The Old Homestead

ld there be of

onesty held a

verty, so gr

tice never ne

wages for the

fiend ye weak

man sat toiling at her needle, the smile upon her lip chasing the tear from her eye. Her sympathy was all given to the husband of her choice. She was grieved and indignant at the wrong that had been done to him. Sh

an. She knew that he was her husband's enemy, and-blame her not, reader, till you have suffered similar wrongs-her gentle soul rose up against this man; she could not think of him without an indignant glow of heart and cheek. She could not hear his name without a thrill of dislike. She saw her husband's c

entance; and where God himself draws the strict line between Justice and Mercy, let no merely human being be censured for withholding forgiveness to an unrepented wrong. Forgiveness to injuries for which atonement is offered is a duty, and a sweet one t

ontinued suspense was devouring his strength like a demon. Chester knew that any day he might be called up before that man, branded with the drunkard's infamy, and cast forth with a sullie

ime gaunt poverty came with the rent-day, and stood before them face to face, darkening the door with his eternal presence. Then Jane Chester began to tremble-one by one she gave up to the fiend her little household treasures-her work-box-her table-every personal trinket, and at last her bed. The poverty fiend took them all, still crying for more, till she had nothing to give. Not

summoned before the Mayor. Excitement gave him unnatural streng

. A look of friendly commiseration was on his face,

hand he had taken, and motioning Chester to be seated-"I

t speak. He sat down, however, fo

t something might come up to change the aspect of things. It is a very painful case, Mr. Chester, and I wish the responsibility rested somewhere else-but the ev

er than disease had left them, and he bent his large eyes,

strate sit uneasily on his leather cushion. He betook himself to making

, and it was for this I sent for you-there is a way by which the disgrace may be avoided. If you could make up your mind to resign now, on the score of ill-he

ood-red hectic flushed back to his cheek

no redress from injustice should you be unjust. Knowing all this-knowing that, save in the magnitude of his power to do wrong, the autocrat of all the Russias possesses no authority more absolute than the citizens of New York have given to you, a single man, and a citizen like themselves-I say, knowing all this, and fee

hich grew white, as it contracted beneath the nostril, that began to dilate faintly, as anger got the master over his col

d at length, "if you choose to let the law tak

from his forehead and his upper lip

d!" persisted the Mayor, after a moment's sil

e this cowardly recognition of your act. If I am sent f

p his hat and

ger. You may think bet

risin

leaning for support u

ut another word the unhappy man walked forth trembling in every

It was one of those cases that the public might question, especially when it became known that the principal witness was to receive the place made vacant by Chester's ruin. He found most men willing to redeem some fragment of a lost character by resignation, and thus had craftily frightened many an honest man from his place whom he would not have ventured to condemn openly. The Mayor

shall go!" and he followed the

s he passed out of the City Hall, "to-morrow you can bring your star

was very weak, and the Mayor's voice struck his ear suddenly. "Then," he

"Oh, what news do I bring to make her better," he thought. "What but sorrow and pain shall I ever have to offer her on this si

ng through his heart. The idea crossed his mind that she might be hungry and crying for food. He had often thought of late, that this want must come upon them all at last, but now that it seemed close at hand, it made him faint as death. He sat dow

tears, and put her arm

take on so, I wis

said Chester, struggling with himse

e house, and poor mamma kept growing worse, so we made it up between us, Mary and I, to sell the Canary bird. There was not a bit of seed, nothing but husks in the cage, a

s face fell once more u

Isabel, while the tears came

ight, it was best. But your

softly when Mary Fuller went away with the bird-Mary mad

ttle room-but still was neatly arranged and tidy in every part. The bureau was gone, and the straw-bed

breathing which seemed unnatural. Still there did not seem to be cause for apprehension. Since her troubles came on,

and kissing it, softly went out, thankful t

ound in his presence consolation for the loss of her bird. They had been sitting together perhaps half an h

aid, addressing Isabel, "y

You were very right to sell the bird,"

to him and looked e

ain?" she said, "something is t

hand upon his breast. "It seems, Mary, as if an iron girdle were about me,

the palm. Her eyes filled with strange terror, and without a word she

bird?" asked Isabel, t

only give me half a dollar. They saw that we wanted money-but I woul

upon the poor father's heart like a knife. When he got his place back! That time would never, never come! He was disgraced-a branded, ruined man. The full conviction had been cruel

, "don't look so sorrowful. I wish you could only cry a little-just a little,

" said Chester, laying one hand u

tears that cannot get to your eyes lying heav

id Chester, and the tears gushed into

ir? oh you

hing, God may

ht have done, but clasping her hands, and lifting her meek forehead to Heaven, prayed in her heart; a little time and the words came gushing to her lips, earnest, eloquent, and full

my little grave before morning. Look upon me, oh, Lord, see if I am not a useless and unsightly thing, whom Thy creatures may look upon with pity, but no love save that which bringeth tears. Take me, oh, Father, take me from the earth, and leave the good man with his wife and with his child. I am ready, I am willing, this night, to lie down in the

ountenance. Her face, so thin, so pallid, beamed with the spirit of an angel-the subdued pathos of her voice, was like

and she murmured in her unrest as Chester took her hand softly in his and pressed his pale brow upon it. Long and mournfully did the heart-stricken man gaze upon those loved features. H

cial book. These he folded up carefully and placed in his pocket. Still he ling

going out, com

ed. Chester sat down, and taking her upon his knee, and gathe

degree of solemnity that

m his lips, and he removed her gently from his knee. He was turning to go out when Mary Fuller came from her little bedroom. Chester turned, l

raining when he went forth, and a thick fog fell low upon the ground. The night was drawing on dark and dreary, and everything seemed full of gloom. Chester walked on; he took no heed of the way, but turned corner after c

orest of tall masts, and, as it flowed over his face, Chester drew almost a deep breath, not quite, for a sharp pain followed the effort-a cough that cut through his

ts and sat down upon the timbers of the pier, grasping the head of his walking-stick with both hands and leaning his damp forehead upon them. Fas

he staggered to his feet-the staff bent under him to and fro like a sapling swayed by the wind. He advanced a single step; faltered, and, reeling back, fell upon the timbers. A sob, a faint moaning sound, a