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Found Among The Rags

Found Among The Rags image
Parent Issue
Day
14
Month
October
Year
1870
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

"Reud at first fur Lizz;e' snkostudiid ueit for uiy soui's sake; luved at lust for Jesus' 8nke." "What is t, Dell?" askcd a woman wbo s;it di ar me. "Oüly au dld Uiljle," I answered, closcg and elasping t again, and slipping it lutu my poekot. Soiuo way I did not fee! like showiug it 10 auy of thtm. 'ABible? Welll it must have beiooged to Süiue oue thut didu't read it very ofton, or the y would uot havo been iikely tu let it got stowed away, and soid among the rags," said another rureleasly. I did not ihmk so ; yet I answeiüd notbipg, but took up my work again wit.li a different, al most reverent, feeling, Docause of that gliaipM I had cauglit of a soui's histnry. If the owuer of the book aud coat wero the same, somebody :iaJ loved hini, Bomebody liad prayod or bim, aud the prayer had been uuswerod, and he must bo deatt,"l thiught, or the littlo volume, so treasuied, would uever have beeu there. It wilg a sudden, though silent, rejroof to :ill my anxious caro, and thé roubied, wli-DÍgii murniaring, thoughts i I had been chefishiög. Aftur al!, lifo ueaut far moro thaa ihe haviug or not i ïaving, the gaining or losing, of nny . earthly good. J{ich and poor wero l words whose depth of inuuniug no mere : ilur.iniL't of gold couM fttthoa). i At humo, th:it niglit, 1 let them pee i he book. All through it passages were I I, -Iiowin-r srhere bom e passies I ■ l-... V..MI i_ow, IUÚU UI (UIUlT, )ut there was no othor writiug tliau tliat [ bad first sen. "I suspect tb.eie ia somebody in the 1 world cares a great del for tl.it- if only i we knew win), or wliere," Joe said i thougbtfully. "It is trango how it Cijne where you found it." I kopt it ciirefully for that unknown ( aomejody, and wopdered soinetiriies if 'Lizzie" weru living, and whuther she ïad ever known that whiit was read at ( irst for her sake was lov.cd at last for t.S OWI). Tbe days süpped away, oue by o:ie, ïlled full, even thuugh (he busy liours aroiiglit nothing but the old routine. At last, ouu eveuing, the old mili Stopptd earlièr than usual, as if to draw a long brtath, and allow hu childreD time ,o do tho tauie. It was Cbristmas eye, ud there would be no work oa the morow. That night I went up iuto the city - way from our humbler noighboihood itu the broad, haudsouie streets beyoud. Iow gay with lifo they were ! filled witli hurryiijg throng of men, women aod büdren. And the great store jffinjJowB, right with all tlieir beautiful treasures. eeined, many of them, liko openings nto fairy land. Each peculiar line ëeemed determiued to surpass all others in is attractions. The dry goods stores wera goigeoua iu coloriug - glintening iiks, rieli ribbons, and delicate lacus The confectioners' Windows, filled with tempting, luscioua fruils, lonked as ihough all cuines hád becii contributiug tt Chxistmas cü'eriug ibero. The book stores were riob with volumes in purple and criuison, aud lueset lettered, edged and claspid nitb gold - a glittering array of histories, biographies, tales and poeuiB. And the toy shops - ah, how ihe children gathered there ! I could buy no richgifts; my purohases must be ouly a few neceseary, every-day articlee, yet I walked slowly (jnjoying tho Christmus sights aud sounds, and takiig au almost childisb deligbt iu the bustle and lifu about me. Pitsently a picture a'.tractcd my attention. A íew children had stopped before a wh.dnw to admiro soine trillen displaycel there, and glancing toward tlicin uiy eye feil on the paiiitmg, aud I, too, paused to look. It was tbe trial in Pilate's Judgment Hall - a scène ono inight woll turu asido to etudy for a moment or two, on an eveuing like this! Oh, the fierce, bitter huto of sorae of tboso picturod faces ! the cold scorn of otbers ! The careles, the sneering, tho malicious, all were there ; ami oue or two bewildered, troubled facee, watchlng "afar off.1' The hall teelt' was bcautiful vvith ita arclies, pillars and columns; but one could carcely notico that, at first, for reading thosu faces. So absorbed I waa that I did not notice two gentlemeu, who had come up aud were standing near inu, uotil I was startled by their voiccs. They migbl havo been talking thore for sevoral minutes, howevor, for the words that fcll upo niy car were but the annivereary for un" "Deoember ?" said the otlicr gentío man, ttiouglitíully "Ah, yes, I remen)bcr ; it wus. I had thougiit it less than a year bince it happened." "Just a year. It waa terriblo for poor Lizzie." "Mark was her only brother, was hc not ?" "Yes, and ihcy had always been bo tenderly attaeliml to each other. We espected him beforo Christmas, and bud been looking anxiously for news of h' rosstl for overal d.iye, md ti.en to have it go dowu ahnost wlthin siglit of boii.0 !" The peaktr paused, his vniee a little husky. 