New-York tribune., 1884-02-03
JOEL.
A STORY OF DUTY.


through his sleep, seemed miles away. Joel had
been tired enough when he went to bed. and yet no
had not gone 10 sleep for some time; his heart beat
so at the idea of his mother being very ILL., He well
remembered his fathers death and his mothers
illness now revived some feelings which he had
Clothes spread on the floor and covered with
rug; but he did not mind that and he could have
gone 70 sleep At once b1t for the fear that had
50 that bis smOthers feeble voice calling him seemed
like call from miles away.
In minute Joel was up and wide awake.
Light the candle" he could just hear tho voice
lie lighted the candle. and his beating heart
seemed 20 stop when he saw his mother's face. lie
seemed hardly to know whether II was his mother
orno;
Call nobody, my dear Come here
ne lald his cheek 20 hers.
Mother you dying" he murmured
on ies love 3m dying. l. is no use calling sny
1 VIII take care of them. mother"
"YGn, my child How should that be'r
why nOty' said the boy raising himself AID
standing at his best height Look al me mother.
can work. promise you
His mother could not lit her hand, but she moved
finger in a way which checked him.
Promise nothing that may be too hard after
werd' She said.
sister shall live at home, and never go TO the work
house" He spoke chcerfully. though the candle
light gttered in the two streams Of tears on his
checks. 1--WE can go On living here; and we shall
be sO"-
1t would not do. The sense of their coming desc
Iatlon rushed oyer hlm In way too terrible to DO
borne. He hid his face beside her, murmurng,
20. mother motherl"
HIS mother found strength TO move her hand
now. She strOkcd his head with atrembling touch,
which he seemed to feel as long as he lived. she
could not say much more. She told him sho had 40
fear for any of them They would be taken care OF.
She advised him not to waken the little ones, who
sound asleep the other side of her, and
begged him to lie down himself till daylight, and
try to sleep. when she should be gone -
q tl.a la.k ~. a.al.a hn liz
very low but before IL went out, she was
gone. Joel had alway done what his mother wished;
but he could not obey her IN the last thing she
said. He lighted another candle when the first went
out, and sat thinking. till the gray dawn began To
show through the window.
When he called the neighbOrs, they were aston
ished at his quIetness. lie had taken up the chil-
drcD and dressed them, and made the room tidy,
and lighted the fire, before he told anybody what
had happened. And when lac opened the door, his
little sister was in his arms. she was two years
old, and could walk, of course; but she liked being
in JOeps arms. Poor Willy was the most con-
founded He stood with his pinafore at ms mouth,
staring at the bed. and wondering that his mother
lay so still.
If the neighbors were astonished at Joel that
morning, they might Ice more 80 at some things they
afterwards bat they were not: Everything
seemed done naturally and the boy evidently
considered what he had 10 do 80 much matter of
course that less sensation was excited than about
many smaller things.
After the funeral was over. Joel tied mp all his
mothers clothes. lie carried the bundle on one
arm and his sister the other. lie would not have
liked to take money for what he had seen his moth
er wear; but he changed them away for new aad
want any help. lie went TO the factory the next
morning, usual, after washing and dressing tho
children, and getting breakfast of bread and milk
with them. There no tire and he put every
knife aud other dangerous thing on high sell, and
come and play with them at nner-tme Aud no
did play. He played heartily with the little one,
and if he enjoyed II, every day at the noon hour.
Many u merry laugh the neighbOIs heard from that
three
the laugh was often JOeIs.
How he learned to manage, and especially to cook,
nobody knew; and he could himself have told little
more than that he wanted to sec how people did II,
and looked accordingly at every opportunity. lie
certainly fed the children well; and himself too.
Tie knew that every thing depended on his strength
being kept up. His sister sat lis knee to be fed
till she could feed herself. He was sorry 10 give it
up but he said she must learn to behave. So ho
snoothed her hair and washed her face before dln-
ner and showed her how TO fold her hands while he
said grace. He took much pains to train her
ernness teaching little lady. w lille she renamed
baby" he slept in the middle .of the bed, be-
tween the two, that she might have room and not
be disturbed; and when she ceased TO Os baDy; ne
silently made new arrangements. lie denied him
self hat, which he much wanted IN ortier TO buya
considerable quantity of coarse dark calico, wlch,
with his own hands, he made into curtain, and
sung up across part of the room; TINS shutting
Off about a third of IT, Here lie contrived 10 nal
up little bed for his sister; and he was not salts
fed till she had basin aud jug, and piece oil soap
of her own. Here nobody but hlInselt was 10 IN
| ways made her understand that he came only TO
take care of her. 1t was not only that WHY was
| and then lifted the latch without knocking. One
| OF these day heard something from behnd mo
curtain. which made her call her Eus Danu sliehty
| to listen and they always aitcrward treated Joel
| as if be were man. and one whom tney looAed
up to. He teaching the child her little prayer,
| The earnest sweet, devout tones by the boy, ana
| the innocent cheerful imitation of the little one,
| were beautiful to hear. the listeners said.
Though well taken care Of, she vas not 70 DO
| cd ther kluGuCS5
| that Very early. indeed. she was taught, In
merry sort of way to put things IN & tner pIaces
doeiie. One reward that joel had for his manage
ment was that she early lit to 90 to chapel,
This was n great point; as he; choosing to send
Willy regularly, could not go till be could take the
| little girl with him. She was never known 10 DO
| restless ; and Joel was quite proud OF her.
Willy was not neglected for the little glrls sake.
In those DAYS children went earlier To the factory
and worked longer than they do now, aud by tho
factory boy; and bis pay put the ittlo eri 10
school. When she at seyenwentt TO the factory 700,
oels life was altogether all easier One lie always
| had maintained them all, from the day of his
| mothers death The times must have been good
work constant and waEes steadymor ne cou,a 20.
| he put his sister to sewing-school for two eyon'
| ings in tho week and the saturday alter
| Moons; and he aud Willy attended al evening
| scbooI, as they found they could afford il. tie
always escorted the little girl wherever she had 20
go; into the factory, aud nome again; 10 sno
| school yet he was himself remarkably punctIai
| al work and at worship. He was humble.
earnest docile pupil himself at the Sunday -sch0oi
mite unconscious tha: no was more advanced
than other boys in lhe sublime science and practice
of duty He felt that every body was very KIND TO
him. but he unaware that cIhers IeIs IL an
honor 10 be kind &c him.
Ilinger ON these years when he was fine grow
ing lad in a state of high content l hnger, un-
willing to proceed. But the end must come; and 10
is soon told He was sixteen, think, when he WAS
asled to become n teacher in he sunday school.
while wholly not ceasing to be scholar. lie tried,
and made a capital teacher, and lac won the hearts
of the children while trying 70 open their minds.
By this he became more widely known than before.
One day IN tie next year, tremendous cla,te,
q ...I. -. La iantA IL