Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-04-13
CHAPTER VI.
so SADLY ALTERED.

l SAAO @NNSS ~OAASSAAAAAS my My stepmother, no doubt, informed him that had fallen into the fire by acci- dent, and there was no one to tell him differently, and if he had been told the truth he would certainly have taken her version in preference. l never thought to say aught to him con- corning the matter, because I was fully confident that I should gain nothing if I did, and feared that might receive a | beating for daring to say anything ! against my stepmother. It is altogether probable that my father would have condoned her crime if he had known of it, and heaped all the blame on me, but it is possible that I judge him wrong fully, and that he was not SO lost to all 1 natural affection for his own flesh and blood as to show such heartless disre- | gard for my sufferings.
 For several days I was confined to my garret room, and no one ever came to see me save Aunt Mary. She, bless her heart, was as kind and attentive as any mother could be, and not wish of mine was allowed to go ungratif1ed If she had the power of administering to it. She spared herself no pains, no ex- ertions, no trouble. in her efforts to add to my comfort and convenience. When her duties did not call her elsewhere, she was with me day and night, and she was always doing something, or planning something, for my pleasure.
 Aunt Nary" I said to her once, when she was pottering about, puflng and sweating at terrible rate, ''do sit down and rest. You're very nearly ex- hausted, and don't want you to be do- ing things for me. Please sit down."
 ''In a minute, honey" she replied. ''Tse got to make sho' you's comHtble fore takes any res. Dat is. What yo' reckon yo' DO ma. what is loolkin' down f'om Heaben dis minute would ] t'inl1 ob me if sot round yeah restin' my lazy ole body an lettin' you suffer for anything? She ain't goin' to kotch me doin' ob it, honey, deed she ain't, case ain't done went am forgot all de kin'nesses she showed me when she was yere on dis yearth."
 II Gm comfortable, Aunt Mary" I protested, land don't want a thing; so please sit down. I'll be perfectly un- happy if you don't. won't have any thing you fix for me, and if you don't rest won't lie here."
 finally induced the old woman to sit in a chair by my bed, and with my hand resting in hers we talked of various things, chief among which was my mother. Then I spoke of my step mother, and of the treatment I re- ceived at her hands, and lamented my situation in heartbrolren terms. Aunt Mary listened, while the tears welled up in her eyes, then, lifting her honest, kind old black face to mine, said:
 "Neber yo' min, chile, dar's God in Heaben who rights eberyt'ins, an dars day ob reckonin' comin'. Dem is Gospel trufs, honey. Oar is day ob reckonin', sho' as yo' is bawn, an when dat day come round woe to dem what is wick ed, an dem what spitefully uses dem what is weak an helpless. I tells yo', honey, I'd sholy heap druther be in yo' shoes den than to be in de place ob some folks what I knows, case in dat terrible day dem what's been prisecuted an 'spised is goin' to git de top seat, an de weddin' cake, an all dem tings what is gwine to make folks mon st'ous happy; while dem what has had deir own way, an has been gwine on in all deir wickedness an hardness ob heart, am gwine to be drub out inter de darkness whar de debil Il git 'em, sho.' Now yo jis' mark my words, honey, an, see if de day don't come when der little pot gifts on top, an when dem as is swinRin' pow'ful high jis' now will git to swing in pow'ful low. De Lawd is moutv pow'ful, honey, an when he takes a notion he jis shif's folks round wonder full. He does, sho'."
 How long Aunt Mary talked do not know, for fell asleep while she was speaking, and though heard her voice for some time the words quoted were all I remembered of her conversation. Those words, a sermon in themselves, made deep impression on my mind, and scarcely day has ever passed that l have not recalled them. They were a source of consolation to me, and often when was sorely tired, and when my burden, of trouble seemed heavier than l could bear, thought of the great day of reckoning, and bore patiently on, knowing that there was a time coming in which my wrongs would be adjusted. It was several days after my mis- fortune before I knew the full extent of the infliction I had suffered. Aunt Mary had made it appear as light as possible, and she had taken care that l should not have glass in which to view my reflection, knowing, as she afterwards said, that the knowledge l should gain would only serve to aug ment my misery.
 When at last l saw my face in a mirror, and viewed the ravages the fire had wrought, was shocked be- yond description. I felt that the bitterest part of my punishment had just come, and that the pain I had suffered was nothing. was disflgured so that l looked frightful, and had no doubt I would remain so for life. Ah, what bitter sorrow my appearance caused me to feell and what tears wept as I looked upon my reflection in the glassi
 "No one will ever love me now"