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Citation |
- Permanent Link:
- https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00082644/00001
Material Information
- Title:
- Lost in the snow, or, The Kentish fisherman
- Added title page title:
- The Kentish fisherman
- Creator:
- Rigg, Caroline ( Author, Primary )
S. W. Partridge & Co. ( Publisher )
- Place of Publication:
- London
- Publisher:
- S.W. Partridge & Co.
- Publication Date:
- c1894
- Language:
- English
- Physical Description:
- 64, [8] p. : ill. (some col.) ; 16 cm.
Subjects
- Subjects / Keywords:
- Children's stories ( lcsh )
Children's poetry ( lcsh ) Sailors -- Juvenile literature ( lcsh ) Christian life -- Juvenile literature ( lcsh ) Children's stories -- 1894 ( lcsh ) Children's poetry -- 1894 ( lcsh ) Publishers' catalogues -- 1894 ( rbgenr ) Baldwin -- 1894
- Genre:
- Children's stories ( lcsh )
Children's poetry ( lcsh ) Publishers' catalogues ( rbgenr )
- Spatial Coverage:
- England -- London
- Target Audience:
- juvenile ( marctarget )
Notes
- General Note:
- Date of publication from inscription.
- General Note:
- Contains prose and verse.
- General Note:
- Publisher's catalogue follows text.
- Statement of Responsibility:
- by Caroline Rigg.
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- University of Florida
- Holding Location:
- University of Florida
- Rights Management:
- This item is presumed to be in the public domain. The University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries respect the intellectual property rights of others and do not claim any copyright interest in this item. Users of this work have responsibility for determining copyright status prior to reusing, publishing or reproducing this item for purposes other than what is allowed by fair use or other copyright exemptions. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions may require permission of the copyright holder. The Smathers Libraries would like to learn more about this item and invite individuals or organizations to contact The Department of Special and Area Studies Collections (special@uflib.ufl.edu) with any additional information they can provide.
- Resource Identifier:
- 026935148 ( ALEPH )
ALH7120 ( NOTIS ) 222013592 ( OCLC )
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Full Text |
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The Baldwin Library
University
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Florida
LOST IN THE SNOW;
OR,
THE KENTISH FISHERMAN.
Wittte’s Home.—Page 8.
LOST IN THE SNOW
OR THE KENTISH FISHERMAN.
By CAROLINE RIGG.
; LONDON:
S. W. PARTRIDGE & CO.
9g PATERNOSTER Row.
©
Ee
S
S RY IS
FULLY DEDICATED.
THI
ECT
RESP
SK
i OWARDS the close of the
year 1866, there was an
unusually heavy fall of snow
in Kent. The roads were in
many places almost impassable,
the snow lay so thickly and
heavily upon the ground. Here
and there, where it had been
drifted by the north-east wind, which had
sprung up as the snow fell, it reached a
height of six or seven feet.
7
8 Lost in the Snow.
When the snow abated, troops of men were
to be seen sweeping in every direction, to
make a way, not only for the weary and way-
worn foot passengers, who were obliged to be
out in this cheerless weather, but for the
horses and vehicles; though of these there
were but few comparatively, for traffic for
some days was almost suspended ; those who
were not absolutely obliged not caring to
brave the inclemency of the weather.
In a small, miserable dwelling, sheltered
by the side of a hill, in a town which had
formerly been a mere fishing village, but was
now a place of very considerable dimensions,
dwelt a fisherman and his wife, remarkable for
their intemperate habits and for the poverty
that such intemperance brings with it. They
had a family of five children; the eldest of
whom was a boy of eleven years of age, tall
and slenderly made, and, for the child of such
parents, of singularly refined and prepossess-
ing appearance. On the morning of which we
write, everything about the hut of the fisher-
man betokened the greatest destitution. A
few damp sticks and rotten leaves were in
vain attempting to kindle into a blaze in
Lost in the Snow. 9
the wretched little grate. The windows were
broken, and stuffed with dirty rags and paper,
a small, round, wooden table, two chairs, and
a broken stool being the sole furniture of the
room. Four dirty children, with scarcely
tags to cover them, shock heads, and hunger-
pinched faces, crouched upon some straw,
covered with what had once been a bed-quilt,
in the corner; while the mother, with red eyes
and bloated face, went clattering about her
house, scolding, muttering, and bemoaning
her poverty in a way piteous to hear.
The husband was not up yet; they had
both been drinking hard the night before.
The woman’s shawl—a poor thing enough,
but the only one she had—had been parted
with for drink, and had furnished the money
to pay for what they had taken. At a late
hour at night they had been turned out of
the gin-shop, just sober enough, with the
help of a neighbour, to stagger home, and
to lie down in a drunken sleep, from which
they were aroused in the morning by the cries
of their five half-famished children, literally
without food, fire, or the commonest neces-
saries of life.
10 Lost in the Snow
“Tt is no use squalling there for food,†said
Mrs. Stamp, “for I have got none to give
you, so be quiet. When father gets up I'll
ask him to get Mr. Yates to trust us with a
loaf. Here’s a crust that will do for Willie,â€
turning to her eldest son, the boy before
spoken of : “he must have it and be off to see
if he can sell some herrings, that we may get a
meal some time to-day, for I am almost starved
as well as you. Now, Bill, eat it, and be offâ€
The boy thus addressed took the crust, but
looked at his mother and hesitated to comply
with her request. The blue veins so plainly
_pencilled in his forehead told of want; he
was suffering from the gripings of hunger—
hunger frequent, and long continued—hunger
which was seldom wholly appeased, He was
shuddering with cold too; his clothes hung
loosely about him, out at the knees and at
the elbows; he had no stockings; his shoes
let in the water. The snow was deep upon
the ground; a cold north wind was blowing ;
and the heavy sky betokened yet another fall.
It was dreary enough indoors; but to go
forth, a long mile from the town, feeling faint
with hunger, what wonder the boy of eleven,
WILLIE DRIVEN FORTH.
Lost in the Snow. 13
though usually so good and gentle, hesitated
for-once to obey.
“ Mother,†said he, “I cannot go. I am not
well. Mr. Clarke said the other day to me
that if you and father would leave off drink-
ing and take to sober ways, we should be as
comfortable and as well off as they are.â€
“Mr. Clarke is a good-for-nothing fellow !â€
said Mrs. Stamp. “ How dare you listen to
him! Take ¢hat, and be off!†boxing the
poor child’s ears soundly in her passion, and
placing the next minute a small basket on his
arm which contained a few herrings. “ Sell
every one of these before you come back,
and bring home the money with you, and
make haste about it, that we may get some-
thing to eat before night. And mind what I
say.†She flung open the door, and violently
pushed the child out into the road.
For a second or two the little fellow stood
desponding and desolate ; then burst into a
flood of tears; but it was too cold to stand
still, and the bitter north wind nearly took
the skin off his face. So he dried his eyes as
well as he could upon the cuff of his old
jacket, and proceeded on his way. He
14 Lost in the Snow.
plodded on for some distance, until his
hands became so cold and intensely painful
that he leaned against a lamp-post, and again
began to cry, loudly and bitterly.
