Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-12-20
New Series, Vol. %, No. 81.

message, the servant awaited his mas
ter's pleasure.
"It's Bob. Ny Bob" uttered the child,
delightedly.
''Show him up" was the order.
! Bob paused upon the threshold of the
/ luXuriouSly furnished room, feeling his
| dilapidated condition for the first time,
but Johnnie running eagerly toward his
young friend, drew him forward as the
gentleman said kindly:
''COme in my lad, and tell us what you
want"
at amt nothin', sir, only I see yer
takin' Johnnie, an just followed to
know what yer was minin' to do. Cause
told his mother afore she died that
I'd try an keep an eye on the little 'un
as there wasn't nobody else to do it.
She was alters good to me, she was, an
a lady proper, too, if she didn't rig out
fine. Johnnie he can say grace an
prayers which she teached him, right up
to the handle, an he's pretty, too, if he
had fixings like rich young uns, an if
yer feel sorter like adoptin' him, why,
was g0in' to say"-here Bob paused,
then added rather hurriedly ly-"I've moth
in agin it, seeing as yer do the square
thing by the little un."
Coaxingly drawing Johnnie toward
her, the lady said:
"Would you like to live with me al
way, Johnnie?"
'Oh, yes!" cried the little fellow, clap
ping his hands; then, interrogatively,
grave look gathering in his pretty blue
eyes. And Bob, too?"
A glance between husband and wife,
when the former said heartily:
suppose, dame, you keep the little
fellow through the holidays, and, well,
I'll look to the lad. How is it, my
boy? Would you like to work for met"
"Tip-top, sir" was the ready reply.
And so it came about that these two
waifs-Bob in a neat suit his kind ben
efactOr had managed somehow to pro-
cure, and Johnnie in little frock, long
treasured by mothers constant love-
sat down to Christmas dinner that was
aseries of astonishing delights, to these
small folks.
Tears dimmed the eyes of gentle "Mrs.
Sanity Claws" as she clothed the tiny
waif in garments that once belonged to
her little son, her one yew lamb. Yet
somehow the touch of Johnnie's baby
fingers carried comfort to her lonely
heart and eased the regret that had long
dwelt there
That evening as the rescued waif
stood enjoying the blazing logs and
quaint andirons of the old-faShioned
fireplace, Bob suddenly exclaimed:
Here we've been havin' no end of
shindy, an yer amt said grace. Just
yer fire ahead now, an I'll shove in
prayer, an don't forget my old lady,
cause she started US in on our luck to-
day"
Kneeling, the child, clasping his hands,
obedientIy repeated:
''FOr what us bout to 'ceive, Lord be
thankful. God bless Sanity Claws, Mrs.
Sanity Claws, the old lady an Bob an
me, an please let US live here, amen"
"Amen! An don't yer fergit it, little
'un, subjoined Bob, gravely.
As the child knelt, the freight caresS-
ing his golden locks, husband and wife
stole softly in and listened to the prayer
Of his baby lips, till, stirred to its very
depths was the mothers love of this gen
tie wOman's heart, and so, clasping her
hand, she murmured eagerly:
"Our children, husband"
$50 be it, wife," was the earnest
answer, as, reverently bowling his head,
he added: ''And Gods gift"