Year: 1875

The sunlight sometimes came into the
room, for the sunlight was made for the
poor as well as for the rich, and it will
pour in through crazy shutters ard over
the bare floors just as cheerily as 1t
filters through lace curtains and breaks
into golden fragments over velvet car
pets. And Gods free air came to the
de.olate room as well, though when it
had crossed the decaying roofs aud
fingered for moment on the weather
beaten sils it was no longer pure.


Do you krow what poverty is A
gaunt, starved woman with great black
ewes which had Look of hungry and
terror, as if the shudow of fate had
clutched her throat. A bare room-not
bare, because it contained an old stove,
a wretched bed. broken chair, bench,
and-but nothing. The gaunt, starved
face woman had bread to eat-bread
and nothing else. A bare room-bread
and water That is poverty. That is
what brings to the heart that feeling OF
loneliness and grim despair which is
poisoned out OF life or quenched, like a
Pickering light, in the green waters OF
the river, which creeps softly past the
city and carries every burden Of sorrow
and woe to the bosom of the lake.


Why did this woman live' Had life
one charm for her. Perhaps she asked
herself these questions as she sat with
her face in her hands and looked out
upon the cold cheerless day, There
were no tears in her great black eyes
only such look of woe and despair that
the world should have been there to
see it and to have it painted on their
hearts.


"Mother!'


A little, wasted form on the wretch
ed bed-a bony hand on the ragged
ouilt-a voice which told OF hunger and
pain and weary waiting.


She bent over him, and tor moment
a mothers love shown in her eyes, and
her wrinkled hand rested on his pale
face with such tenderness rs only a
mother has.


"Lift me up and let me see the sun
shine," he answered, trying to put his
arms around her neck.


"There is no sunshine" she whisper
ed in reply. sob in her throat.


"Kiss me, mother, and call me when
the sunlight comes agar" he said.


She knew that he had been dying
for week-sinking slowly and surely
into eternity, but she had no friends to
call in--.he could only weep over him
and pray God that she might soon fol,
low. With gasp and sob she pressed
her lips to his forehead, then turned
away to struggle with her despair and
her great sorrow.


The cloudy, cherries day faded into
dusk. She roused herself for a moment
and peered through the groom to see If
her boy still! slept. and then she wins
pered with her thoughts again. And
such thoughts


When the darkness covered the bare
floor as with mantle, and when she
could no longer see her own poverty,
the boy suddenly cried out:


"Motkerl mother! The sunlight has
come!!"


Not yet, dear Ned-not yet! 1t is
night now


"But l see the sun-it lights all the
room-it blazes into my facet he call
ed.


"There is no sun; it is cold and dark!
she sobbed.


"And it grows brighter! and | hear
such sweet music. and | see little Tom
my !" he whispered, while through the
darkness she saw his white face grow
radiant.


.You are dreaming!" she sobbed.


at was such bright sun! The mu-
sic is so sweet lie whispered, clasping
her hand.


1T is dark-it is night" she gasped,
but he did not hear.


The sunlight had truly come, but it
was the sunlight-the golden rays re-
hccted from the gates of heaven-and
not the sunlight of earth. The mys-
terious curtain hiding the valley ofdeath
had lifted for his spirit to pass under,
and woe had been left behind


And of hers ASK the shadows OF the
night-ask the river. When they
foun0 his little dead body she was not
there. They canuot find her. If she
is dead God did not judge her harshly.