'Poor Mark ! ' eaid the other ulowly, as ihough the tiamo callod up soino nuemory; then, after ■ moment'a lilcnce - "k.iiuc liedles ere waslioiJ islioru - uot his f" "iioj wc nnver rccovcrcd it, nor anythii.L' that bclongod ;o liim. If thcre oouki but have been OIllo word- some tnoaisigo, J.izzie often sa vb, t woald uot have biea no hard to "bear; but his books, papers, all were lost. Ono of the few mea who wcro saved tolii me that tlie last he saw of Captaiu Kodman he waa on deck, his coat cft', working to the utmost of his power to aid the escape of lus passengerd. That was all we could ever leani." Ciiptüin Ilodman ! I had listencd e;igeily, yi't alaiust involuntarily, after I oaught the Dama Mark und Lizzie, dow I feit sure - so sure thar, I did uot onae pause to ask uiysulf iflhero might uot be a ujiütako. I hnd the litilo ]jib!e with me. J had pulled it out of a diawor with my shawl, just btf.ire I loft homo, and in my liaste, had dropped it into my pocket us'ead of rolurning it to its place. I drew it dow, turued and looküd at the gentleman, heaitated moment, aud then auid burriedly : "Will you pjease give this to Lizzie ? It was ' loiind among the raga." He looked at me in Hstonishment, but he took tho book inechanienllv, and I hustcucd away befora be liad lime (o look at it, or make auy reply. It was iiot difficult tu diaappear entirely from bis cight iu those cíowdod etrocts, and I walked fast. I felt a foolish embarrasanient at tho thouyht of explaiuing my own sunnises, whieli logether witii whut I bad ovorheard, had led me lo suppose that I was relurning tho viluuio lo íts rightfal owner. Theu í middeuly remember d, with my cheek hotly flushiiiír, that I liad epokeu uf the uukuowu lady vcry fnmiliaily as "Lizzie." Eveu tbough I did not know her name, wliy could I not have called her "Gap tai o llodmao's sister V' But it wae al w aya a provokiug peculiarity of miua to think just tberight thiog to say alter the opportuuity for sayiog it was gone. Still, despite thatlittla vezation, thero was a glad glow at iny buart. í felt sure that tliu litllo Biule would be the meaus of makÍDg Hume otber hcarts happier that Christuiiis tidc ; and it wan pleasunt to have nnnie jiurt iu tho general ilonsure giving Beantífully tho moniing brokc- Christmas inuriiiiig - olear and bright A fall uf soft, white ejaow had eorered the black roofs of the oíd uiill building-s, and hiudeu thu del'ormity of various heaps vi rubbish ; and tba 6un, riiing upou the place robtd ti white to gruot the royal biftbdaj, flung dowu such Bountli :. gema that the eartb and üea gleamiüg gates of pearl, und ut reets of tiold , lit up by that wondroua light before whioh tbe snu hall palé. Magtrie felt i, I (hink, for sho weut about the house suftly sicging, "Of that city my Hedeemuris t!ic light." We were trjiog to make the most of our duy of frtedum, Mügia and I, by doing come necussaiy sewinif, and busy as wé were, the hcura flew fast. It was quilo late in tho afternoon wben tbere ctime a quick rap at tho door. Maggie gianced from the window. ''Oh, Dell ! there is a sleigh standing at the gate," shc said. "Who can it be ?" I dro'pfl my work hastily, and ran lo answer tho summons; and standing do the steps was the gentleman to whono I bad given tho bocik the night betoro. I knew liidi iu a moment, aud be know me also, it seeuaed, for, after one quick glance, a sniile ílushed over bis face. "I have found you at last," he said. "Misa Vaneo, I bolieve 't Will you ask me iu ? I want to talk with you for r few minutes " lïlufcbing and confused, I invited him to enter, and made I scarcely know what explauution iu nuswer t Maggie's quostiuniug look. He introduced himgelfas Dr. Weston. "I wished to aak about that little biblo - first I must thank you for gi ving t to me. Will yon teil inb bow aud where you carne by it ?'' ho asked. 