“Don’t stand there, my boy,†said a labour-
ing man coming up to him, in a cheerful and
kindly tone of voice. “What’s the matter—
hands cold? Let me warm them for you;â€
and the kind-hearted fellow began to chafe the
poor little nipped and frozen fingers. “There,
now cheer up, get your errands done, for I
reckon we shall have more snow before long,
and you were best at home. You are Willie
Stamp, are you not? ihe fisherman’s boy near
the cliff?â€
“Ves,†said Willie.
The man shook his head sorrowfully
“Mother’s been drinking again, has she?â€
“Yes,†said the child, “and father too.â€
“God help you,†said the man, and walked on.
Again poor little Willie dried his eyes, and
trudged sorrowfully onward, thinking as he
went of his little baby sister who had died in
the autumn, and wondering where she was
now, and wishing that he himself had died
when a baby. At length he neared the town,
Lost in the Snow. 15
and by a quick descent got into a small
narrow street, where he thought he should be
likely perhaps to sell his herrings. One or
two persons bought of him from sheer com-
passion—the boy looked so ill, and weather
was so inclement; but no one had offered him
anything to eat. He had threepence in his
poor little pocket, but he did not like to spend
a penny of that for fear he should not have
money enough to take home, and it was now
beginning to snow. He passed the door of
a public-house where beer and spirits were
sold, and where loud laughter and frequent
oaths met his ear. It was a house his father
frequented ; he knew that well enough; surely
they would let him take shelter there for a few
minutes. Soon, however, a smartly-dressed
serving young woman at the bar told him to
move on; but the landlady, catching sight of his
miserable and hunger-pinched face, told him
he might come in and warm himself; her
generosity even extended itself further, for she
offered him a glass of gin-and-water, telling
him to drink it, and it would keep out the
cold. But the boy, hungry, starved, wretched,
fainting as he was, refused the glass.
16 Lost in the Snow.
“Heyday!†said the landlady, “you are a
queer boy. Your father would not refuse such
an offer, nor your mother either; they know
what is good. But if you will be such a little
simpleton, I cannot help it.â€
“Give me a piece of bread, ma’am, instead,â€
said the boy ; “pray do
“Beggars must not be choosers. Drink the
gin.â€
“T cannot,†said Willie. “If it were not for
gin, and the things you sell, I should not be
called a beggar, you know that well enough.
I will never drink a drop of gin as long as
I live.â€
“And that won’t be long, to look at you, I
should think,†she retorted. She little knew
how prophetic were the words thus heedlessly
spoken.
“Who is this?†said a man coming out,
who was evidently the worse for liquor, and
who had overheard some of the conversation.
“A young water-drinker,†the landlady
responded, “willing to preach you a sermon,
and wanting to shut up all the public-houses.â€
The man extended his arm to strike the
poor little victim of his parents’ intemperance,
Lost in the Snow. 17
but the child quickly took his departure before
the blow had reached him.
We cannot follow the fortunes of poor little
Willie during the whole of that disastrous day,
nor adequately describe what his sufferings
from cold and hunger were. The snow con-
tinued to fall heavily ; few people were about;
and he had but small sale for his fish. Driven
by hunger, he was obliged to spend a penny
of his precious money for bread, and was then
afraid to go home, he had so few pence to
take with him. So he walked on and on,
stopping to rest sometimes under archways,
and again and again looking longingly in at
cottage windows, where bright fires were
gleaming, and poor, but honest and sober,
people were going about their household work.
Few were so miserable as he, and young as he
was he could trace it all to the drink. So the
day wore away, and towards evening he bent
his steps homeward, not with any feeling of
gladness or hope of comfort or welcome
awaiting him. But he could lie down when
he got there. Yes, lie down—that was all he
seemed to wish for now, for he was utter.y
spent. He must rest a few minutes anyhow ;
B
18 Lost in the Snow.
he could not go farther yet, and the snow
almost blinded him and hindered his progress
at every step. So drawing nearer to the cliff,
and sitting down in a somewhat sheltered
place, and placing his little basket beside
him, little Willie soon fell asleep—his earthly
“sorrows and miseries ended for ever, for they
passed away.in that sleep which knows no
waking. Little Willie was found dead in the
morning, almost covered with snow, the little
basket still by his side, and the few pence he
had received the day before still in his pocket.
Dead! but with so sweet, so eager a smile
upon his worn, thin face, that it needed no
great stretch of fancy to imagine that the
child in his sleep saw the angels of God, and
beheld the glory of those white-winged
messengers, who carried the soul of this poor
sinned-against and suffering little boy to their
place of light and joy!
The body was found in the morning by two
men—one of them the man who had tenderly
chafed his hands the day before and tried to
cheer him.
“He does not need comforting now,†said
the kind-hearted fellow, as he wept like a
POOR WILLIE FOUND DEAD!
oka
Lost in the Snow. 21
child. “What a smile there is in his face!
He may well smile. I reckon he does not
want to come back; he had enough of it when
he was ‘here. We must take the body to the
parents.â€
“What will they say?†asked his com-
panion.
“JT don’t know; they are sad people, always
drinking. Oh, lad, if it were not for drink,
what a much happier world this would be!â€
So these two men sorrowfully carried ‘their
burden to Mr. Stamp’s cottage. It was a
very light one; the boy was merely skin and
bone—not much left for the worms to feed
upon. Hunger and starvation had done their
work, but that was over now. But the
wretched parents! The father had been out
the greater part of the day, and got back at
a late hour at night to find the boy missing,
and the mother frightened and anxious. She
had been looking out, and eagerly making
inquiries of the few people who had passed
that way, as to whether they had met a boy
anywhere on the road selling herrings; but
no one could give her any account of him.
Then she hoped that he had joined his father,
22 Lost wn the Snow.
and was at the public-house with him; and
so, trying to quiet her fears, yet with a great
dread at her heart, she sat down on a broken
chair, rocking herself to and fro, to await the
coming of her husband. He was drunk as
usual, and swore at her for sending the boy
out ; but he had taken too much to be very
anxious about anything. So he lay down,
and was soon wrapt in drunken unconscious-
ness.
The mother slept at intervals, but she was
unquiet and anxious; drunkard though she -
was, and though the finer sensibilities of her
nature were continually blunted by that hard-
ener of the human heart—gin, she was a
mother, and sober enough now. The piteous
cry of her child rang in her ears, and the
sounding blows she had given him as she
thrust him from her door. Her heart was
torn, as she called to mind his retreating
figure, with the scanty clothing, the snow, the
bitter’ wind, and the crust which he had left
untasted, and which one of the others had so
eagerly devoured. Oh! if he would but come
back—if God would let him come back—she
would never, never send him out again in such
“MIssus, . .. YOUR BOY IS IN HEAVEN,â€
Lost in the Snow. 25
weather ; she would leave off drink, and work
hard, and things should go better with them.
She had risen late, and was trying to light
her fire with what speed she might with the
materials she possessed, when the two men
with their precious burden, which they had
laid down for an instant, peeped in at the
window; and with white lips, and knees
knocking together, she went to unbar the
door ; for her heart instinctively told her that
they brought news of her boy, though she
could not utter a word.
