Huntsville gazette., 1886-04-10
A CLOSE FAMILY.
One Generous Member Proves a
Savior.

Old Jacob Miller was close man.
he had bought stony hillside farm,
and the soil yielded him such grudg-
ing living that his penurious habits
grew upon him. Exposed to the bleak
north wind, his fruit did not ripen we'll,
and his sheep and cattle, wandering
about among the rocks and briars,
always had hungry look. Still, he
managed to lay by money. Year after
year he added to his land, and year
after year he went on living in the same
old house-half frame, half logs. He
kept sharp eye on the wood and flour
and meal, and never parted with dol
lar without bitter struggle. His wife,
q broken-down woman, finally gave up
tea-he grumbled so much about it.
''Tea was the only comfort had,"
she used to think sometimes, with
sigh; sit chirked me up wonderfully"
Her hands were brown and rough and
her form was bent. She never knew
what it was to have mothers peace
or happiness until her second was born.
The oldest was like his father She
used to think sometimes, when he OF
dered her around or snatched piece
of bread from her hand at the table,
that he would never be any comfort to
her. But when her second son opened
his eyes, and smiled at her, instead of
setting up a scream as his brother had
done, the world no longer seemed so
dark. She drew the little bundle
closer, but the baby snuggled down
into a peaceful, satisfied, contented
way, as though he had made up his
mind to make the best of things and be
q friend to his mother. From that day
she used to say, with something be-
tween a tear and trembling smile:
"He has never made me mite of
trouble. His temper was good trial
to his father, but he was always good
to me. Even when he was baby he
would wave his spoon at me and try to
talk, and he was never satisfied until
he had given me part of his bread and
milk. He would sit and watch me with
his big eyes until 1 had eaten it, and
then he would laugh and eat his
own. Sometimes when he was very
hungry would try him by giving him
only little milk in cup, but it was
always the same-he would insist on
dividing it, and would never drink a
drop until had drank mine. And he
would work like little beaver. He
used TO drag in sticks of wood as soon
as he could walk, and when he got
older his father said he never saw any
one that would 60 ahead so. Edward
was free-hearted and quick-tempered
and his father was close. They had
high words sometimes, and Edward
would come home with his eyes flash
ing fire and his lips shut tight, and he
would 90 upstairs to his room. / used
to follow him sometimes, and always
found him thrown down with his face
hidden. After while he would get
over it and laugh, though know he
had been crying, and then he would
always be better to me than ever, for
fear he had worried me.
"But one night there was dreadful
scene. His father struck ME, and Ed
ward flew at him like young tiger.
His father knocked him down, and
when he got up he went to his room
without word / did not dare to fol-
low him; but before daylight the next
morning he came to me in the kitchen,
with little bundle in his hand, and
said he was going away. l clung to
him and begged him not to go; but he
anfastened my hands gently and said:
Mother, listen. This house ism
large enough for me and father. hate
him!'
1.-The dark red flush that knew so
well swept over his cheeks, and the
flashing light burned in his eyes; and
then he broke down and cried, and put
his arm around me as he mad so often
done before in his trouble, and said:
"sForgive me, mother, and let me
go. 1t will be best for US. You don t
know how I feel when father is so cruel
and mean
ssHe was getting excited again and
held him close and felt as if ! couldn' t
Let him go; but / had to do it. put
off my crying till after he was gone,
and went upstairs and brought down
the stockings had darned for him and
his white shirts. Then hunted up the
dollar bill I had kept laid away so
long and tried to make him take it, but
he shook his head and tried to laugh,
and kept his hands behind him. He
wouldn't touch it, though knew he
hadn't cent.
II watched him 60 away in the early
dawn with his bundle. When he got
to the top of the hill he stopped and
kissed his hand to me, and then went
into the kitchen and threw my apron
over my head and cried till I had no
,nora tsars 70 SHED. Itseened a. though