Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-26


he would do what seemed right with the
poor little innocent
wen, AloAe, must say this: You are
either one of the biggest hyppercrits / ever
card Of or else you're one of the best old
chaps as ever met, blowed If you ain I,
whichever way, Il is you Just think over
what you would like to do, and keep an eye
on the 'amper while / goes to See Wildly
F'urlong's daughter. Lizzy, as lost her own
DOPING cough, and maybe, she would lock
after your'n for you! If the child cries be
sure to take her up and carry her bit.
I'm reg lar knocked stupid. that / am. butll
not be long"
Baby didn't cry, however. and during Mrs.
Judkins absence Job had time to peruse the
mysterious message which accompanied the
equally mysterious little stranger.
After an interval of twenty minutes or
half an hour Mrs. Judkins returned with
her friend Lizzy. and they were both as
surpri sed as alarmed to find poor Job lying
motionless on the floor. However, they set
about restoring him. and their efforts were
dazed for some time. although Irofuse in
his apologies for the trouble he had given
them.
Mrs. Judkins accounted for his rainting as
the result of the shock he mad had. and.
suddenly recollecting that she had not pre-
pared his tea, was soon busily engaged with
cups and saucers, murmuring, as she hustled
about, Poor old Moke! It's bad business
Job felt In no humor for eating. but Mrs.
Judkins insisted upon his swallowing q cup
OF tea, with a little drop of brandy in it.
and, as soon as he had swallowed it. she
directed his attention to Lizzy, who had
come with her to see what could be done
Job had the baby brought to him. and ex-
aiming II carefully, he at length impress
ed kiss upon its little white forehead.
and handed 1t back to Mrs. Judkins. Then
with some emotion he said:
1T Is the unexpected which generally
happens and recognising the hand Of Prov
babe into my care, 1 am willing 10 bring
her up az IL she were my own" and then
vehemently exclaimed, land WILL 30 help
1t was then arranged that, for a consid-
Grafton. Lizzy was to take full charge of
the in1ant JOB. in order to secure his pro-
prietary right. insisting that she she uld
be brought to see him every morning be-
lore he left. and every evening when he
returned To this Lizzy agreed, and as
Mrs. Judkins hanced the baby over 10 her
she nestled and fondIed II in her bosom
with passionate tenderness, doubtless
prompted all the more by thoughts of her
own dear little one which she had lost SO
JOB and Mrs. Judkins looked on sympa-
thizinsly. and when Lizzie took her charge
away they were both too overcome to
speak Tor some minutes.
In process Of time the novelty wore Off
ana a;n Joo ceased to be annoyed by the quiz
zlng OF his friends and neiRhbors.
meanwhile. under Lizzy's care, the child
grew up healthy and vigorous and was a
source OF untold happiness to her foster
y,
| fairly dotted on her.
At Jobs special request she had been
christened Louisa Bertrand" but he gave
no reason for his fancy. nor was he at ali
body. wiz" Ai'
pneventfully the years passed away: but
Old circumstances occurred which com
pleteiy changed the even tenor of their
way, ana made complete break In her
oaliy Ire and surroundings.
CHAPTER III.
JOB had now completed fifty years at the
topacco factory. and his generous EMPLOYERS
mad honored his jubilee of faithful service
sion Besides this. however the street in
which he had lived so long was doomed. for
the powers that be" had decreed that II
was to be removed. in order to carry out a
scheme of Improvement.
Inc latter circumstance was a great blow
10 Joo but he was too philosophical not to
length determined to spend the remainder OF
f ms Ire In the country with his beloved
After much consideration he finally Sc
lected Shelstone, in Essex, as his future
abode, but not before he had visited the
place ana made such inquiries as he thought
desirable Shelstone was small town of
about 5000 or 1900 inhabitants and about
three miles inland from the coast, and here
n ne mad selected small but comfortable
cottage on the confines Of the town and not
very far from good school, which seemed
to weigh with him in choosing it.
to nne SS s stood by itself short dis
flower garden in front and patch FOR
vegetables behind. The house itself con.
and had trellis work porch in front now
wild roses.
At length the day of their departure ar.
| rived and many tears were shed by Mrs
Judkins, Lizzy (who had so long si,pnliad
tne place OF mother to louisa and other
friends and neighbors who had known the
too. sobbed as IL her little heart would
break, and poor old Job himself showed
Enthusiastically what wrench his feelings
were undergoing at leaving them ali, per
maps for ever. The brave old soul how
ever, begged them all to come and see him
ana Louie whenever they liked, and after
many Understandings and God bless vous'
the old man and the light of his eyes, his
precious Louie, at length started for their
new life in the country.
Louie was delighted with her new home
and all her surroundings. and when she had
settled down at school amid children of her
own age, and formed many new compan-
ionships. she was, indeed, supremacy happy.
Not That she was ever otherwise than hapnv
when with her foster-father. whom she had
long learned to call "grandad." Nor had
she ever forgotten her dear Iizzy Mrs
Judkins. or the few other friends who had
ministered so much to her comfort and hap
piness in former years.
Perhaps, however her chiefest low wac
experienced when, during the summer even
lngs, Job used to take her for lovely walks
In all directions. although she sometimes
QuizZed him concerning his partiality for
the trimly-kept God's-acre which surround
ed the little church. Job delighted in read
| ing the Inscriptions upon the tombstones.
! and would often sigh as he read the,,l. or
kept silent for some time. as il long buried
memories were reawakened by their perus-
| al There was one grave in particular which
| he never left the churchyard without visit
| ing, and he generally brought a few flowers
| to strew over this moss-grown tomb which
| bore the name of Louisa Bartlett. aged
81"
! Little Louie often wondered whom she had
! been. and IL grandad' had known her but
| and told her he would tell her all some day
with which she had to be content
Years flew on. and as Louie bioomed from
! childhood into lovely maidenhood poor Job
as was to be expected, waXed feebler and
/ feebler. Louie indeed, had grown into !
| lovely girl, and as she sat reading or doine
needlework i'm the evenings Job could
scarcely keep his eyes from her beautifu
face: and he indeed. dotted upon his own
precious darling"
They had now resided at Shelstone owe,
| twelve years, during which their simple
lives and tastes had been sanctified by tina
| rare affection which sometimes exists be.
| tween the young and the old; and durins
| which Lizzy had several times been to Sc.
them, when such occasions were regarded
as red letter days
Poor old Mrs. Judkins had passed ava,
some five or six years ago. and poor old Jot
could not restrain his tears when he hear
of the sad event; for he could never forge
the great help she had been to him in tn,
long ago, nor the true, kind heart which