Year: 1877

81 don't mean 10 say but what she is a
great comfort now," replied the mother,
resting her hands upon her knees, and
looking down in the dusk upon her child.
" But then she's careful comfort. It's
only along of my being so fond of her that
l ever took these wishes into my head for
sometimes when I'm cleaning, or hoeing
turnlps, or what not, and when I'm forced
to leave her to cry by herself, and can't
help feeling that I'm poor creature that's
hard-worked, and neither food nor cover
ing enoungh to keep cold and hunger off
and husband that doesn't care what
becomes of her, through the ale-house-
why then l take to fancying what she may
come to when she's woman, and wish
she may be different"


"I hope so,' said the visitor, and she
looked round the cottage, which contained
scarcely an article of furniture beyond the
chairs on which they were seated. awe
all hoped that John would be different after
his Illness"


The mother shook her head.


ats very hard" she observed, "and
makes me very down-hearted when I'm
coming home from my work, with the
child IN my arms, to have him meet me in
such state that he can scarcely walk, and
take my wages out of my hand to buy
more with; and so 1 comfort myself with
making out a different life for her."


As she said this the baby sobbed in its
sleep two or three times; the mother
moved it, and again rocked the cradle
looking towards the easement, and, talking
quietly while the harvest moon shone on
her careworn face, and on the brick floor
and whitewashed walls.


MARTHA" said the young lady, show
the baby sobs Ifshe was old enough to un.
derstand what you have been saying, |
should think she was sobbing at your
notion of giving her away"


Bless her." said the woman with a
smile, ''yes would do it if could-that l
would. If it broke my heart to part with
her, would still do it-tomorrow if | had
chance-I think l could do it tonight
As for wishes; if all my wishes could be
given her, she would be as happy as the
day was long; she should have the beauti-
fullest music that ever was heard, instead of
that song heard just now"


Martha !" exclaimed the young girl,
"what do you mean?"


"She should be taken as much care Of.
and set as much store BY, as if the Queen
herself was her mother if only had nv
wish; and she should learn all sorts of
things that I know nothing of, and have
no hard work at all. She should live in a
beautiful house, quite mansion, and not
even know what poverty is, but have plenty
OF friends and companions, and if there's
any other sort of pleasure that | never
heard of (Which don't doubt there is), she
should have it all, God bless her?''
40 Marthal'' said the girl, "don't wish
her any more. God doesn't bless any of us
with so much happiness as that"
i must wish," said the mother; I've
no pleasure in this world but in wishing
! that God would please to let her be
, happy"


The harvest moon by this time had risen
high enough to cast its yellow lester
through the wickerwork of the cradle.
The mother after her excitement, folded
her arms and sat with a softened face.
looking down into it, and listened to the
sigh which now and then heaved her
infants breast.


1


The darkness increased and the silence
lasted sometime. The mother sat RESTING.
and her visitor was lost in thought. If any
other face looked down on the baby.
features, they did not see it; if any other
voice spoke, their ears were to dull to hear
it. If in the dusky evening an angel stood
at the foot of the cradle how could they
tell, whose sense was not fine enough To
catch the sound of immaterial wings. whose
arms were held that they could net touch
or embrace aspiritual presence, whose eyes
were dim--so dim that if an infant spirit
with enc deep sigh, had fed into an
angels bosom, they would not have known,
nor have caught one CLEAN of the heavenly
smile that such an infant might have turned
, towards its mother when the wings of q
' purer guardian enfolded it, and face Of
| yet deeper love was shining on it.
, AT length the visitor rose. "The baby
is very sound asleep now she said. "How
. fair and still she looks in the moonlight
r must 60 now, Martha, it grows late"
) Must you 60, miss?" was the reply
: Well, hope you will tell your mother ]
J am obliged to her for the needlework. !
a can sit and think while do it, and little
G time I've had for that since I left hel
service


"Good night" said the young girl, as she


shut the door softly behind her, lest she
e should wake the baby.


r Poor Martha" she thought as she
r walked homeward, show can she indulge
r in such wild wishes?g


!, Wild wishes indeed Yet the mex
0 morning, as she passed down the village
v though the father was again singing tha
e unmelodious song, the mother was nc
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