Year: 1861




of time and study to determine, and Won
have the topt ensemble of the wretched be-
ing who occupied the back of the only aror-
shop, which he was allowed to frequent, in
all the village of Greenfield.


And vet that miserable, solitary. friend
less creature, half stupefed with the ef
fects of last nights revels. and utterly
unconscious that, outside, the Nav NOR
ming had been born Of God, with its .lori
Gus birthright of sunshine and devs and
bird-songs, has a heart, and lar away, up
great many pairs OF stairs in his heart. is
a door, covered with cobwebs and dust
and on that door is word written, which
Time and Sin have never been able to ef-
! face, and that word is MAN


But nobody ever dreamed of this. and
people shook their heads, and said Billy
Strong's case was hopeless one Had not
! mary lindhearted persons reasoned earnest
! ly on the evils of his ways? Had not the
temperance men gone to him with the
pledge, and promised him employment if
ne would sign it And all this had been ut
terly in vain


All, none Of them had groped their way
! up the winding stairs, and read the name
on the hidden door there


But while the unhappy man sat by the
pine table that morning, the bar-keepcr
suddenly entered, followed by a lady with
soft, hazel eyes and face that child
would have gone to in any trouble.


The old man looked up with vacant
gaze Of wonder, as the bar keeper offered
the lady a chair, and pointed to the other
saying:


That's BiH Strong, madam and, with
lingering stare Of surprise and curiosity, left
the gentle woman alone with the astonished
| and now thoroughly sobcred man.


The soft eyes Of the lady wandered, with
sad, plying expression, over Bills fea-
| lures, and then, in low sweet voice she
asked


Am 7 rightly informed? Do address
| MIR. William Strong?


All. with these words the lady had got
ten further up the winding stairs, nearer the
| hidden door, than ell who had gone before
| her


yes, that is my name, ma'am, said Old
Bill, and he glanced down at his shabby at
tire, and actually tried to hide the elbow
which was peeping out turthcst: for it was
a long time since he had been addressed
by that name, and, somehow, it sounded
very pleasant to him.


4 am very glad to meet you, Mr. Strong,
said the lady. 4 have heard my father
speak Of you so often, and of the days
when you and he were boys together, that
| almost feel as if we were old acquaintan-
ces You surely cannot have forgotten
Charles AorrisonZ


No! no. Charles and I used to be old
| cronies,' said old Bill, with a sudden ami
nation, and light in his eyes such as had
not been there for many a day except when
rum lent it ftful brilliancy.


All the lady did not know, as perhaps
the angels did, that she had mounted the
stairs, and was softly feeling for the unseen
door. So she went on:
l almost feel as though | could see the
Old spot upon which your homestead stood,
Mr.. Strong, [ have heard my father de-
scribe it so often. The hill with its crown
OF old oaks, at the back of your house, and
the field Of golden harvest grain that wa
we'd III front Then there was a green grass
| plot before the front door, and the huge
Old apple tree that threw its shadows across
it, and the great old-tashioned portico, and
! the grapevine that crept around the pillars,
! and the rose bush that looked in at the
bedroom window, and the spring that went
! flashing and singing through the bed Of
mint at the side Of the house


Old Bill moved uneasily in his chair and
the muscles around his mouth twitched oc-
casionally, but unmindful of this, the lady
kept on:


Many and many were the hours-so
father would saY-Willie and I used to
pass under the shadow of that old apple
tree, playing at hide and seek, or rolling
and tumbling about on the grass, telling
each other the things we would certainly
do when we became men; and when the sun
set its cap of gold on the top of the oaks,
| can see Willic's mother standing in the
front door, with her white cap and check
apron, and the pleasant smile that always
hovered around her lips, and hear her cheer
full voice calling, Come, boys, come to sup
per-


One after another the big, warm, blessed
tears came rolling down old Bills pale
checks. Al the lady had found the door
then.


! was always at home at Willie's-fath-
er would say-and used to have my fresh
milk and bread, too; and when this had
disappeared, Willie would draw his stool to
bis mothers feet, lay his head on her lap,
and she would tell us some very pleasant
story, It might be about Joseph Or David,
or some good child who afterwards became
q great man; and then she would part Viii
lies brown curls from MS forehead, and in
a voice [ can never forget, say, Promise
me, Willie, when you go into the world
and its temptations, and your mother Is laid