“Missus,†said the elder of the two men,
whose name was Clarke, “you have missed,
your boy, I reckon?â€
“Yes,†was the answer; “have you seen
him? Is he all right?â€
“Well, yes,†said Clarke, in a sorrowful
tone, “he is all right surely, though not what
you will think all right. Missus, prepare
yourself for something—your boy is in
heaven.â€
“What is it you mean? what do you say?
I don’t understand you.â€
“Why, you see, missus, he were out very
late yesterday, all over the town, trying to
26 Lost in the Snow.
sell fish, and he did not get many customers ;
so being very tired and faint on his way
home, he lay down to rest in a hollow, under
the cliff there, fell asleep, and so froze to
death.â€
Mrs. Stamp uttered a loud shriek, beat her
breast, wrung her hands, and shouted to her
husband to come, which he did accordingly.
At this moment the two men brought the
body into the house.
“Comfort yourself, missus,†said Clarke ;
“see how sweet he looks!â€
“Oh, Willie, Willie, come back!†screamed
Mrs. Stamp, throwing herself frantically upon
the body.
Clarke gently drew her aside. “He cannot
come back, he would not if he could; and bad
as it seems to you, it is better as it is. You
are very poor, and you could scarcely give
him enough to eat because you drink so hard;
and you would not give up the drink, you.
know. If it had not been for that,†continued
he, gently, and with the best possible motive
probing the wound, “you would never have
sent him out on such aday. Why, it was not
fit for a dog to be out.â€
Lost wn the Snow. 27
“TI know it, I know it,†said the poor
mother; “but oh! if he would but come back,
we would give up the drink—wouldn’t we,
husband? and work nat and be honest
people.â€
“Ah, missus, that can’t be; but there are
these,’ said Clarke, pointing to the other
children, who stood wonderingly looking at
the dead body of their brother, for they had
never seen death before. “Work hard for
these, give up the drink for the sake of these,
and then God will bless you, and mayhap this
great sorrow will be turned into good.â€
The husband, who until this moment had
not uttered a word, but had stood stunned
and stupefied, now burst into a violent fit of
weeping, crying out, “I could have parted with
either of the others better than with this one:
he was always so good and gentle.â€
As soon as this burst of grief had given way
somewhat, Clarke said gently, “ Friend, there
is work for you to do; set about it at once,
and in earnest.â€
“Yes, yes,†said poor Stamp, hurriedly,
“there is work to be done, indeed, and it must
be done now. I must see about the funeral.â€
28 Lost in the Snow.
“That has to be seen to certainly, and no
time should be lost; but I was thinking about
the drink. See what it has brought you to;
give it up, man, now and for ever, and over the
body of this dead child promise in God’s
strength never to taste it more.â€
“Promise, Walter,†said the wife, hoarsely.
The promise was given; father and mother
solemnly vowed for the future as long as they
lived to abstain from all intoxicating drinks.
“Amen,†said Clarke. “The vows of God
are upon you, may He help you to keep them.
I will send my wife to you, Mrs. Stamp, to see
if she can help you in any way. And these
poor children, they look as if they wanted a
meal. She won't be long before she is with
you.â€
“You are very good; but this place is not
fit for her to come into.â€
“She’d come if it was ten times as bad,â€
said Clarke, with warmth. “She has some-
thing of the blessed Master’s spirit in her; she
likes to help to save those that were lost.â€
Mrs. Clarke soon appeared, and not empty-
handed ; she brought coffee, sugar, bread and
butter, and some cold meat. While the water
Lost in the Snow. 29
was boiling for the coffee, she washed the
children, and when this was done, and they
were eagerly eating their food, poor Mr. and
Mrs. Stamp even in their sorrow, and in
presence of their dead, had a feeling of
respectability creeping over them, for had not
the first step towards respectability been taken
—the renunciation of the drink? “We should
like to sign the pledge as soon as we can get
it,†she said ; “it will be more binding upon
us like.â€
“My husband intends you to sign it this
very day.â€
In the evening Clarke came to the cottage
with two cards, which the poor parents signed
with a trembling hand. When this was done,
Clarke, heaving a sigh of relief, said, “Now,
my friends, to-morrow being Sunday you must
come with me to God’s house; it is long since
you have been there, I know, but you have
made this vow, which in your owz strength
you cannot keep. He will help you if you
ask Him, but you must seek Him in His own
appointed way.â€
Mrs. Stamp looked aghast at Clarke; then
said, “I should like to go, Mr. Clarke, but I
30 Lost in the Snow.
have nothing fit to go in. How can I go and
sit with decent people in these clothes?â€
“Never mind your clothes; God looks not
at the clothes, but at the heart. It will bea
cross, I daresay ; but youcome. No one will
stare, no one will be shocked. Christian
people will all be glad to see you, and as for
Him, He has said,‘ Ye shall find Me, when ye
search for Me with all your heart.’â€
“Ts it the grand church that you go to, Mr.
Clarke, where all the quality go? I should
be almost ashamed to be seen there.â€
“No, we will go to the ‘Waterman’s Bethel’;
it is a nice, quiet little place, and you can slip
in there unnoticed like. There is no one
there who will make any account of your
clothes.â€
They went; the discourse was upon this
passage—“ His great love wherewith He hath
loved us†The boundless love of God was
dwelt upon, and the address finished with an
earnest exhortation to sinners to come to
Christ.
Stamp listened with rapt attention; his
wife was not a less eager listener; tears
streamed from the eyes of both. At the
SSS
See
Se
SSS SSS
SSS
me
“hy
(
MR. AND MRS. STAMP IN GOD'S HOUSE.
mh
Lost in the Snow. 33
conclusion, Stamp said, “We will go there
every Sunday, Mr. Clarke.â€
Clarke shook hands with them warmly.
“God bless you,†said he; “don’t forget to
pray a few words before you go to bed.†:
“What shall we say?†asked poor Stamp,
in an eager voice.
“ Say—‘Lord, we are resolved to be Thy ser-
vants; bless us, and help us to keep our vow.’â€
The few words of prayer were uttered, and
before going to rest Mr. Stamp said, “ Wife,
this has been a dark week for both of us,
and God has sorely punished us; but if we
acknowledge our sins, and humble ourselves
before Him, and implore His aid to enable us
to keep the vow we have made, never to taste
drink more, as Clarke truly says, this great
sorrow may be turned into good.â€
The vow was kept and the prayer regularly
made. Twelve months saw a great alteration,
not only in the personal appearance of Mr.
and Mrs. Stamp, but of their children also,
and in their surroundings, Finding that they
were sober and getting on in the world, the
landlord had greatly improved their little
dwelling—the roof had been raised and a new
Cc
34 Lost in the Snow.
storey added, all the windows wefe mended,
and the bit of garden ground neatly laid out
in front. There was a potato-bed, and there
were cabbages, onions, lettuces, and several
young gooseberry trees; for Mr. and Mrs.
Stamp took great pride in their garden, and
the children were delighted to do a little
weeding. It was equally attractive indoors ;
they were getting their “household godsâ€
about them quite fast—new chairs, a good-
going clock, and other useful pieces of furni-
ture—while it was whispered that there was a
small nest-egg at the bank in the shape of sav-
ings. Mr. Stamp felt himself to be a respect-
able man ; he and Mr. Clarke were the greatest
possible friends, for, as Mr. Stamp often says,
he owes everything under God to him.
