Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1888-05-25

puIldl lOOh JldCcs Ndbuic was dEIa1 ca
in her loveliest robes, the sky above was
cloudless and the birds above were
cheerily singing In bush and tree as the
grief-stricken and now orphaned girl
stood by that grave, and as she t1rned
away and was driven back to the city
she seemed to be dazed. The ordeal of
atfiiction through which she was passing
was indeed terrible for one so young to
| face.
Minnie Hayward, one of her shop
mates, invited her to her own little
room in boarding house, and for sew
eral days Jennie was unable to leave her
bed, she was so prostrated by the blow
dealt her by the hand of fate. She was
very weak and many days went by be-
fore she felt strong enough to resume
work. Her place 10 the store had been
given to another and she was obliged to
seek employment elsewhere. The few
articles of furniture in the apartments
where her mother died she gave to the
kind neighbor who had assisted her in
attending to the wants of her mother,
and she accepted Minnie's invitation to
remain with her until she had found
something to do.
All the money which she had saved
since the holidays and with which she had
intended to secure more comfortable
apartments for her mother had been ex-
hausted by the cost of medicine, by the
doctors fees, by the purchase of burial
place in the cemetery, and in defraying
the funeral expenses, and she was now
penniless.
Many one among her elders would
have completely broken down under such
a heavy load of affliction, but the stead
fast resoluteness of her nature abided
with her still Her spirit, though dead
ened by bitter experience, was still un-
broken, and despite the anxiety, the
temptations, the dangers, the possible
injustice and perhaps cruelty which she
might still be doomed to encounter, she,
with true womanly persistence, re-
solved to toll on and trust to the future
for some bright day when the clouds
would break and the sunshine of happi-
ness flood her pathway with its glorious
light.
Day after day she answered advertise.
ments and made personal applications for
situations in stores and factories, but was
unable to secure place; and if it had
not been for the kindness of the hospita-
BILE friend whose room and bed she
shared, God alone knows to what ex-
tremity she might have been driven.
She knew of no living relative in the
world except On uncle who, before her
fathers death, was living somewhere In
Maine; but whether he was now living
and exactly where his residence was she
knew not. She was really alone in the
world.
"Oh, Jennie! I'm going to tell you
something that maybe you'll like to
hear" said her kind-hearted friend one
evening when she returned from work.
He Gs GSt @ @6RGthR sFaRuds tSy % aPq ntf q dsar
poor girl burst into tears.
"Now, now, don't do that, Jennie"
said her CHEEKY hearted companion.
There now, stop crying" she added.
as with her own handkerchief she
stanched the tears in the eyes of the
weeping girl.
"The wages are only 81 week, " saio
Mamie, "but you can manage to get
along on that for the present. You can
remain here with me, for 1 know what
trouble is myself, Jennie, and go to
work. Heaven only knows what we
friendless girls would do in this great
city, so full of temptations and wicked
ness designed to entrap US, if we didn't
sometimes stand by each other. Jennie,
l am your friend, and when heard to.
day that there was a small situation vacant
in the store, at once went to tho fore.
woman and asked her to give it to you.
She thought you were too proud to take
such place, but l took the liberty of
saying that you would take it. Now,
will you, Jennie9"
The child of atfliction threw her arms
around her benefactors neck and kissed
her.
Pridel 1t was no time for pride. The
living that would come from that small
stipend might be poor, but it would be
better than continuance of the depend.
ence upon the generosity of her compan.
ion, who had been so kind to her, an
! whose own life was struggle for exist.
ence. So she accompanied Minnie to
! the store the next day, and went to
work, earning wages for her own sup.
port, she felt the old buoyancy of spirit
return, and in few weeks she once
more looked like the Jennie Wilson as
she appeared when she told her mother
of her intention of removing her quar-
ters on that June day--alasl that June
day when, instead of taking up hel
abode in pleasanter place, she sat in the
old tenement in the presence of death.
Several years have passed since then,
and her name is not Wilson now. Love
came to her one day and led her to al
altar where ring was placed on hel
finger and for the first time she wa
made happy by husbands kiss, Nea'
! York Sun