Year: 1877

1t was a wild, lonely niSht,a and the
rain fell in torrents and Was driven
iercely against the strong walls OF
the farm house that stood upon the
prairie mile distant from any other
habtation. Mrs. Martha Adams was
alone with her two children, Il boy oil
four years and little girl one year
Of age.


She was a timil woman, and she
had urged her husband not to leave
her alone With the sum of money he
had received by recent mail, bnt he
had qnietei her fear; by assuring her
that no one knew it was in his pos
session, and thai it would be much
safer At home than with him; he
would be gone only one night, and be
back before any one knew Of his alb.
sence. He promised to gage II
neiyhlor's daug ghte: to stay with her,
hut the rain had set in and the stor y
had become So furious before night
fall, that the girl did not come,


Mrs. Adams bad been obliged to
leave the house to attend to IL few
matters outside, and Wien she re.
turned aud lit the lamp in the cheer
ful sitting room, she locke! srounh
contentedly with the thought that no
harm could come through such a
storm.


She sat down to her sewing while
the children played about the room,
until about eI8ht ctock IN the even.
ing, when trom some / II known cause
She became nervous and uneasy.


1t was in VAN that she assured Fer
self that her fears We're gronndless, -
"Who would be abroad IN such Il
storm ?' she as b ed herself again and
again. But it WAS OF no use the un
pleasant apprehension only gained
strength in spite Of her, and she liz.
tened IN terror to every gust OF wind
that ot around the house, and any
unusual sound that fell upon her ears
was magnlied by her excited i!nagi.
nation to mean some nalneleSs terror.
Fina ly, despairing of fixing her mInd
upon tier work, she laid it aside, and
persuaded the elder child to lie down
upon a sofa which stood in the room,
and taking the little one in her arms,
she WAS about to undress it, when,
protrudlns from under a table, which
was covered with cloth, she saw Il
man S boot.


For moment she thought she
would fall from her chair in terror
but at the though OF her children, she
reused herself to the comprehension
OF her situation.


"What should she do ?' To call for
help would be of AS little avail AS
though she were in mid ocean. He
had come for nothing less than rob
berry, and perhaps would not stop al
murder if needful TO accomplish his
purpose


She thought Of taking the children
and escaping from the ncuse, but per
haps there were some Of Them sta
tic ned outside, and she might only
Increase her danger. Alas what
could she do? Tue sweat stood in
great drops upon her forehead, as she
thought how utterly helpless she was,
and felt how completely she and her
children were in the power OF a
precious robber.


A dozen plans had been suggested
to her mind only to be discarded, and
she finally mastered her terror enough
to proceed with the work oI arrang-
ing the child in its night clothes, and
began to rock it to sleep to the music
of that beautiful and pathetic Song,
Rock me to sleep, mother


Her voice WAS peculiarly sweet and
musical, and the tremor which cl oc'
casion gave it only added to its bead
ty and pathos.


Then she sang, "Do they miss me
at home p with all the inspiration OF
an early hope, and never before hac
her voice sounded more sweetly. 9th.