The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-08-27
MADGIE.

IL was very poorly furnished room
jn cOttpge home; a small cottage, one
II many, all small, mean and acaniiy
furnished, and tho "hands" lived there.
> his ono was Mnrgans cottage, and ii !
as jack Morgan himself and his sister
lIadgo who were seated mt breakfast, |
lingering as was possible only ON Sun
fiy morning. 81 was n tall, we'll
rmed, sirikingly handsome girl of 10,
., she eat facing Der brother, who was !
me five years older and upon her
co was an eager, troubled look, while |
J O was Bnllcn and downcast. Young !
o. they were, they had seen better days; |
lccn educated up TO three years pre-.
,ious to that June morning, and then
leen thrown suddenly upon their own
resources.
Jack fought his way, sulen and re-
tentiul, making few friends and seeking
, one. Madge was the brnyer Of the
Two, meeting their reyerscs with quiet
courage, and bringing energy, trust aud
,heerininess TO the mean cottage home.
rust one week had elapsed since an
,unt, from whom they never hoped for
rid, had left them each hundred
jounds, and Jack had resolved TO try
Is fortune in Canada, while Madge put
lers aside for rainy day.
"l'll stay here until you arc sure OF
success. jack" she said, when he urged
Ter TO join him, "and keep home for
SOU in case that you need one"
"Do you call This hole a homoP' no
'skcd bitterly, and she only smiled aud
answered:
"a shelter, them"
But she was not smiling when she sat
nj the Sunday breakfast eating little,
lrooding sadly, until suddenly sho
cried:
Sack, we must do something. Think
what we owe Tom King"
"Owc him ! believe we have paid
'm every farlhing," said Jack, sharply.
ave paid him the money, I know;
hui We can never pay him what wo still
owe him."
"Bah Don't be sentimental, Madge."
"Common gratitude il not sentiment
alone, jack. Jack" sho repeated
''can you forget who came to rs in that
sore need, paid doctor and butcher and
then buried our mother beside father in
tho ccmotery"
"And do you forget" her brother 70.
oiled, almost angrily, chow we worked
and saved, starved aud persisted, until
every shilling Of the money was in Tom
Kings pocket ngain?'
al know knowl But think how
Lind ho was-how he helped you and
inc TO get our situations in the mills,
and how delicntely he made the loans of
money. Aud now, OH Jack, must do
something" ....
"What can you do? If Tom King
chose to loso his money in specializing,
how arc You responsibility"
81 am not; but, Jack, there is Aunt
Hates money"
"All you have in tho world ?"
NO." she answered, ~ have my
wages"
"a noble fortune. Don't be q fool,
Madgc."
jut Mnrge wns Iool IN tne sense no
meant All through the morning, whlo
rho put the house in order, while she
dressed IN her quiet mourning for church,
even through the service there, she wns
thinking of what she owed Tom King.
When her mother. crushed by tho death
W NV huopdiNt W UlttI uit
change from comfort TO poverty sank
down Frustrated; when Jack, unable to
work, was cursng fortune, Tom King
came, ms their fathers friend, and kept
ihom from starvation. Madge's heart
i,lowcd rs she remembered how thought.
tul no was about spNring her trouble in
every way. Ilo Was considerably older
than she, and grave, reserved man,
whom she regarded with the ailcctionato
respect she would hNve given her father,
but with that Same reverence sho loved
linn deeply. And when the whole town
knew that Tom King 10y in the New.
town hospital, sick and penniless, the
whole noble, grateful heart OF Mudge
Morgan went ont to him. Many stories
reached her III had made fortune
and lost; no had invested in mines, and
the mines had failed and ruined him; he
had been engaged, according to the
Fcwlown gossips, in n dozen different
speculaiions, winning vast sums only TO
loso them. But ono broad, indisputa.
bic fact remained, if all tho rest wore
false; he was lying IN the hospital sick
from the excitement that Lad put the
last stroke upon his i'll luck.
Dinner over, Madge put on her bon.
net again.
"1m going over to the hospital
Jack, she said.
Only a grunt answered her, but she
would not be put off 10y Jacks sour
looks, and went on her crraud.
Here, upon low, iron cot-bed, pale
and emaciated, but evidently on the
road to recovery, Tom King lay, when
Maage Morgan camo up to the ward
with a nurse, her face SO grave and ten
der that the strong will and patient en-
durance of its usual expression were lost
IN the puro womanly sympathy that
rested there.
MY friend !" sho said, taking the
wasted hand extended TO her, and Tom
King wondered il ever two words held
10 much ms those two.
"Why, Maige |" he said, presently,
looking into her eyes misty with tears
Edo not feel so badly. I'm gaining
every day. Tho doctor says he will
have me on my feet ina week, and I'm
going abroad again. ~
again. When You have been 80 un.
fortunate there ?"
"Eh2 Oh, seer no said, with IN
odd look in his eyes; you've been road
ing the papers. Unlucky, wasn't IL"
"Yes. But. Toni came 10 tell You
r." tho words came sloY|y--'I have