One morning, about eighteen months after
the painful event narrated, Mr. Stamp was
walking along the street with a fine display of
beautiful fish, which he was offering for sale
at the doors of several large houses—for he
had his regular customers now—when he saw
coming towards him the landlord of the
public-house where he had formerly spent
so much money.
7 STAMP AND THE PUBLICAN.
Lost in the Snow. 37
“It is! no, it is not—yes, it is ; it-can’t be
Mr. Stamp,†said Mr. Haines, looking long
and inquiringly at him, for he could scarce
believe his eyes.
“Just the very same, sir,†said Stamp,
boldly confronting him. -
“Ah, so it is; dear me! Well, you are so
altered that I scarcely knew you. I have not
seen you this long time—not since, I think,
that great trouble that you had some time
ago, when your poor boy was lost in the
snow. It must have been a great blow to
you.â€
“It was, Mr. Haines, a great blow—so
great a blow, indeed, that it knocked off my
shackles. Before that happened, which went
nigh to the breaking of my heart, I was the
basest slave this country ever knew, bound
hand and foot ; but now the fetters have been
broken, and I am a free man—a /vee man,
Mr. Haines.â€
“T do not quite understand you. But I see
you are looking well; and Mrs. Stamp, she I
hope is well also ?â€
“Quite well, thank you, Mr. Haines—never
better. She, too, is a free woman.â€
38. Lost in the Snow.
“T am glad of it, Mr. Stamp—glad of it,â€
said the landlord, condescendingly. “What
fine fish you have got, and seemingly but just
out of the water! You must have had a
good take this morning. Why do you not
offer us some at ‘The Jolly Sailor’? we
should be glad to take some, and you might
have it out in—in liquor.â€
“Thank you, Mr. Haines, very much for
your kind offer, I am sure; but ‘ The Jolly
Sailor’ sees me no more, and I take ready
money for all the fish I sell. I have little
mouths to feed, Mr. Haines.â€
“Well, then we will pay you money for
what you bring. But you say you come to
us no more. We have not offended you, I
hope ; always used you well, did we not?â€
“Mr. Haines, I did not use mzyse/f well; but
I had rather not talk about the past. As I
said before, I am a free man now—the chains
that bound me are, I trust, snapped for ever,
and I am a happy and a prosperous man.â€
“ Ah, I see how it is.) You have been and
signed the pledge.â€
“That is just it, Mr. Haines. I am, by
God’s mercy, a total abstainer. Good day.â€
Lost in the Snow. 39
“Who would have thought it!†said the
landlord, looking after him as he walked
away, with a firm, manly step; “so fond as
he was of drink once. And how bold he has
grown; looks you straight in the face and
speaks his mind as if he feared neither you
nor any one else. But he is a loss to us, that
he is. What he drank nearly paid our bread
bill; and I must tell my wife that she must
not let Jemima dress so much, for we can’t
afford it now.â€
Tt is almost needless, we think, to add that
Mr. and Mrs. Stamp became converted people;
that they surrendered themselves to Him who
died upon the cross to save sinners; and that
they obtained help from Him of whom no one
ever asked in vain. That was the secret of
their prosperity ; they experienced the truth
of that passage in Holy Writ—* Godliness ts
profitable unto all things, having promise of the
life that now is, and of that which ts to come.â€
HYMNS FOR SAILORS.
THE
CHRISTIAN’S CHART.
JOHN v. 39.
BLEssED be the God of heaven
For the volume He hath given ;
Source of all our present peace,
Guide to everlasting bliss.
Sailing o’er life’s dangerous sea
To a vast eternity,
’Tis the chart by which we steer
To the peaceful haven there.
40
flymns for Sailors. 41
Reefs and sands around us lie,
Many wrecks are floating by ;
Yet to this while we adhere,
Shipwreck never need we fear.
Book of God, we hear thee say,
“Look to Jesus, He’s the way ;
Trust in Him and you shall live—
Life eternal He will give.â€
Here in faith our souls we rest,
We shall be for ever blest :
Blesstd be the God of heaven
For the volume He hath given.
42 LTymns for Sailors.
THE
CHRISTIAN’S LAMP.
Thy word ts a lamp unto my feet.
PSALM Cxix. 105.
How precious is the Book Divine,
By inspiration given !
Bright as a lamp its doctrines shine,
To guide our souls to heaven !
It sweetly cheers our drooping hearts
In this dark vale of tears ;
Life, light, and joy it still imparts,
And quells our rising fears.
This lamp, through all the tedious night
Of life, shall guide our way,
Till we behold the clearer light
Of an eternal day !
—+o+—
THE LIGHTHOUSE.
Whereunto ye do well that ye take heed.
2 PETER i. 19.
THE lighthouse, founded on a rock,
Casts o’er the flood its radiant eye,
Firm amidst ocean’s heaviest shock,
Serene beneath the stormiest sky.
Hymns for Sailors. 43
Nor for itself it stands alone ;
The seaman’s friend, it shines afar,
As though an angel from the throne
Came down to be his leading star.
It warns to shun the breakers near,
Full into port his vessel guides,
Points where a wider course to steer,
Or how escape conflicting tides.
Thus built upon eternal truth,
High in mid-heaven, o’er land and sea,
Christ’s Church holds forth to age and youth
A beacon and a sanctuary.
Light, peace, and safety dwell within;
Abroad its sun-bright beams display,
Clear from the rocks and shoals of sin,
Through life and death, the one good way.
NELLY HERBERT
OR
“LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAY.â€
SSS
SEE
SSS
ee
EZ
Z
LEE
SII
LL Ga LE EEE
SLEDS.
MY SAKE,
“TAKE THIS LITTLE LOCKET, AND WEAR IT FOR
NELLY HERBERT;
Or “To, I am with you alway.†|
— SCS sae
ITTLE NELLY stood beside her
dying mother. Only a few
months had passed since her
father’s death, and now she
must soon lose her mother also.
Only those children who have
lost kind parents can under-
stand how bitter were the tears
that Nelly shed, and how sadly she listened
to her mother’s last words. Though Mrs,
Herbert’s voice was weak, the smile upon her
face was very sweet and hopeful, as she drew
her little girl closer to her, and whispered—
47
48 Nelly Herbert.
“Do not grieve so, Nelly darling ; remem-
ber you will not be left alone. I have written
once more to your Aunt Kitty, for I fear that
my other letter to her must be lost ; but be
sure that as soon as this last one reaches her
she will come and take you to live with her,
and will love you very much. Take this
little locket, and wear it for my sake ; Aunt
Kitty gave it to me when we parted—see, it
contains a lock of her hair. You have grown
so much since she saw you last, that she may
not know you again ; but. she will knqw that
locket. She loved me; she loves Jesus—all
is well! Still, Nellyâ€â€”-and here her voice
trembled—“ still it is possible that though
loving you much she may have dittle power
to assist you; yet fear not—Jesus is your
friend. He has said, ‘I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world.’ . Nelly, an
arm of flesh may fail, but the Saviour never
fails. Dear child, I could die happy, if I but
knew that this little heart was quite stayed
on Him!â€
Nelly kissed her mother tenderly; just
now she was thinking less of the words
spoken than of the speaker, and Mrs. Herbert
Nelly Herbert. 49
understood the all-absorbing sorrow that filled
the child’s heart. So, gently returning the
caress, the dying woman left off speaking,
though the moving lips showed that she was
giving her orphan daughter into her Heavenly
Father's care. By-and-by Mrs. Herbert’s
weary cyelids closed, her breathing ceased,
and a peaceful smile settled on her face—she
had joined the host of redeemed spirits in that
happy land, where all her earthly griefs and
pains would be for ever forgotten.
