The Springdale news., 1889-02-08

much more than thirty, sat in q freless room on this chill late November night try ing to quiet three year-old child who was crying bitterly for something to eat. On 6 straw bed in one corner of the room lay a boy of six or seven summers, too weak 10 cry or speak IL needed not a second glance to see that the cold, hungry world would hold him but short time longer. He would soon be with his twln sister-for there, in the opposite corner, resting upon two chairs was q pauper coffin, the lid not ys screwed down, in which rested tsurely not a dead child , what looked like the skinny, bony face of little old woman. An one word was written all too eloquently upon the faces and forms Of all the occupants of that wretehed room-on the poor, sick mother, the dead and dying children and the crying babe Yoa can give it what name you please, Corn LGrs, Protection or StdrudtioHi
 Tom had seen misery enough since he left his old home, but this capped ali, and he felt that he had not done half enough to try to remove the glant curse of hIgh priced bread.
 My poor woman. n he said, this IS no place for you to stay alone and yet what can l, q stranger, do to heip you. If money could procure assistance and comfort they should be yours Y
 MT Wilson, said the minister, whose name was Owen Barker II am poor man, but am well acquainted hereabouts. If you will trust me to lay out what you would give these poor people, I will buy what will meet present needs and think can secure doctor and nurse.n
 Willingly, Mir. Barker, willingly,i as- sented Tom
 ..I will call tomorrow at noon and seq how things are progressing. Poor foiksr he added, "ther blood must be upon the heads of those who stand in the way of bread for the poor and needya
 True to his promise, Tom called around the next day. He found Mir. Barker there, also doctor. who left some medicine for the womans cough. A fire was burning in the grate and he noticed bread and meat upon the little wooden table, but two cof- fins were in the room instead Of one. The little child was now sleeping, happy after eating good meal, but the poor mother was crying bitterly. After awhile she al- lowed herself 10 be soothed httle, and Mir. Barker prevailed upon her to tell some thng of her history. Brokenly, a little at a time. the following story was learned.
 Born in the county of Midshire, some thirty-five years before. she had lived happy life i'll a pleasant home. Her father had possessed d thriving business in a large NtAAAEG lti tiAt AtNAAAAS bi 4didtiaASAtA anu brought his family up in comfort until, through sickness, reyerses and hard times, he could no longer make his business sup port them. This was when Mrs. Walker flor that was the woman s namel was about twelve years of age. and in those days hard times tefre hard times. Bread and meat were at famine prices and soon became scarce articles m Matthew Beekwith's home. Hunger. which drives many an honest man to deeds from which. with q full stomach. he would receil. at last led Beekwith and his eldest son, a lad of nineteen. to join some af The villagers in their nightly ex= petitions to the woods on Lord 0gilvie's es- tate These woods were we'll preserved. abounding in game of all kinds, for winch reason there was kept 10 guard 1t a small regiment of game keepers From the latter Beekwith and his companions had narrow escapes almost every night. until, at last they set their suares once too often. Old Lord 0giivie, who was hard=hearted landlord, without tue least sympathy Tor the struggling poor, was considerably enraged over the con- tiuued deprcdations on his preserves, and. at last, resolved on extraordinary measures to stop the same He obtained the help of several keepers from neighboring estates. and himself turned out with the men to watch for poarhers. The poachers came, sure enough and the result was q terrible and bloody encou.ter, in which young Beckwith was killed by shot from Lord Ogilvie's own gun The father carried his boy home and after the funeral. was him self arrested, tried at the Winchester IS sizes and sentenced to seven years penal servitude This double blow hastened the death of the sick mother and then the old heme vas broken up. Ofthe three remaining children Lawrence, a boy. was taken by an old friend to Lancashire, where, when he got old enough, he worked in the mills, Lucy was taken by theatrical manager. and finally went to London. Mary, the eldest obtained work lu the Bradford woolea mills While there she married John Walker. a foreman, who had recently died during hard times, leaving her in the destitute circumstances in which Tom Wll- son found her Neither her father, brother or sister had she seen since the old home was broken up though sue had heard that her brother was now q clergyman some where near London Her father she sup posed to be dead Such was Mrs Walkers story, and to II Tom listened attentively "I awrence-Lancashire clergyman near London" thought he what II by some strange train of circumstances l should be the means of bringing q loug-lost brother and sister togetheryH
 Pray sad he To Mrs. Walker, "can you remember the name of the good people who took your brother to Lancashire"
 Indeed no" said she "I have entirely forgotten their name And yet stay. Law renee, who was just able to write, wrote his uame ln my Bible when he was leaving