Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-02-20

| added, tive must get some comforta-
BILE clothes for the new baby at the
Humphreys. No wonder you smile
at my suggestion, but we are COM
manded to clothe the naked, feed the
hungry and care for the sick, you
know and Christ makes no limitations
on account of shift.essness or unap-
preciated labors.''
And thus, once more, the good
Christian women Of Wellington made
the Humphrey family comfortable.
The winter slipped away as quick
| ly as all winters do, and it was spring
time. The Humphreys had been snow
ed out Of the highways towards the
village for weeks, so nobody went to
| the old brown house in the hollow.
| Not ray of sunshine could penetrate
through the panes of glass, often thick
with the frost for days at time. Jed
Humphrey bestirred himself enough
| to get in the woods and bring home
some firewood, but he took good care
| to sit down and see it all nearly burn
ed out before he ventured to go into
the cold again to replenish his pile.
The baby had grown old enough to
be tied in the one armed high chair
by the table and to amuse itself
pounding on it with an old rusty iron
spoon. The children had about worn
out their comfortable clothes that
came when the new baby's did, the
barrel Of -four was almost gone, and
there was only one lonely piece of
salt pork left in the cellar.
One night DR.. Simmonds, the only
ened by loud ring at his bell. He
had just fallen asleep, having left
patient dangerously i'll only an hour
before. He put his head out of the
window, but it was SO dark he could
not see the little figure Of boy on
the steps.
"Who is THEREOF he called out.
cts me-" said the boy. 'Our baby's
awful sick, and mother wants you to
come as quick as you can"
ssWhose baby?" asked the doctor in
gruff voice.
"Our baby. Don't you know? Jed
Humphreys"
The doctor hesitated a few mo-
ments, and then he said: "What is the
matter? Perhaps I can send some
medicine. I have just got in and am
very tired, and don't want to down
to the hollow tonight unless it is
necessary"
ooh, please do come, doctor, the
baby is awful sick. Pm SO afraid it
will die, and it's SO cunning and cute.
The baby is all the fun we've had this
whole winter"
The boys voice was choked with
tears. The doctor dressed and put on
his heavy ulster which hung in the
hall, and went out with him.
'sI can't do anything to help that
baby, jed" he said as he saw the lit
tie one lying SO silently in it's mothers
arms half hour later.
"Can't you do nothing, doctor, moth
ing for the little critter? 1t seems like
as if we couldn't stay here nohow if
the baby dies"
past all human help, jed" he said.
fsThe baby is dead"
The physician did not speak as ten
derby as he usually did when patient
had passed away. "What a mercy"
he thought, ''that this child has pass
ed out Of this miserable home!"
The tears that fell from this stricken
family as they stood around the little
body seemed mysterious to him. Why
should they mourn for that baby? But
when he heard the. mother say, as he
was passing out the door, ooh, Jed,
what shall we do now?'' and saw her
lean her head on the arm Of the
husband who had been SO remiss
in trying to provide for his family, he
was touched.
Cant you pray, Mary?" Jed asked.
''Mother used to pray, but I haven't
prayed for SO long, I couldn't say
nothing the Lord would want to hear"
~ can say, ooh, dear Lord, pity US
and comfort us'' Jed; that's all I can
say. I haven't said prayer for SO
long. Jed. I forgot all about the Lord,
and that's why he took our baby.
We've never been so near to heaven
before, Jed; the angels have been in
this old house to night and took our
baby; Jesus has got her in his arms.
You remember that picture in the book
the children got in Sunday school of the
Good Sheperd with a little lamb in his
arms? That's the way he gets the
mother sheep to follow him. He takes
their lambs.u
cts amazing strange, Mary, how a