After three days of tears and mourning,
Nelly stood, a poor lonely orphan, at the grave
which now held both her parents. Could she
have remembered her mother’s last words,
“Lo, He is with you alway,†she might have
found comfort amid her sorrow; but Nelly
did not think of taking her grief to the
Saviour and seeking help from Him, for she
was trusting to an arm of flesh—Aunt Kitty
would come and love and pet her as her
mother had done.
Aunt Kitty was Mrs. Herbert’s twin sister.
She had lived with them for several years after
Nelly’s birth, until Mr. Herbert, who was a
clever mechanic, had been sent by his
: D
50 Nelly Herbert.
employer to mount machinery in different
parts of the country; and when Nelly’s
parents left London, Aunt Kitty took a
situation as lady’s maid. Postage was very
dear in those days, and as the distance
between the two sisters increased, they could
not often write to each other, though their
mutual affection was no less warm than it had
ever been. After two or three years of this
wandering life, Mr. Herbert had been suddenly
killed, in a terrible explosion, and Nelly’s
mother, whose health had suffered fearfully
from the sudden shock, lingered only for a few
months, and then, as we have seen, she too lay
down to die. And feeling how near her end
was, she had once more written to Aunt Kitty,
who, strange to say, had never yet answered
her former letter, in which she had told her
of their last change of residence, and of her
husband’s death.
The cause of Aunt Kitty’s silence was that
she had been obliged to take a new situation.
Her old mistress had died; and Kitty had
gone abroad with a family, leaving a note for
her sister in the hands of the housemaid, who
promised faithfully to post it. This promise
Nelly Herbert. 51
was never kept, for the careless housemaid
lost the letter, and then when Mrs. Herbert’s
two letters arrived she was so ashamed of her
first negligence, and afraid of its being found
out, that she burned them both without open-
ing them. Thus it happened that Aunt
Kitty, who was now in France, never heard
of Mr. Herbert’s death, or of her sister’s illness.
Mrs, Andrews—Mrs. Herbert’s landlady,
who kindly took charge of Nelly after her
mother’s death — waited for several days
for the expected letter from this aunt,
of whom she had heard so much. But
as none came, she wisely wrote to the lady
with whom she believed Mrs. Herbert’s sister
was still living. As this lady was dead, the
letter was opened by her son, who wrote at
once to inform Mrs. Andrews that Kitty had
left on account of the death of her mistress,
and had gone with her new employers into
France; and that he would endeavour to
find out her address and tell her that Nelly
was left an orphan. The first inquiries that
he made proved unsuccessful, and then other
Matters took up his attention, and he soon
forgot all about it.
52 Nelly Herbert.
Thus several weeks passed in anxious
waiting, and Mrs. Andrews began to get tired
of her little charge. She was very poor her-
self, and could ill spare the bread which she
kindly shared with the child. Besides, she
had to go out washing and cleaning day
after day, and Nelly was then left alone to
shed bitter tears over her lost friends, and to
be filled with strange misgivings concerning
the aunt who had failed at the time when she
was most needed.
“She does not want to be bothered with
you, that’s my opinion,†said Mrs. Andrews,
one day ; “I never heard of such conduct in
all my life—it’s perfectly shameful.â€
Nelly’s lips quivered. Even now she could
not bear to hear her aunt ill-spoken of.
“Do not speak so, please,’ said she,
sobbing ; “aunt is sure to write soon; she
may not have got the letter yet.â€
At this moment a good-natured farmer
stopped at the door. He was very well, off,
and sometimes when fruit was plentiful made
_Mrs. Andrews a present of a baskctful of
apples. As he entered the cottage, a sudden
thought came into the good woman’s mind.
Nelly Herbert. 53
Mr. Walters had enough bread and to spare
—perhaps e would give Nelly food and
shelter for a time.
“T would do it most willingly, for my part,â€
answered the farmer when the suggestion was
made to him ; “but I’m a little afraid of the
missis. She doesn’t take to children, you
know, except to her own, and she’s a trifle
quick-tempered, Mrs. Andrews. However,
we can but try. Pack your box at once,
little one, and I will bring the cart to the
door and take you‘ home with me. My
Johnny will be glad of a playfellow, and you
may help to nurse little Polly, till we hear
from your relation.â€
Nellys box was soon packed. Her
mother’s clothes had been sold to pay for the
funeral; nothing remained but the locket
which Nelly wore round her neck, and a large
muff which Aunt Kitty had once given her.
This was packed along with Nelly’s few
clothes, and after an affectionate farewell of
her kind friend, the orphan girl was snugly
stowed away among the baskets and the
hampers in the cart, and half-an-hour’s ride
brought them to Oak Farm.
54 Nelly Herbert.
The welcome which Nelly received was
anything but cheering. Mrs. Walters, a
coarse and ill-natured looking woman, was
anything but pleased at her husband’s plan,
and was hardly pacified by the consideration
that Nelly could be useful in the house, and
with the baby.
“We shall see about that,†she muttered at
last ; “at any rate she will not eat the bread
of idleness here—that’s certain! There, take
this milk and bread ; eat, and make yourself
comfortable.â€
This was easier said than done. Every
morsel seemed almost to choke the child,
and the tears were ready to fall. There was
such a difference between her gentle, loving
mother, and this surly, cross woman who was
now to be her mistress. Would Aunt Kitty
never come to help her?
~ Nelly was glad when Johnny, Mr. Walters’
son, came in and offered to show her the cows,
the fowls, and his own two pet lambs. It was
a cold November evening, and Nelly was
thankful to take her muff with her to shelter
her little hands from the frost, while Johnny
buried his in his trousers’ pockets. Nelly
Nelly Herbert. 55
liked animals very much, and almost forgot
her trouble in her delight with the lambs,
which were quite tame, and would eat out of
Johnny’s hands. But on returning to the
kitchen, the sound of Mrs. Walters’ angry
voice made her heart sink within her, and she
was glad to be told to go to bed in the little
garret which was to be her room. The pillow
was quite wet with tears, when she at length
dropped asleep.
Nelly soon knew what work was—she
did not eat the bread of idleness at Oak
Farm. She who had been so petted by
an over-fond mother—who had never known
what it was to give up her own will to that of
others—was now the drudge of the whole
household. She found out, in her bitter
sorrow, what kind parents she had had; her
mother’s loving, kind attentions came back to
the little girl’s memory with double force, and
it was only now that Nelly saw how selfish
and exacting she herself had been. As she
thought of all this, tears of repentance mingled
with those she shed over ‘her loss. Children,
love and honour your parents while God
spares them to you; when they are gone for
56 Nelly Flerbert.
ever, what would you not give to have loved
them better ! .
