Year: 1861

| "S J W. 1io' SAoOoO vi JOul lllb-
tory? feel strangely curious to hear
lit.'


There was sympathy in every act and
every tone Of the old man, and the sore
heart of the troubled young man was
very thankful to unburden itself.


His name was George howard, he
said, that is, this was the only name
he knew anything about, for he was a
foundling taken from the cold stone
toor of q public building one cold au
tum morning. He was then about two
years old, had been dragged and left
there to perish, or to be picked up, as
the case might be. A kind gentleman
had found him, and for six or eight
years he was we'll cared for, and hap
|py. Then his friend died, and he found
himself cast out on the mercy of strang-
ers. He was taken into family where
they were not over kind to their own
children-to him they had denied every
pleasure the every advantage. He
could not obtain time to 20 to school.
but had managed TO get candles and to
study at night. Thus he mastered
book keeping and some other things,
and at eighteen years of age had OBJ
tanned o good place in a store. At
twenty he had fallen in love with a
sweet and worthy girl, and after two
more years of toll, in spite of the oppo-
sition of her proud relatives, he had
married her.--This was mistake, he
supposed, at least everybody seemed to
consider it 50. They ought to have
waited. But his salary was quite
sufficient 10 live on, and what more did
they need? They were very happy; but
alas! there came change. A bank
exploded somewhere; then another and
another; then the merchants began to
shake, and like a row of bricks stand
ing near together, when the first one
gets blow, down they all fell, and his
employers among them.


There was no getting a situation.
Hundreds of clerks and many mer-
chants, also, were out Of busioess.
George determined to go West. Then
he met with many misfortunes; he was
a long time sick, several times cheated,
and once burned out; all that he took
out with him was soon gone.


What made the trouble 50 bad was
the fact that his family were with his
wife's relatives, and he knew very we'll
how they all talked to her-he knew
how hard it was for her high and true
heart to hear him blamed for every
thing, and undervalued and condemed.
So he had striven; and earned and bor-
rowed money enough to 60 for his fam
lily, and they had started for home in
the great west, and now this blow had
fallen upon them, and it was too much.


4 am now without a dollar in the
world concluded George: and the poor
fellow let his head sink on his breast,
and two tears fell from his great, sad
eyes.


Cheer up, my man. said the strang-
er, you know It's an old saying that
the darkest hour is just before the
dawn. And if man ever trusts and
hopes in God, it should be when he
most needs to. And you are in that
place now.'


Yes, I think am,' returned George
gloomily. And it is very hard. I had
hoped our worst troubles were over
well, l think they arc said their
companion smiling. Here. Mr.. Con
ductor, (for that tunctionary at this
moment paused beside our group,) l
pay for three-you don't charge any
thing for my children, you know


1T is exceedingly kind Of you sir,
said George; 'but, but-you must give
us your name and address, that we may
know where to send the money when
we become able to return IT,


you will have no difficulty as to re.
turning it my man, as reside in the
same town to which you are bound.
My name is Appleton, every body in