Year: 1866

and that it was that, that dway


made her labor so faithfully an,
cheerfully. Then Amy went to IN
swer the door It #as 9 bo


who had followed q load Of COS


which Mr. Woodford had ordered
and he stood twisting his chilled fiu
gers awkwardly as he ssked-sPlease
ma'am, and caL't I put in the eoali'
He looked into her face very wish
fully as if his life almost depende.
upon her answer.


Certainly il you wish to-" Am,
replied, with little laugh. Tor to be
the putting in of q ton Of coal "a
a light matter, and she had ncv<
before been troubled vith such e.
rands. The little fellow sprani
quickly away, and caught up u.
shovel. Amy half closed me door
and then upon 8 sudden impuls.
opened it and asked the child ifhs
was not cold.


"a little; but 1 will soon get warn
at work"


She went in and sat down to tbs
piano, and running her fingers oyei
the keys in a lively prelude, com
menced singing pretty Scotch bal
lad, she knew particularly delighted
Macdown, and she had left the door
leading to the dining-room opened
She glanced up at the window as shs
concluded, and the brightest, hap
piest face she ever remembered hav
ing seen, was pressed close to the
pane: but as soen as the child per
ceived he was discovered, he crepi
back to his work Amy watched
him till the last piece of coal was in,
saw how carefully he closed the door
and left everything sale, and then
she went and called him to her. 1t
was almost q miracle to see q child
of his years SO thoughtful and indus
trious. "You are good boy," she
said softly, "ani there Is dollar for
you"


''Oh, tits only half q dollar for one
load, ma'am." -


Never mind you may keep it all. |"


The child turned the bank note
over and over in his hand, smoothed
it affectionately, and looked up with
hin eyes brimful of astonishment and
joy. Il do not believe | ever had so
much money in all nv life before.
1t will help along so much"


''Is your mother very poor. little
boy?"


''Oh, not dreadful. We are pretty
comfortable when father has work;
but lately there isn't much doing,
and some weeks he does not get
hardly anything, and then we have
to live on potatoes and salt, and lit
tie corn bread, and I thought if I
could just get a little butter with my
half dollar it would be so nice. "


"And where do you liver


"FaIher owns ofs OF isnu
the small frame house just out 90
the Monmouth road, and mother says
we mustn't get in debt, cause it is so
hard to get out so we just como
mizes."


What were you doing at the win
dow little while ago" Amy asked
with twinkle of fun IN her eyes


The child hung down his head
"Oh, / couldn't help listening, Z
was such pretty noise" he faissrss.
in alright.


Il am not going to scold you, my
boy; but do YOU want me to play
some more for you2"


The bright ewes grew still brighter,
and fairly sparkled with delight when
she struck into the quick variations
of popular air, which the child rec
ognized at once. Then she sang a
few simple songs, and finally raised
the lid of the instrument, and ex-
planned its mysterious workings to
the wondering mind. and was reward
ed by a genuine, heartfelt Thank
you: 1 think when / get to be . man
l will make one of them, and il yours
is worn out by that time, / will make
you one too"


She set out a simple lunch upon
the dining-room table, and went to
the kitchen to add some coal to the
wasted fire, and as the child watched
her retreating form, he gave vent to
his admiration by turning to Mac
down, who was watching the happy
child with pleasure, and exclaiming,
"Oh, but amt she beauty, though
She is the prettiest Of anybody I
ever did see!" And Macdown thought
the child quite right.


Now no one thought Of calling
Amy Woodford beauty. or even
pretty, for her figure was very slight,
her eyes and hair too light to be
beautiful, bat there was always q
sweet expression about the small
mouth that made every one love the
plain face after all, and her husband
firmly declared she was charming;
but Amy kept at work will out think
ing or even caring whether she was
beautiful or not, so long as she was
beloved.


A big basket found its way down
to the small brown house that morn
ing, and there was besides two temp
ting rolls of butter, sufficient to keep
tie small family in luxuries for q
week, and the boy went dancing
home with it upon his arm the hap
p!est child in the whole village.


Mr.. Woodford came home late to
dinner that day. Somehow every
thing had gone wrong with him. and
Amy saw at once there was cloud
upon his brow. She did not ques-
ton him, however, and though he
was unusually mooiy and taciturn,
she did not chide, and when he spoke
almost sharply to Macdown for her
carelessness, she did not reprove