Year: 1873

began to tell how two strangers had sough.
shelter at the monastery. Their house
had been struck by lightning, and burned
With all i, ccntsined; and they, themselves.
aged. poor aud fricndless. were exposed
to the fury Of the storm Our house Is
q poor one.' continued the monk. The
strangers lodging -room was already full,
and We are quite without the means of
making these poor souls comfortable -
You q, least have sound roof over your
head. and If you can spare one or two
things for the night they shall be returned
Tomorrow When soua Of our guests de-
part
The widsx could hardly conceal her
vexaticn and disappointment. Now dear
heart, holy father. cried she. lis there not
y rich body in the place. that you come
for charity to poor widow like me, that
am in case rather to borrow myself rather
than to lend to o,hersr


Can you lend US -pare blanketi' said
the monk. These poor strangers have
been out in storm. remember


The widow started. What mcdd!ing
busy body told him tha. the Baroness gave
me . new blanket at Michelmas?' thought
she; but at last. very unwillingly. she
went to an inner room to fetch blanket
from her bed


They shan't have the new one. that's
aat.' mut.ered the widow. and she drew
out the Gle one and began TO fold il up.
But though she had dwelt upon its thick
ness and insufhciency to the Baroness.
she was SO powerfully affected at parting
with it that all its good qualities came
strongly to her mind.


ITS q very sai,sble size. said she to
herself. and easy for my poor ola arms
to shake or fold. With careful usagc it
would last for two years yet; but who
knows how two wandering bodies that
have been tramping miles through the
storm will kick abou, in their sleep! Aad
who knows if they're decent folk at oil?
Likely enough they're two hedge birds
that have imposed a pitiful tale on tae
good fathers. and never slept under any
thing finer than a shock Of straw in their
lives


The more the good woman thought Of
this. the more she felt sure il was the
case. and the less willing she became to
lend her blanket to a couple of cheating
tramps.' A sudden idea d,ci led her
Ten to one they bring fever with them.
she cried, and dear knows saw enough
good bedding burnt after the bl cs fever.
len years ago. 1t would be sin and a
shame to burn good blanket like this.
And repeating a sin and a shame with
great force. the widow restored tie blank
ct to its place.


The covcrlct's not worth much she
thought; bat my good man bought it the
year after We were married. aud il any
thing happened to i, should never for.
give myseff The old shawl's gnd
enough for the tramps.' Saying which
she took ragged old shawl from a peg.
aud began 10 fold i. up. And even as
she brushed aud folded. she began to
grudge the faded rag. 1t saves my bet
ter one on bad day she sighed. but
| suppose the father must have some
thing


And accordingly she took it to the
monk


'I,'s not 50 good as il has been. bu.
there is warmth in it yet, aud it cost a
pretty penny when new


And is This all that you can spare to
the poor housclcss strangersi' asked the
monk.


Aye. indeed. good father said .he.
'and that will cost me many n twinge Of
rheuma,ics. Folk at my age can't lie
cold at night for nothing


These poor strangers said the monk.
are as aged as yourself, aud have lost
everything


But as all he said had no effect in NOV
ing the widows compassion. he departed
and Knocked at the door of her neighbor
Here be told the same tale. which met
with very different hearing. This Wild
ow was one Of those liberal souls whose
possessions always make thcm feel uneasy
unless they are being accepted. or used.
or borrowed by some one else; and she
blessed berseif that. thanks to the Baron
ess, she Lad a new blanket fit to lend TO
the king himself. and only desired 10 know
what else she had with which she could
serve the poor strangers. and rcquite the
charities Of the brotherhood.


The monk confessed that all the slen-
der stock of household goods in the mon
as,ery was in use. and one af'cr another
he accepted the loan Of almost every thing
the widow had. As she gave them he
put them out through tho door. saying
that he had messenger outside; and hsv-
ing promised that everything should be-
duly restored on the morrow. be depar-
ted. leaving the widow with little else
than the chair 10 which she was to pass
the night.
When the monk had gone the storm
ragged with greater fury than before. and
i, last one terrible fash Of ightning struck
the widows house. and. though il did
not hur, the old WOMAN. il set ire TO the
roof. aud both cottages were soon ablazc.
Now, as the terrified old creatures hob
bled out into the storm. they met the
monk. who. crying. Come to the monas-
terry seized an arm Of each and hurried
them up the hill. To such good pur-
pose did he help them that they seemed
to fy. and arrived at the convent gate
they hardly knew how.


Under shed by the wall we're the
goods and chstiels Of the liberal widow.


Take back thine own. daus shter. said