Year: 1865

1Cs - 1OOO" ~. tfiE '''t i't 4'iD'ii'-.
would be a heather to give man, who
has family to support in a city like Bos-
ton, anything less than six dollars week.
| like you'll believe / can trust you.
This is to be your place, and |, your mas
ter, until you get a better place and a
better master somewhere else. But must
lock up, and you must go home y SO


Who shall describe that home made
glad by a few of the comforts, to which it
had been so long stranger? All the way
to Bacon street. Hamilton Brent thought
of it, and after he sat down to his own
dinner, pictured the supper table in Dsvis's
room, the very centerpiece of the altar of
thankfulness. To his matronly house
keeper, whose heart was ever open to the
deeds of charity, he told the sad story, and
promised to find the next day where they
lived, that from the bounties he had been
blest with Giles Davis's home might be
yet happier and pleasanter. The next
morning he did not forget TO ask Giles
where he lived, and after dark the honse-
keeper and her son paid st. Nicholas
visit to the room designated, leaving their
basket upon the platform in front of the
door, with nothing to show from whence it
came, but the two letters "H. B." burned
upon the handle. '-'' >H't'- 7.a


Early and late was Giles Davis at work,
and the ragged "charity hand " that at
first the men had Stunned, grew to be re
spected by all, from his employer down to
Tip, the little fellow who made fire and did
the errands of the office. The old house
keeper, after being caught in her second
visit Ia st. Nicholas, used to 90 in and
chat with the little woman whose heart
and life grew marvelously strong, as the
better days coming cleaned upon her.


Hope on her, its heavenly radience shed,


And waved its silver pinions DER her head. "


The winter went by and March came
the month of winds and SHOWS, of halls
and rains of days that are cheerless and
nights that are gloomy even to the gayest
heart-and still master and man stood as
firm and as high in each others confidence





Brent conceived an imperfect knowledge
Of his prOyerb shining upon him, in the
kind effort of Giles Davis; but the full
time had not yet come for him to see ''af-
ter many days" the wealth of its promise.


Upon one of those stormy days you and
[ have seen in March, came an order for
ship timber, which Brent must attend to
himself. All day long he staid in that
drenching and chilling storm. That night
his walk home seemed longer than usual
the house colder-the matronly house
keeper ''crusty." His CRATE visions were
sad ones; his dreams more like spiritual
visitations than like visions that we love to
linger around and above us in our sleeping
moments


The next day at his office passed sadly
and drearily, until it grew nearly night,
when heart and flesh failed him, and he
fell fainting to the floor. In the hour OF
excitement that followed, G1les Davis step
ped into the position of physician and
nurse. Every one in and around the Of
flee gladly followed his directions or asked
his advice. He it was whom they agreed
should support Brent home and stay with
him. During the illness of many weeks
that followed this rash exposure, Giles
strong arm was one on which the good old
housekeeper leaned for help and guidance.
The quiet little woman was brought from
her humble home to the grander one OF
hor bus hond1o 20 oos;ef - AZ o,ou-,,, Il =,
ties of nurse. The sick man, whose
friends. with the exception of invalid
aunt who lived with her daughter in
Maine) had all gone "to the spirit land, -
looked in moments of consciousness the
gratitude he could not speak, every day,
as ~Giles-weuld go to the office to consult
with Porter, and report fayorable to his
employer. AIsEAsA -


1t was not until "April showers had
brought May flowers" that Hamilton Brent
took his old place in thesoffice and, Giles
his accustomed place insthe lumber yard
But the strongest tie that can bind human
ity together, united their hearts, and in
health and prosperity the master never
forgot that, under God, he owed his after
prosperity to the "charity hand" During
the summer evenings, when his bachelor
home grew silent, he would think, with
lingering regret, of a pleasanter one i'll a
quiet street, and devise some plan to make
that part of his own. 1t was not until
Christmas that his, plan was perfected.
Then, when the other hands received the
slip of paper with "a merry Christmas
written on it, Giles received little pack
age, and opening it in his pleasant home,
found it to contain the gift Of one-forth
interest in the lumber yard, provided Mrs.
Davis would occupy the home on Bacon
street, i'll company with her husband,
Hamilton Brent, and her old friends, the
matronly housekeeper and her son. Mrs.
Davis was not unreasonable. She went
carrying with her nothing but her sweet
smiles that made her humble home a par
adise for her husband; and as Hamilton
Brent enjoyed the pleasantness of the
group that fingered in the pleasant moon
light of his ancestral mansion, his light
heart understood at length the blessedness
of the command heGast thy bread upon
the waters, for thou shall find it after
many days."J6 1NA 04A6 d


IL


AN AUTHENTIC ANECDOTE