Year: 1874

BEAUTIFUL MISSION or An EARTH.ANGEL.


lie ploddod on through sleet and snow,
With steps awkward aud shufilng, yet with
a certain resolution 10 it. Other men
might have turned aside, unwilling to breast
the full force Of such q storm. Not so
with Daniel Newton" Shutting Dan" his
fellow workmcu called him. lie was no
ayorito with them, silent brooding, sullen
fellow they thought him-but he lived q
life Of which they understood very little.
1t had been consecratcd for fourteen years
to one object and there was in it an ele
ment of chiyalrous selfsacri6ce Of which
be was utterly unconscious himself lie
passed a store, where some of his comrades
were laughing then the forge, with its door
inyitugly opoo, and the bright red light
streaming out Of it cheerfully, into the
murky gathering night For moment he
was tempted Just to 60 in and warm him
self little in that glow; but he shook mis-
shaggy head and turned away "She will
be waiting he said, as he drew up the
collar Of his coarse coat, little lamb, she'll
be waitn'." And then rs if the thought
had given him now life, he plodded on again
vaiantly.


On through slcet aud snow, till he came
at last in front Of low cottage, standing
in the midst Of square lot. A light
streamed forth from its front window over the
whitepathway. lt had shone there for him
every winter night.fall for many year,
and be never saw that beacon ray without
blessing his "little lamb" over and over
again. How warm she had kept his heart
Aud yet among the hard things in his life,
people who took the trouble to speak OF
him at all, always reckoncd that crippled
child


When his wife died, and left him her
hour.old baby to bring up as best he could
they commisserated him, and wondered
what he was to do. Aud when it was found
that the child would never be able to walk,
they thought his burden was heavier than
he could bear But he knew only be
could not have told them or reasoned about
it-what had been his sweet compensation
At first, to be sure it was a hard blow
when he found that the little one he loved
was never to be quite like others-that she
would not come toddling down the path to
meet him, clinging TO his hard hands with rosy
little tiusors--but this very grier about her


made his love all the more tender.


She was the one idea of his life. The
only absorbing feeling he had ever known


was for her. He had liked her mother


well enough, but it had been an ordinary,


commonplace regard, until she died and


left this tender, blue-eyed blossom, which he


was afraid to touch. The child consecrated


the mothers memory, and he cared for her


dead more than he had ever cared for her


living. But it was little Eunice who filed


his heart full, and sat on her throne queen


regent forovermorc He had her nursed


carefully, aud he cheerfully gave up every


hour Of his life to the task Of being father


and mother to her, both in one When she


was old euou to sit in a little wheeled


chair in which she could trundle herself


about the room, his delight knew no bounds


In summer she was always at the open door


to meet him, and in winter her CHEEKY


lamp burned always at the cottage window


When she was twelve years old, she her


self proposed to keep house for him. There


we're three rooms in their little cottage, all


on the same floor, besides the unfinished


garrett overhead, From room to room o.


these three she could trundIe herself


around. She contriyed to do good many


household tasks; and with a neighbol


hired to come and help each day, she man.
= aged nicely, and was the proudest Of LITTLE


housewives OF late, however, she haC
been growing weaker, and her father haC
) insisted that she should not be left alone a
! ALL So the neighbor who had helped hel
, stayed all day now, but went home at nigh
/ when Dan came; for he was not ready t.
? give up the pleasure Of having his darling
G quite to himself in the long evenings.
D Now, as he entered the yard, his step
grew quicker. Al that was shuilling AM
r uncertain passed out of his manner, and b
: walked with the strong, firm tread Of on
!, sure Of his welcome. Drawing near, h
T. saw her face at the window which the igh
i illumined-a face Of almost ideal beauty
n Not the features so much when you an
!, alyzed them, they were far from regular
r and bore a curious likeness to his owl
j But the great blue eyes were full of ligh
J. the color came and went on her cheeks /


faint pink fushes, and the skin was tranl
T, parent as the most delicate crysta
c Around this wistlul, loving waiting fac
y aoated mass of soft golden hair, like tn
e halos you see sometimes in old picture
n around the brows Of saints. When sh
b saw him the blue eyes kindled, then th
+ face disappeared from the window, an
n when he opened the door there she WI
n in front of it, with her lips uplifted for
n kiss. The neighbor stood by, her thinl
# on ready to 60, and it struck Dan that thel
/ was a look of pity on her face.


r You'd better not get too near the chill
= with those wet things on, she said kindl
" "She's but a weak little thing, and ST
d mustn't take cold"


i lie started back remorsefully, aud d
II not 90 up to the girl again until he hn
d taken all his wet things off in his ow


room aud made himself dry and tidy. u


this time the neighbor was gone, and
ii and Eunice sat down together to the su
it per which waited. He had the keen hung
,e appetite of workingman, but it did q
* keep him from noticing presently that Il
,r food on his chid's plate remained untouche
is lie laid down his knife and fork, and look
ct at her anxiously.


" "Ain't you going to keep father col
81 pany little, deary2 You amt nev
n. hearty, know, but want to see you e
Se something"


n, She smiled family.


or You know you don't let me work al
IS more, father, and | cant get hungry Ii
he you that are busy all day, working for mC
ne yes, lamb, for you" he repeated as
ot the words gave him pleasure. "God kno
no it's all for you, and he knows how than
sr, ful | am to have you to work for. Fol
'ss talk about my lot bein' hard, but that's
is. they know | would change places vi
on no man. So long as He leaves me you,