The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-12-19

4 Martha Deans :
! Doubt. Mary Sx RyT Potter. :

so long have I prayed and waited
for prosperity-nay, even a sufficient
income to yield my children and my
self the common ne~cessaries of life
without receiving an answer to my
prayers, that 1 am tempted to believe
that God does not redeem his promises,
but to a few favored ones" So spoke
Martha Dean.
The very essence of bitterness must
dwell in the heart of one who gives ut
terance to such a sentiment, and, in
deed, Martha Dean was in bitter and
desperate mood, which was quite uu-
usual with her, for she had never lost
faith before. ~ s.. ia, " =
She sat there before her flreless
kitchen range, her dull eyes watching
h progress of a great snoWstorm.
She saw nothing Of it's white, fierce
beauty, however, but gathered only the
one harsh idea that it vas the newt
able crueltX of winter, for by bitter x
perience she had learned hi to her
and hers, these later years Of her life,
winter brought little but cold, privation
and general discomfort.
It was not yet dark, but to keep the
children from taking cold she had
tucked them as warmly as possible into
their bets; for there was so little fuel
h a h had allowed the fire to die
out as soon as she had cooked the sim
pie supper, thus %insuring a little
warmth and comfort for the next day,
as well as a blaze to cook their meals.
Now she heard them calling to each
other across the room, and then a little
later Jennie, the oldest Of the four, was
telling a story to little Edith, who lay
beside her, and trying to keep her voice
up to a pitch high enough for the two
little boys, Tommy and Johnny, to hear
also over across the room.
Here was one source of bitterness for
Martha Dean She wanted her children
chatting and playing about her in COM
fort and happiness, but her pinching
poverty forbade even that.
The words of Jennie's story came
now and then to her mothers ears; it
was an extravagantly generous Christ
mas story. and Martha Dean's lips
curled in q smile of bitterness as she
listened. S
MY poor babies!" she murmured.
Theirs will be a SO. ~ Christmas time
with not even a fire to keep them
warm" .&
For the next day would be Christ
mas, n being, for the time, faithless,
h felt sure that no Christmas cheer
awaited them-nothing, indeed, but
privation and misery. The hours
passed. the children's voices were
hushed in sleep,san and she could no long
y &s .hllSW4UyA
the light patter against the window,
with now and then a fierce fling Of the
}sleety snow, that 1t was still raging
and she sat in silence and darkness
thinktng-not of some plan to work out
of the difficulty they We're in, For it
seemed to her that every outlet was
%closed----but OF the past. when she and
her little ones had been surrounded by
comforts and blessed and protected by
the love and care of theshusband and
father, who hadSfdied and left them
four years before. Z
Suddenly there came t her ears
plaintiVe cries and "a noise at the
Martha Dean fastened to light her;
lamp.
'tWhatever#it IS that wants to come
in out of such a storm, it shall come,
she thought i can at least giveiShel-s
ter to Any creature that is without, be
1t beast Or human" And she hastened;
to throw open the door. S@ SS8sa
80 little child stood there, covered
with snow, It's breath coming in quick
{gasps. RS &8s:
ID Not a p~oor-looking child In thin
clothing, with a pinehed face, as ane
might expect#to see out upon such a
night. but achild Weighted down with
rich, cumbersome wraps with a face
round and rosy and beautiful.
Fearlessly she stepped inside, and
In SO doing disclosed the one4faultsan IN
dress which hadrendered her short
exposure to the storm dangerous and
Observation-Disclosures were cladsirs
lightslippers andinWading througflsthe
sEowsshe had wei them through ana
through. though she had walked only
asshort distance.
aYo dear little cried Martha
Dean. ssaHowgsdi youaeome heregg'
I was all lost till i said my prayers,
was the quick reply. w were going
to see grandpa, and 4 turnbled out q
horses @wou1dn,tsstop sol told the LORD
Just al ii me to-. and he
helped mesto get hefe..'SR
didn't YonAget hurt anywhere,
you poor babe22n inquiredgMartha Dean,
sblushing at the little girls sinaple dec
laration af