Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-05-07

creased, the pale mother did not va" fas, M H.
80 much; for Kindness and svm,.th y.
had lightened her heart. An tho pfta:1
noon she walked steadily on anI w..
little boy was held so close 70 her ' hoaut
that she did not realize how nearly
sne was worn out with fatigue and
munger. Toward nightfall she came to
.ne outskirts OF the great city, and the
prosPect was o encouraging to ewes
accustomed to the freshness of the coin.
try. AS she passed street after street
there seemed a mingled odor of oil,
dirt, grease and general untidiness
everywhere. Ash-barrels and garbaoe-
pals stood all along the sidewalk. and
here anu there q half-decayed oranoe-
or a lemon peel, or a wilted cabbage
was flung in the way of the foot-trayel-
err. lll-tempered, snarline dogs ran
out of the tumble-down tenemcnts
whose human inhabitants looked EQUALLY
snarling and ill-tempered.
what it l have made Il mistake in
coming here at ALP" thought the any
lous mother. with Il shudder. as she
looked into the face of her delicate Child.
Chow hard it is to know what is best
but l could net stay any longer with
them. They hated me, and they hated
my child. though their own son was his
fnther! All, William-dear William!
How could you leave me to fight their
hard hearts alone?'
A sob of anguish tried to struggle up
from tho almost bursting heart, but the
brave little woman crushed it down, and
held her child closer to her breast.
Night was coming on, and she felt
the urgent need of food and shelter for
BERTHE; inexperienced as she was, she
had but a dim idea of the difficulties be-
fore her-alone, and in a great city for
the first time. She began to glance
about anxiously, eagerly-how dark it
was!-and how suddenly the night had
come on. Then for the first time she
observed that the heat was not so
great; q cool breeze had sprung up,
and it blew straight in from the country
fields she had left so far behind her. 1t
was cool and moist, and it bore the
sweet odor of wet grass and hay and
of the damp earth. While she was
feeling rather than thinking of this
change in the atmosphere, came the
rumbling roar of thunder. ut first far
oft, but gradually coming nearer.
The clouds gathered more darkly, and
from out their gloomy depths 'leaped
forked tongues of lightning. Then
came peals Of thunder that shook the
ground she walked on, while little Ber-
tie trembled and chung more closely
to her. Anxiously now = wildly = the
poor little mother glanced to and fro in
search of some shelter. Her breath
came quick and short-a dizzy tumult
possessed her brain-she heard the wild
throbs of her own heart, then it seemed
to stop beating. A terrible faintness
overpowered her; the darkness grew
blacker. She had an indistinct vision
of an open door little further on; she
| struggled blindly toward it, tottercd,
swaycd to and fro, made one last eff
fort and ran, then fell, fainting, across
the threshold.
Thank Heaven! there are kind hearts
to be found, even in the midst of squalor
and misery that too often harden the
gentlest. Bertie's mother had scarcely
reached the floor when she was caught
by a pair of strong arms and q good
natured voice exclaimed:
God bless US! but look at that, now,
and the child in her arms nigh killed!
Is it dhrinkin' ye've been? An Il burn
in shame fur We. with that swato child
to take care of-the Lord forgive me!
What was l sayin'? Sure there's little
sign of drink in the pale face av her,
but dead bate cntoirely, an tainted
away altogether. Come here, Biddy,
an take the child"
A tall girl came forward and took
BERTHE in a very motherly manner, like
one well used to the task of caring for
children. She disappeared with him in
to an inner room, and divining that
food and drink were his chief wants, fed
him copiously.
In tho meantime, Mrs. Flynn had car
ricd the mother to Il small apartment
little better than a closet-which did
duty as her w sleeping-room. There
she placed the insensible woman on the
bed, united her bonnet, chafed her cold
'hands, marveling at their wilderness.
and observed with an approving nod
the plain gold ring on the third finger.
"Poor craythure!" she murmured;
ga wildly, l suppose, like meself.'
1t was long before 4 faint color came
back to the pallid lips and flaxen face:
but at length the large blue eyes opened
and gazed wonderingly into the red,
good-natured c~ountenance that met
them-the next moment the poor moth
CT remembered. and asked in an anxious
whisper.
.'Wherc's Bcrtie?'
.sWhist, now! don't be afther worrith-
in. The child's cared for, yell be
bether in a moment an thin yez can
talk"
''But he's hungry, and I've money to
buy food"
haithens here? Yer baby's had all he
wants, an no thought av pay"
The tears that shone in the grateful
mothers eyes spoke mute, but eloquent
thanks. She wa. too weak to speak and
gladly refrained from making the effort
for awhile.
Mrs. Flynn was a widow, with a large
family, which she managed to support,
as she said herself, ''by turning her
hand to siveral trades" She did wash
ing and ironing by the day, Oh Dozen
also s%crubbing and house cleaning. She