had been accustomed to
draw up, and write ont, at the com
mencement OF each year, a series Of Sc
we're resolutions the fact that She never
kept one-halt OF them not abating their
rigor in the least. But never in calmest
moments, with pen in hand and diary
before her, bad any such earnest, self
denying TcsOlN Is been made. as We're now
made, by the woman who stood in night
array in her closet, holding a t1ickerng
lamp in one hand and with the other tax
ing down blankets and comiortables ard
piling them ON chairs.
That done, She took bountiful supply
for herself and went back to bed Her
Shlvelings soon ceased, and for the re-
mainder Of the night she slept the sleep
Of the just.
As a matter of course, when the day
light stTeamed into her room, and the
red sun sent a slanting bar across her
bed, Satan told Miss Rachel that it was
perfect tOolishness to pay any attention
to dream, and thal it was simply inn
provident to % and give away that great
pile Of bedding She had laid out that a
couple Of Old ragged quilts would answer
every purpose. He was obliged, how
ever, to leave her in peace, for when Miss
Rachel shut her lips tight, and said, ''l
shall do it, in that decisive way of hers,
there was no need OF further parley.
No sooner were the roads broken than
she went in search Of man with Sleigh.
When all was ready, it was a sight to be
hold-at least to the eyes Of cold and
hungry people. In the very bottom was
quantity Of dry wood, then came q lay
er of meat, potatoes, apples, flour. And
this was crowned by blankets and COM
tortables, more than enough for two beds
III the very coolest weather. "I'll see if
| don't get the upper hand Of this mean,
selfish spirit" Miss Rachel had ejaculat-
ed, as she slowed an extra blanket on
the load at the last minute
The Widow Barnes was bending over
her smoky old stove, trying to coax some
green knots to ignite, when the sleigh
a dream too last night. 1t was about
Heaven. That happy place seemed to
be filled with blankets and warm fires
But here, behold, was Heaven come down
to her door. She assured the man he
had come to the wrong place, but the
note he handed her, with money to buy
a whole load Of wood, settled the matter
From that time forth Miss Rachel took
it upon her, as a sacred trust, to see to
it that the Widow Barnes lacked for
nothing And, strange to relate, her
subscriptions to foreign missions, home
missions, freedmen, education, etc, have
not been cut down a particle in conse-
quence. The Congregationalist
The keepers of the famous Eddystone Light
house off the DeyOnshre coast have lately been
relieved after long Imprisonment Fierce
gales prevented all communications with the
shore, and for several days previous to their