Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-05-01
A GUARDIAN ANGEL.

white-winged campany in the great here
after. These attending spirits are never
visible to our eyes. and their presence does
not kindle in our hearts very warm glow
of love for their timely help, even in the
hour of our greatest need. But we. have
seen some ministering spirits. wearing
the flesh and blood of the race, in whom
the angel was not all concealed, and it has
occurred to US that 1t might be a pleasant
introduction to present one of these to our
readers.
David Williams was Welsh mechanic,
many years in this country, great respect
er of folk lore and -bomely superstitioLs, a
little easy-going in his industrial habits,
aad altogether too fond of what is known
in the internal revenue law as "distilled
spirits" His wife Jane, whose father was
a countryman of her husband, inherited
from her Scotch mother stern and uncom-
promising intolerance of anything approach
ing to shiftlessness, and sharp way of US
ing her tongue that was apt to leave q little
sting in her speech. David had his dreams
and omens, and would stay away from his
work whole hours in the morning, when
warred By either of these that the day was
not suited TO industry. The interval was
not passed, however, at home, but in the
neighboring saloon, where much of his
hard earnings we're worse than wasted over
the too familiar bar.
If Jane had been tender and winning she
might have done more than she did, per-
haps, to correct this vics in her husband,
but her singing rebuke aud angry prod
ding only made the matter worse. David
was rare workman, and before he indulg-
ed so freely had come to be foreman in one
room of the shop where he was employed;
t,rTNt t1 nr,,1 tarH H.Ex H..
of time when he would lose that promotion.
One night he had seen in his slumbers q
snake and a goosa together, and the union
was too foreboding for his philosophy; SO
the next morning he Ge0t to the saloon in-
stead of the shop. His wife suspected this,
and, with her usual resolution, she put on
her bonnet and shawl and followed to the
liquor. sellers iu search of him. When she
found him, glass in hand and not a little
inebriated, she berated both him and the
saloon keeper sorely. To escape her bitter
speech poor David fed to the shop. He
was in no condition to work, and as soon as
he make his ill-advised appearance his
doom was sealed. The senior of Piper &
Co. bad seen him staggering in, and, call
ing hun TO the counting house, told him in'
plain terms that man who had no c0ntro!
of himself was not fit to control others, and
be was therefore discharged on the spot.
The wife secretly blamed herself some-
what for this result of her morning raid on
the saloon, and succeeded in having her
husband accepted as common workman.
but under new foreman. David's spirit
chafed at this, and his visits to the saloon
was more and more frequent. The wife
would try to control his earnings, but when
he had no money he would get the liquor
on trust, and altogether his affairs were
growing worse and worse. just here we
will introduce to our readers sweet
thoughtful face, very pale, but with win-
some look about the mouth and in the dark
blue eyes, as We sew it framed in the win
dow of that cottage home. She was the
only child of the house-called jamie after
her mother-and had then a slight, thin
form for girl of eleven years.
What she had done or essayed to do 10
stay her fathers downward course up to
this time we cannot say, for we never knew
her before this sad hour, when her mother
lay dead after only few hours illness, and
she was at the window watching for his re-
turning footsteps. He was not himself
when ne came in, but she led him up to the
bed and the sight of the lifeless face on the
pillow quite sobered him. After the funeral
he would 90 to work, and asked jamie, who
was now his little housekeeper, to put up
his dinner for him. ST will bring it to
you," was her quiet answer. He looked
into the dark blue eyes fixed on
his face, and he saw all that was meant In
this quiet answer. She knew how he had
spent his ''noonings," and as far as she
could help it, there was to be no more of
such miserable waste.
When he was ready to go she had her lit
tie hat in her hand, too, and to his ques-
tion, "Where to now, lassie?" she pleaded
in answer, "Let me go with you, father,
to the shop?" He could not say her nay,
but as they neared the saloon where he al
ways took his morning dram, David paused
a moment aud said, "Run OF, jamie, aud l
will overtake you at the corner" to which
the little girl, clasping his rough brown
hands tightly with both hers, and twining
the wee fingers around his, replied loving
ly, ave are all alone in the world now,
papa: don't go anywhere you would be
ashamed to have me go with yon?" He took
a step or two onward and said, irresolutely,
ST am afraid 1 can't go by, am so nsed to
going in" But she woald not yield, aud
only answered, ''Hold harder to my hand
and don't mind it; it will be ever 80 much
easier next tsme!"
She saw him safely into the shop, and
when the dinner hour came, If he had Cher
ished thonght of a noon visit to the old
haunt, it was too late, for she was at the
door of the workroom waiting for him,
How deftly she set out in the shady nook
selected for the occasion the little array of
nice things she had brought him. And as
he ate took out of her pocket the Sunday
school paper she had brought with her, the
only literature upon which she could lay
her hands at home, and read him the little
stories printed for the children. He SEEM
ed to be child once more, learning hymns
and hearing Bible histories at his mothers
knee; and the intermission seemed all too
short when the bell summoned him again
to his work.
He was not surprised, we think, to see
her again at the door when evening came,
and it was easier, as she had said, TO go by
the saloon than it had been in the morning.
After supper he insisted on taking hold to
help the washing of the dishes and putting
away the things; and then she brought out
the Bible given MIN by his mother, which
be had not opened for many years. The
bedtime came before he was ready for it,
and after his head was on the pillow he
went back long way in memory to search
for a pleasant evening that would parallel
the one then closed.
Every day the little hand was put in his
for the walk to the shop. Eich noon came
the faithful girl with the dinner, but they
had more money now, and she brought the
morning newspaper to read to him, And
he never missed those loving eyes watching
for him at the door when his days tasks
were done. After few weeks he said ons
day: 'Janie, dear, can go by the saloon
now, without your guiding hand, ifyou are
tired of the wall" To which she answer.
ed simply, "But l SO love to go with you,
papap and he urged her no more.
When twelve months had gone by sincs
David lost the foremsnship, new foreman
was to be appointed. Messrs. Piper s. Co.
supposed that he would apply for the place,
but he did not. They had watched the lit
tie maiden in all her sanity work, and so
they called her in one day and asked her
about her fathers habits. she has not
tasted a drop of liquor since my mothers
DEATH" she answered. "But how do YOU