Nelly had to help in the house-work, to
wash up dishes, and to take almost the entire
charge of the fat baby, who was very heavy ;
and Johnny, too, after the first strangeness
had worn off, was delighted to play tricks
upon her, which, though fun to him, were
very trying to her. Hewould secretly tie her
long curls to the chair while she sat rocking
the baby to sleep, and then laugh to see her
pulled back by the head when Mrs. Walters’
shrill call made her start suddenly from her
seat. Or he would dress pussy in Nelly’s
black bonnet and cloak, calling it 42s baby—
never thinking of the trouble the neat little
girl would have to brush away all the hairs
left on her only decent garments, or to bend
back her bonnet into its proper shape. Poor
little Nelly’s eyes were scarcely ever dry ; and
she crept up to her little garret at night so
weary that she could scarcely hold up her head.
Thus, altogether, Nelly’s life was very hard
and cheerless, and the deep mystery which
still hung over her aunt’s conduct greatly
increased her sorrow. And Nelly did not
Nelly Herbert. 57
know that all the while God was doing a great
’ work in her soul, and teaching her patience and
self-denial. She could have borne her cross
better if she had thought of Jesus and His
love; but she had almost forgotten Him.
There were no Sunday schools in those days,
and Nelly seldom went to a place of worship.
Mrs. Walters seemed to forget that Nelly had
a soul to be saved, and made her stay at home
to mind the baby while she went herself to
hear of Him who said, “ Suffer little children
to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of
such is the kingdom of heaven.†And the
little girl’s state grew gradually worse; her
temper soon became irritable, she almost
forgot to smile, and if it had not been for the
good-natured farmer, who was always kind to
her, her life would have been very miserable.
Aunt Kitty! if she could but find her!
She did not know where “ France†was: she
had only a faint notion that it was over the
sea; and she was sure she could meet with
Aunt Kitty if she had only money enough,
and some one to take her across those deep
waters. And all the while Nelly little knew
that her dest Friend was walking at her side,
58 : Nelly Herbert.
stretching His arms lovingly towards her,
and knocking gently at the door of her
heart.
One morning Johnny came in, looking very
mischievous. “ Fancy, Nelly, pussy has got
four kittens, and I have made them such a
snug bed in the wood-house. Come, and see.â€
Nelly eagerly followed ‘him, and her delight
in the pretty little creatures was very great ;
for the first time for many weeks she looked
happy, as she gently stroked the pretty
kittens.
But what was her dismay when she saw
that the “nice bed†Johnny had made was
Aunt Kittys muff, and sad havoc the cat had
made with her claws.
When the cup is brimful, one drop more
will make it run over, and Nelly’s heart was
very full. Aunt Kitty’s muff! the only thing
which reminded the orphan of her mother and
her aunt. The look of indignation which
passed over her face delighted Johnny, and
he burst out into a roar of laughter. This was
more than she could bear. She pushed the
boy roughly away from her, and was rushing
past, when a shriek of pain arrested her. He
Nelly Herbert. 59
had stumbled, and in falling had hurt his
head against a log of wood. The blood was
oozing from a wound in his forehead, and
Johnny, who was a great coward, cried most
piteously. This brought out his mother, who,
hearing the boy’s accusation that Nelly had
thrown him down, hurried her off to her
garret, gave her several blows, and locked her
in. Nelly had plenty of time now to ponder
over her misfortunes ; her heart seemed ready
to break as she thought how lonely and
miserable she was, and how little prospect
there appeared of happier days. Sobbing
violently, she flung herself upon her hard bed,
while the sad words, “ Mother, why did you
leave me? Oh, Aunt Kitty, why don’t you
come to help me?†came from her lips, till at
length, worn out with sorrow, she fell into a
troubled sleep. From this, in the course of an
hour or two, she was suddenly aroused by
Mrs. Walters’ harsh voice at her bedside.
“Make haste, and take this basket of butter
to Squire Howarth’s,†said she, crossly ; make
haste, will you!â€
“Ts Johnny better?†asked the girl, meekly;
“is he much hurt?â€
60 Nelly Herbert.
“ Flow dare you ask? you good-for-nothing
charity-girl! Of course he’s hurt, and you
shall smart for it, I can tell you.â€
“ A good-for-nothing charity-girl!†It was
not the threatening words, but this cruel
taunt, that made Nelly’s face grow so pale.
But she made no reply, and descended into
the kitchen, where the farmer was sitting.
“Good-bye, Mr. Walters,†she said ; “and
thank you for all the kindness you have
shown a poor orphan.â€
“Why, Nell, you look as solemn as if you
were saying good-bye for ever,†exclaimed
the farmer, laughing; “take this penny and
buy some sweets, and don’t trouble your head
about Johnny ; he’s not really much hurt—
*twill teach him a lesson.â€
With another “good-bye,†Nelly went—
never to come back: she would starve rather
than be called “a good-for-nothing charity-
girl!†She was wrong to indulge in such
feelings ; but it was not surprising that she
should act wrongly, for she had chosen to
walk in her own strength, instead of asking
the Saviour to guide her.
The butter was delivered at Squire
Nelly Herbert. 61
Howarth’s mansion; and as Nelly waited for
the basket, a gentleman who was just coming
out of the house, passed her. He was pulling
some papers out of his pocket, and when he
had gone, Nelly saw a purse, full of money,
lying on the ground. At one time this would
have been no temptation to her; but now she
turned crimson, then pale, looked round to
see if anyone was near, then snatching up the
purse darted off as swiftly as she could. This
money, which the rich squire would never
miss, might help to take her abroad and assist
her to find her aunt. Thus thought Nelly ;
and without stopping to consider, she fell into
the snare which Satan had spread for her. On
Nelly ran, in wild confusion, heedless where
her feet might carry her, and only stopped when
she was too wearied to go farther—stopped
to find herself close to her mother’s grave!
She had often come here before, for it was the
only place where she felt happy ; but now she
trembled, and covered her pale face with her
hands. “Lo,I am with you alway â€â€”those
words, spoken on her mother’s death-bed,
which in other days might have brought
comfort, now rushed across her memory and
62 Nelly Herbert.
made her heart sink with fear. Jesus was’
with her. Jesus had seen her crime! She
threw herself upon the grave, and would
gladly have hidden herself among the long
grass, but she knew she could not hide herself
from that All-seeing Eye. Bitter was the
struggle through which she passed, but angels
rejoiced over it, for she cried from her heart,
“God, be merciful to me a sinner, and help
me to resist this great temptation!†Her
mother’s prayers were answered: Nelly found
that she needed a Saviour, and He, in His
love and pity, drew very near to her that He
might give her peace.
She rose from her mother’s grave deter-
mined to do right, and after a hurried walk,
Nelly stood once more before Squire
Howarth’s mansion. Though her hand
trembled violently as she pulled the bell,
her will was firm to do what was right in the
sight of God, however difficult.
Mr. and Mrs. Howarth had just left for a
drive ; but the servant led her into the house-
keeper's room, that she might deliver her
message to her. Nelly entered, and saw
some one with a very sweet, gentle counten-
Nelly Herbert. 63
ance, arranging fruit and flowers for dessert.
