Year: 1860

SohP'iSotiOH VI oSiOiuia, ahu oPlHal u'"o"SS An""


ifested themselves, and the little bent bacl


grew more and more 10 show the heavy burder
she had borne through all her life.


"Do you mean that little crooked, sore mouth.
ed thing;" said heavy, slatternly looking wo'
man who had come to find child to be bound
to her. "Do you think will take such child
as that?'


"She's master tidy, and Industrious" said the
matron, "est the handiest little creature you
could fnd yon won't be sorry if you take her.
Besides she is the only one we have, about the
ago you want"


The child was called up to be questioned,
and her intelligent answers seemed in meas
ure to make amends for her i'll looks for the
matter ended by her being bound out to dress
maker with an intemperate husband, and six
unruy children. Mrs. Green knew very we'll
what she was doing when she took a bound girl
from the poor house to be maid Of all work in
her unruly household. She was resorting to
the means by which she could obtain the great
est possible amount of labor at the smallest
possible expense. And very thoroughly did she
carry cut the plans she had laid for doing this.
There was no remorse for the heavy burdens She
was laying on the suffering, worthless child
no thought except OF the duty she supposed she
owed to herself and her family, OF obtaining all
that it was possible to obtain from the de formed,
bound girl; and giving her as little as possible
in return Scant hours for sleep, granted at an
hour when she was too weary to Sleep
all, scant time for scanty meals and heavy un-
remitting toll, were the lot of little Lefty
while she was still mere child in growth and
in years. 1t was no wonder that Lefty grew
bent and shapeless, like tree that has been
trodden upon. 1t was no wonder that tenn
per, naturally gentle, should grow warped, and
tempestuous in the midst Of such trials She
had never met word or look Of affection in
her life. Scarcely word or look of kindness
even had been vouchsafed to her. During her
FIRST years every one had been impatient that
the care of homeless, destitute child had been
thrown upon them. The miserable beings a.
bout oppressed, and made her wretched because
they were oppressed, and wretched themselves
One poor palzied Old man who had died at the
her attentions with the gentleness, and graft
tuda; and though he was so palscd that he could
rarely speak so as to be understood, Lefty knew
that he watched for her, and was glad to have


L. l., 1
ceeding love; and when she lay in her little gar
ret in Mrs Green's house, too weary, and too
worn with suffering to sleep, she thought of
him, and wished that she were at rest with him.


She had now grown into such pitiable,
withered little object that no one looked upon
her except with an expression of disgust. And
Lefty was sensitive, and quick to see and hear
all that the cruel or the thoughtless said and
felt. The SCOTS and jeers of the ungoverned
children of her mistress did not tend to improve
her temper. The christian faith OF this chris
tian land which alone could have helped her to
bear such trials had never been offered to her
in way that she could understand or trust il.
Yet that God without whom no sparrow fall
eth TO the ground had not forgotten Lefty.


Far away amid the crowd that were bustlng
from the depot to newly arrived train OF cars,
was an old lady with a neat suit of black, and
still decided countenance, making her way
carefully to seat. She had just buried the
daughter over whose feeble health, and small
household she had presided 70" years. and now
the little houShod was broken-the bereaved
husband was with his own iamly friends and
the old lady was going back to the home which
she had left years before, for her daughters
sake. She was going back to the married sons
and daughters who lived near the old home d.
stead, and the grown-up grand children who
had, doubtless. almost forgotten her. They
were all well to do people, with full households
that she was hardly needed among them; but
Grandma Grove had never douted Providence
yet. by feeling that there was no need other in
the world. And there was no doubt of the
hearty welcome she would receive, for her rela-
tves all reverenced and respected her; some for
the noble and substantial qualities she possess.
ed; and some for the goodly share of ancestla
pltrimony which was still in her hands. But
whatever were the reasons, the welcome was
sure; aid on her arrival she found quiet Ca
reer ready for her in the family of her son 10.
seph in the spacious home over which she had
once r igned as mistress.


She was sociable, wise old lady, and she
soon made herself familiar with the many
changes tina: had taken place during her alb.
sence.


II think YOU wrote me that William Grove
was killed. Joseph" she said to her son one day
two or three months alter her return. "Do you
know what ever became Of his wife.


"Why she died, too, mother, only few
months after her husband"


"Poor thing,--she had hard life of it," sigh.
ed Grandma. Grove. William Grove was q
distant relative OF the family, and his people had
been better known to the old lady than to any
of the rest.


"They shouldn't have married so young, I,
said Mrs. Joseph Grove; "trouble always comes
of it," 4.


"She was twenty and he was twenty two, ~
said Grandma Grove.


eyes, but they had nothing--not even SC
much as blanket or silver spoon" said Mrs
Joseph, who prided herself upon the household
goods which she had brought her husband.


"She brought him something much beta,
than blankets or spoons. said Grandma Grove
picking up a stitch, in her knitting.