Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-02-06
From that time forward, there was .


change in Abiel Grimes.
The iron began to melt, the stone be-
gan to soften, the soul began to human
ize, and people who had known Abiel
Grimes for years. began to wonder.
One day a poo- man came to plead
for a little more time in which to pay
his rent
''My little girls very SICK" he said
in voice OF distress, with fearful eyes,
land I've been obliged to lose time, and
ia the money which I'd saved for you
20 buy medicine with for her."
You owe me a months rentr' said
Abiel, taking up his pen and beginning
tn write.
"And if you give me time"
"You Will never pay mel" inter-
rupted Abiel, at the same time han ling
the poor fellow 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 to me again!"
'sGod bless you'll" cried the poor man,
bursting into tears.
HE has alTeadyi' murmurred Abiel
to himself. He uid 1t one Christmas
night, when He sent me little angel"
~ 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 an other time.
"Take the mortgage itself down to
the recorder of deeds, madame, and let
him write satisfied on it." was the re-
ply of the once hard-hearted man, as he
handed the document, together with an
order for satisfaction. TO his astOnished
visitor.
Like the pent-up waters OF a stream
when the obstructions give way, 50
flowed forth the charities of Abiel
Grimes, and all who knew him marveled
and said:
Behold a miracle!
Years rolled on, and thousand
places felt the secret influence Of that
baby darling who had come so mysterl-
ously on that cold Christmas night to
the then hard cherries home of Abiel
Grimes.
AS his heart sottened under her genial
smiles, the now humanized bachelor had
her named Mary Albright, in memory
of his first and only love, whom he fam
cied she reSembled.
And as she grew in years the once
gloomy mansion was made cheerful for
her sake, and every Christmas there be-
came happy day OF rejoicing.
Ten years had passed, and the thin
hair of Abiel Grimes was becoming
fiecked with silver; but his face looked
fresher, and his heart felt younger, and
his soul was happier.
Into his presence one day came lady
in black, deeply veiled, and, to his utter
amazement, related the incident of his
finding baby on his steps.
IL put that baby there, "she went on.
1T was not my child but my daugh-
ter's child. l married, and my husband
died, leaving me a daughter. She mar
ried, and her husband died, leaving her
daughter. Then she died, and the
child fell to me [ WAS poor, and YOU
were rich. and hoped to interest you
in the litl { link. l did not desert the
child, nor put it there by chance. l
knew you were coming home, and L
watched from my hiding place TIL you
took the little blessing in.
u nknOWu 10 you have Htu al eye
on 1t ever since. Yeu have cared for it
tenderly, Abel Grimes, andI feel that
in turn it has cared for your soul. You
have called it Mary Albright. Why?
Well, the name is answer enough. You
have seen a resemblance to one you
once knew, and once loved but to whom
you did grievous wrongI'
Il didl" burst from the white lips Of
Abel Grimes.
''She forgave you then forgives you
still-and has come to say that you can
have her grandchild for your own.
''Oh. give me herself also," cried
Abel Grimes with powerful emotion, as
he seized the lady's hand and drew
aside the veil from the calm, sweet face
of his old love, Mary Albright.
Need we go on with the sequell
They were married on the next Christ
mas, and have ever since been counted
among the happiest Of mortals.
And now, instead of curses, Abiel
Grimes heaps blessings on every Christ
mas, and all the poor around heap
blessings on Abiel Grimes, and on his
sweet wife, and his good sister, and his
darling pet, and on all that belong to
him and them.