The little girl cast another shy glance at the
woman’s face, and then suddenly she grew
‘pale and began to tremble. That woman
looked at her with her mother’s eyes—she
had her mother’s smile and figure. As a
sudden thought flashed into Nelly’s mind, she
uttered the cry, “Aunt Kitty! oh, my Aunt
Kitty !†and, springing forward, fell senseless
at the woman’s feet. When she awoke again
she was lying in her aunt’s arms, pressed closely
against her loving heart; for it was to that
longed-for friend that, under the mysterious
providence of God, Nelly’s penitent feet had
led her.
Aunt Kitty had gone abroad with Squire
Howarth’s family, who generally resided in
London. They had only just returned from
France, and had come to stay for a time in
their country residence. Kitty had already
been making inquiries about her sister and
Nelly, but had not received any tidings, when
her niece thus unexpectedly was brought to
her. When the child first entered the room
she had not known her ; but the exclamation,
the locket, and the mourning dress told her
64 Nelly Herbert.
tale, long before Nelly’s lips were able to tell
her all she wished to learn. And now a
happier life began for the orphan child. She
was kindly received into the house, where her
aunt was much loved and respected, and she
soon learnt to smile again. But the remem-
brance of her sin kept her humble through
her life. She never forgot how weak she had
been, or how mercifully God had dealt with
her. Henceforth, in joy and sorrow, she
leaned upon His arm, and proved the blessed-
ness of the promise, “Lo, I am with you
alway, even unto the end of the world.â€
e
?
be :
q
A
€
Ny
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RmB se
Florida
LOST IN THE SNOW;
OR,
THE KENTISH FISHERMAN.
Wittte’s Home.—Page 8.
LOST IN THE SNOW
OR THE KENTISH FISHERMAN.
By CAROLINE RIGG.
; LONDON:
S. W. PARTRIDGE & CO.
9g PATERNOSTER Row.
©
Ee
S
S RY IS
FULLY DEDICATED.
THI
ECT
RESP
SK
i OWARDS the close of the
year 1866, there was an
unusually heavy fall of snow
in Kent. The roads were in
many places almost impassable,
the snow lay so thickly and
heavily upon the ground. Here
and there, where it had been
drifted by the north-east wind, which had
sprung up as the snow fell, it reached a
height of six or seven feet.
7
8 Lost in the Snow.
When the snow abated, troops of men were
to be seen sweeping in every direction, to
make a way, not only for the weary and way-
worn foot passengers, who were obliged to be
out in this cheerless weather, but for the
horses and vehicles; though of these there
were but few comparatively, for traffic for
some days was almost suspended ; those who
were not absolutely obliged not caring to
brave the inclemency of the weather.
In a small, miserable dwelling, sheltered
by the side of a hill, in a town which had
formerly been a mere fishing village, but was
now a place of very considerable dimensions,
dwelt a fisherman and his wife, remarkable for
their intemperate habits and for the poverty
that such intemperance brings with it. They
had a family of five children; the eldest of
whom was a boy of eleven years of age, tall
and slenderly made, and, for the child of such
parents, of singularly refined and prepossess-
ing appearance. On the morning of which we
write, everything about the hut of the fisher-
man betokened the greatest destitution. A
few damp sticks and rotten leaves were in
vain attempting to kindle into a blaze in
Lost in the Snow. 9
the wretched little grate. The windows were
broken, and stuffed with dirty rags and paper,
a small, round, wooden table, two chairs, and
a broken stool being the sole furniture of the
room. Four dirty children, with scarcely
tags to cover them, shock heads, and hunger-
pinched faces, crouched upon some straw,
covered with what had once been a bed-quilt,
in the corner; while the mother, with red eyes
and bloated face, went clattering about her
house, scolding, muttering, and bemoaning
her poverty in a way piteous to hear.
The husband was not up yet; they had
both been drinking hard the night before.
The woman’s shawl—a poor thing enough,
but the only one she had—had been parted
with for drink, and had furnished the money
to pay for what they had taken. At a late
hour at night they had been turned out of
the gin-shop, just sober enough, with the
help of a neighbour, to stagger home, and
to lie down in a drunken sleep, from which
they were aroused in the morning by the cries
of their five half-famished children, literally
without food, fire, or the commonest neces-
saries of life.
10 Lost in the Snow
“Tt is no use squalling there for food,†said
Mrs. Stamp, “for I have got none to give
you, so be quiet. When father gets up I'll
ask him to get Mr. Yates to trust us with a
loaf. Here’s a crust that will do for Willie,â€
turning to her eldest son, the boy before
spoken of : “he must have it and be off to see
if he can sell some herrings, that we may get a
meal some time to-day, for I am almost starved
as well as you. Now, Bill, eat it, and be offâ€
The boy thus addressed took the crust, but
looked at his mother and hesitated to comply
with her request. The blue veins so plainly
_pencilled in his forehead told of want; he
was suffering from the gripings of hunger—
hunger frequent, and long continued—hunger
which was seldom wholly appeased, He was
shuddering with cold too; his clothes hung
loosely about him, out at the knees and at
the elbows; he had no stockings; his shoes
let in the water. The snow was deep upon
the ground; a cold north wind was blowing ;
and the heavy sky betokened yet another fall.
It was dreary enough indoors; but to go
forth, a long mile from the town, feeling faint
with hunger, what wonder the boy of eleven,
WILLIE DRIVEN FORTH.
Lost in the Snow. 13
though usually so good and gentle, hesitated
for-once to obey.
“ Mother,†said he, “I cannot go. I am not
well. Mr. Clarke said the other day to me
that if you and father would leave off drink-
ing and take to sober ways, we should be as
comfortable and as well off as they are.â€
“Mr. Clarke is a good-for-nothing fellow !â€
said Mrs. Stamp. “ How dare you listen to
him! Take ¢hat, and be off!†boxing the
poor child’s ears soundly in her passion, and
placing the next minute a small basket on his
arm which contained a few herrings. “ Sell
every one of these before you come back,
and bring home the money with you, and
make haste about it, that we may get some-
thing to eat before night. And mind what I
say.†She flung open the door, and violently
pushed the child out into the road.
For a second or two the little fellow stood
desponding and desolate ; then burst into a
flood of tears; but it was too cold to stand
still, and the bitter north wind nearly took
the skin off his face. So he dried his eyes as
well as he could upon the cuff of his old
jacket, and proceeded on his way. He
14 Lost in the Snow.
plodded on for some distance, until his
hands became so cold and intensely painful
that he leaned against a lamp-post, and again
began to cry, loudly and bitterly.
“Don’t stand there, my boy,†said a labour-
ing man coming up to him, in a cheerful and
kindly tone of voice. “What’s the matter—
hands cold? Let me warm them for you;â€
and the kind-hearted fellow began to chafe the
poor little nipped and frozen fingers. “There,
now cheer up, get your errands done, for I
reckon we shall have more snow before long,
and you were best at home. You are Willie
Stamp, are you not? ihe fisherman’s boy near
the cliff?â€
“Ves,†said Willie.