1 told hiin as briefly as possible, and how tlie names in tho book in tion witu the conversatiou I had overheard, had iüduccd me to give it toliim. "You wero right," he answered. "lt was ono that uiy fe gave to hei' brothcr Ijcfore he sailud on his last voyago. - Miss his voico slightly trembiuiHi - "all the weahh in the world could not enable you to make her another Christmas gift eo prccious." After a inomeut, hc looked up with a siuilo. "Aro you wondering hoi'I know your namo ? Your eaying that the boot waa i'ound amoDg the rags first made me think of coiniug to the mili; and after tnauy inquirics, aud such desoriptiou as I was ablo to give f rom seeing you but a moment, I was directed boro. And now 1 have a favor to ask ; will you go wlth me to see my wifu 'i Sho is very anxious to see you." I hesitated ; but a glauce {rom Maggie's brown eyes eaid plaiuly that I ought to go, 80 I yielded, and went for my bonoet aud shawl. I folt that tho Btranger's kcea eyed had taken in all tlia appointuieuts of our humble littlo homo, tliougti he seemed to notice notuiug of the kind but was talkingbusily witliMaggio while I waa makiitg rcady, "How do you suppose it got to the mili ?" ehe asked as I rc-cntured the room. "Th'it is hard to tull. Probably the ccat waa floated ashoro on some plank or 8par, aud, after lying about in the damp mi til it was worthleea, was picked u[ by some one and sent here." It was a long rido to l)r. Weston's liotiso, and during it he ouly asked a few kindly, comiuon-pluco qucstious, and yet by tho same intuitiuii that made me Bttre he bad notieed our room and ils furuiture, I knew that he hud leurnad a good deal about us by the time wu reaühed hls door. All the old dreamy funeies of that unknowü "Lizzie" had given placa to a later visión - the stately ïnistrexs of a beautiful home, whcnn I hhrank from meeting. But tbat feelir.a; also vanishi ed iu tho warm claap of Mr. Weeton's band, aud in 'lio long, quiot talk wc had togethcr, wheu her husband went out und left us aloue. She told iuo oniethiogof her brother ; of the years that hud bouud thcm together; of the day when liis sli'p went down - sondar home and yet so fur away ! And theti in a lower tone, oí her "sorrow's crowD of gorrow" - that nbe luid nover kuown that her purthig gift was read for her sake, aud loveil and trusted for a uVnrer sako until it had come back to her like a message from the heaven whore her belovod wuBfcafa - au auswer to many prayern. - Now he was content - perfectly coate ut. "Yet I al most wonder that you, n stranfjer, ahould have thoaght it worth preserving," she aaid, looking at the littlo staiued, battered volume tenderly. "It was partly becausu of what i vritten in it," [ answered, 'ani partly becauso t cauie like a message to me tou-an answer to some troub!ed thought. ' Aud then I told lier a little - only b little - of what thot-o thoughts had keen und vvluit different troasuio I was seekiug from that which I fouud. The next ereniog Dr. Weston eame to our house again - eamo when Joo was at homo, becauce he wished to see and talk vvith hiiii, and he had a plan to propose, he said. Graduully it appoarcd that his plan was our ou old 1roiM - that Joe should open a email store. He thoiight it just the business for him. We looked at each other, and smiled ihen. "What is it?" asked the doctor, pnusing and glanuing from oue to another. ''Ouly that we huve so ofieu talked of tho sime thitig," Joo replied. "Ah, you have thought of it bofore, theu ? have thought you wouki likeit? I am glad of that," ho said ; and then he offered to advauce the neaessary money. He did not approve of a little room near the mili, however. He thought a square fanher up town would be a uiueh better looality, and ho owned a building thero that would answer the purpr.su - a mail store iii frout aud dwelling rooins back. ''I am ooly oti'ering yon a loan whioh you rnay repny uhenuver you wish aud I oao," he suid. atching in Joe'a face sotne strugjle belween reluctasco and plensure ; "I do not think you should hesitaie to accept it." He tianded me a litile uote that his wiie had sent mo. "Keuiember what a treasuro of comfort and hope you have been Jiod's messeneer in briugiug to me," he wroto, "aiul if wo eau udd auytbing to your happinesB, do Lot refusu to let udo it." tío we moved to a new home, and Joe, growing brighter and Btrooger every day, eütëred upou his new work- a WOrk that hae been iticreain aud prospering ever sinee. Matigio aud I still went to the mili for a time ; but soon I was uecdtd at home - ut tírst occa?ioDaly, qydth.qn. aitiji'i.tAv-" mm#& fouud ihat being housekueper aud geamstro98 for our little fimily was enough to keep hor busy, and all that there wis tny neud for her cloiug, and alie te 'O carne homo. And now tho fourth Christmas since tho one I have written of, is nearly here. Joe and I have been buy in arr&uging our holiday store?, and makiug our wiu dowi look bright and tempting. Doctor Westoo'a carriiige stopped a momea t ao, that hi children might run in and admiro it. They are no stracgers here, but friends. The Christmas uve f:tll happily; nnd running tbrough aud brightening all our raya, iá the golden tliread that üod's loving providence placed iu ir y hand that day ainong tho raga.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus