A SAD STORY.
IT was, indeed, time that help should come to the poor widow, for a
cough had fastened itself on her lungs, which would soon have ended her
life. The room was damp and chilly, and her clothing quite too scant for
winter. Mrs. Miles would not wait till she had earned money to buy wood
and clothing and food.
"They would all freeze and starve," she told the people where she went
begging. "I want to get something to save their lives; and then, when
she is comfortable, the woman can earn enough to support her family."
In two weeks you would never have known the room; the glass was mended,
and now the sun shone in. There was a pretty, old-fashioned bedstead,
four nicely painted chairs, a table with leaves, a tiny mirror, a patch
spread, and the cunningest little cooking-stove, which kept the room
beautifully warm. At least, Johnny thought so when he came dancing home
from his work.
Besides all this, Mrs. Miles had procured from an old lady some healing
syrup, which had nearly cured the troublesome cough; and Mrs. Talbot
could sew now very well, without that terrible pain in her side.
She told her dear friend one day, that if she could only forget her past
trouble, she should be quite happy,--happier than she had ever expected
to be again.
"You must tell me about your troubles," Mrs. Miles said. And one
afternoon, when Johnny was at work in the factory, and Ella was taking
her nap, Mrs. Talbot began,--
"I was married when I was only seventeen, and went with my husband to
the western part of New York State. He was a carpenter, and could get
good wages, which supported us in great comfort. Johnny was almost seven
years old when Dexter, that is, my husband, told me he wanted to bring
home one of his workmen to live with us. The man had no home, and, as he
did not think it right to spend his evenings in a tavern, he was very
lonely. His name was Robert Hardy, and he gave very little trouble. He
grew to be fond of Johnny, and spent many leisure hours in amusing him
and making him playthings.
"But one day he came home sick; and for two weeks he never left his bed.
Dexter and I took all the care of him. When he grew better, he went away
to his mother. He sat by the fire thinking. I expected he would thank
us; but he did not. He held Dexter's hand like a vise; and he tried to
say good-by to me; but his voice failed. I have never seen him since. I
feel sure he was grateful. The doctor had told him our care saved his
life.
"The very night he left, Dexter grew delirious; he had stayed at home
with a cold for a week. The doctor came again, and said he had taken the
fever.
"Oh, those were dreadful days! He grew worse and worse, and I--it breaks
my heart when I think that I had nursed a stranger, and couldn't nurse
my own husband--I was lying on a bed in the same room; and my little
Ella lay beside me. Every moan of Dexter's went through my heart; and
when he died, all hope and joy died with him. I cared for nothing. I
remember but little of those long, weary months which followed. I should
have died but for the kindness of my neighbors.
"The Rector visited me; but I scarcely understood what he said. When
Dexter died, there were three hundred dollars laid by in the bank. Fifty
of it went for his funeral expenses and my mourning; and the rest went
little by little, till I had not a shilling left. Then Johnny was taken
sick. I hoped he would die; I hoped we all should die; but I began to
think that I was not prepared to follow my husband to heaven. He loved
his Saviour, and I did not.
"I tried to pray. The Rector's wife prayed with me, and led me to Jesus.
I learned to trust in him; but I was wholly inexperienced, and knew not
how to earn a living for myself and my little ones. I thought if I
could only get home to my parents that I should be happy; but I had
nothing left to pay my expenses.
"One by one my pieces of furniture were sold, and I was dependent on
charity for my daily food. At last they raised the money to pay my fare,
and, with all I had in the world packed in Dexter's chest, I left the
place where I had experienced the greatest joy and the greatest sorrow I
had ever known.
"When I reached home I found my father helpless from a paralytic
stroke, and mother worn out with care of him. One of my friends owned
this old house, and offered me the use of it. He said, as it was near
the factory, we could get work. I might have done something, but I took
cold and was unable to sit up. Afterward, when I inquired again and
again at the factory, I was told that they had already more applicants
than they could supply.
"At last Johnny got a place there; but his wages were small,
and--and--unless you had found us, I think we should really have
starved."