The man shook his head sorrowfully
“Mother’s been drinking again, has she?â€
“Yes,†said the child, “and father too.â€
“God help you,†said the man, and walked on.
Again poor little Willie dried his eyes, and
trudged sorrowfully onward, thinking as he
went of his little baby sister who had died in
the autumn, and wondering where she was
now, and wishing that he himself had died
when a baby. At length he neared the town,
Lost in the Snow. 15
and by a quick descent got into a small
narrow street, where he thought he should be
likely perhaps to sell his herrings. One or
two persons bought of him from sheer com-
passion—the boy looked so ill, and weather
was so inclement; but no one had offered him
anything to eat. He had threepence in his
poor little pocket, but he did not like to spend
a penny of that for fear he should not have
money enough to take home, and it was now
beginning to snow. He passed the door of
a public-house where beer and spirits were
sold, and where loud laughter and frequent
oaths met his ear. It was a house his father
frequented ; he knew that well enough; surely
they would let him take shelter there for a few
minutes. Soon, however, a smartly-dressed
serving young woman at the bar told him to
move on; but the landlady, catching sight of his
miserable and hunger-pinched face, told him
he might come in and warm himself; her
generosity even extended itself further, for she
offered him a glass of gin-and-water, telling
him to drink it, and it would keep out the
cold. But the boy, hungry, starved, wretched,
fainting as he was, refused the glass.
16 Lost in the Snow.
“Heyday!†said the landlady, “you are a
queer boy. Your father would not refuse such
an offer, nor your mother either; they know
what is good. But if you will be such a little
simpleton, I cannot help it.â€
“Give me a piece of bread, ma’am, instead,â€
said the boy ; “pray do
“Beggars must not be choosers. Drink the
gin.â€
“T cannot,†said Willie. “If it were not for
gin, and the things you sell, I should not be
called a beggar, you know that well enough.
I will never drink a drop of gin as long as
I live.â€
“And that won’t be long, to look at you, I
should think,†she retorted. She little knew
how prophetic were the words thus heedlessly
spoken.
“Who is this?†said a man coming out,
who was evidently the worse for liquor, and
who had overheard some of the conversation.
“A young water-drinker,†the landlady
responded, “willing to preach you a sermon,
and wanting to shut up all the public-houses.â€
The man extended his arm to strike the
poor little victim of his parents’ intemperance,
Lost in the Snow. 17
but the child quickly took his departure before
the blow had reached him.
We cannot follow the fortunes of poor little
Willie during the whole of that disastrous day,
nor adequately describe what his sufferings
from cold and hunger were. The snow con-
tinued to fall heavily ; few people were about;
and he had but small sale for his fish. Driven
by hunger, he was obliged to spend a penny
of his precious money for bread, and was then
afraid to go home, he had so few pence to
take with him. So he walked on and on,
stopping to rest sometimes under archways,
and again and again looking longingly in at
cottage windows, where bright fires were
gleaming, and poor, but honest and sober,
people were going about their household work.
Few were so miserable as he, and young as he
was he could trace it all to the drink. So the
day wore away, and towards evening he bent
his steps homeward, not with any feeling of
gladness or hope of comfort or welcome
awaiting him. But he could lie down when
he got there. Yes, lie down—that was all he
seemed to wish for now, for he was utter.y
spent. He must rest a few minutes anyhow ;
B
18 Lost in the Snow.
he could not go farther yet, and the snow
almost blinded him and hindered his progress
at every step. So drawing nearer to the cliff,
and sitting down in a somewhat sheltered
place, and placing his little basket beside
him, little Willie soon fell asleep—his earthly
“sorrows and miseries ended for ever, for they
passed away.in that sleep which knows no
waking. Little Willie was found dead in the
morning, almost covered with snow, the little
basket still by his side, and the few pence he
had received the day before still in his pocket.
Dead! but with so sweet, so eager a smile
upon his worn, thin face, that it needed no
great stretch of fancy to imagine that the
child in his sleep saw the angels of God, and
beheld the glory of those white-winged
messengers, who carried the soul of this poor
sinned-against and suffering little boy to their
place of light and joy!
The body was found in the morning by two
men—one of them the man who had tenderly
chafed his hands the day before and tried to
cheer him.
“He does not need comforting now,†said
the kind-hearted fellow, as he wept like a
POOR WILLIE FOUND DEAD!
oka
Lost in the Snow. 21
child. “What a smile there is in his face!
He may well smile. I reckon he does not
want to come back; he had enough of it when
he was ‘here. We must take the body to the
parents.â€
“What will they say?†asked his com-
panion.
“JT don’t know; they are sad people, always
drinking. Oh, lad, if it were not for drink,
what a much happier world this would be!â€
So these two men sorrowfully carried ‘their
burden to Mr. Stamp’s cottage. It was a
very light one; the boy was merely skin and
bone—not much left for the worms to feed
upon. Hunger and starvation had done their
work, but that was over now. But the
wretched parents! The father had been out
the greater part of the day, and got back at
a late hour at night to find the boy missing,
and the mother frightened and anxious. She
had been looking out, and eagerly making
inquiries of the few people who had passed
that way, as to whether they had met a boy
anywhere on the road selling herrings; but
no one could give her any account of him.
Then she hoped that he had joined his father,
22 Lost wn the Snow.
and was at the public-house with him; and
so, trying to quiet her fears, yet with a great
dread at her heart, she sat down on a broken
chair, rocking herself to and fro, to await the
coming of her husband. He was drunk as
usual, and swore at her for sending the boy
out ; but he had taken too much to be very
anxious about anything. So he lay down,
and was soon wrapt in drunken unconscious-
ness.
The mother slept at intervals, but she was
unquiet and anxious; drunkard though she -
was, and though the finer sensibilities of her
nature were continually blunted by that hard-
ener of the human heart—gin, she was a
mother, and sober enough now. The piteous
cry of her child rang in her ears, and the
sounding blows she had given him as she
thrust him from her door. Her heart was
torn, as she called to mind his retreating
figure, with the scanty clothing, the snow, the
bitter’ wind, and the crust which he had left
untasted, and which one of the others had so
eagerly devoured. Oh! if he would but come
back—if God would let him come back—she
would never, never send him out again in such
“MIssus, . .. YOUR BOY IS IN HEAVEN,â€
Lost in the Snow. 25
weather ; she would leave off drink, and work
hard, and things should go better with them.
She had risen late, and was trying to light
her fire with what speed she might with the
materials she possessed, when the two men
with their precious burden, which they had
laid down for an instant, peeped in at the
window; and with white lips, and knees
knocking together, she went to unbar the
door ; for her heart instinctively told her that
they brought news of her boy, though she
could not utter a word.
“Missus,†said the elder of the two men,
whose name was Clarke, “you have missed,
your boy, I reckon?â€
“Yes,†was the answer; “have you seen
him? Is he all right?â€
“Well, yes,†said Clarke, in a sorrowful
tone, “he is all right surely, though not what
you will think all right. Missus, prepare
yourself for something—your boy is in
heaven.â€
“What is it you mean? what do you say?
I don’t understand you.â€
“Why, you see, missus, he were out very
late yesterday, all over the town, trying to
26 Lost in the Snow.
sell fish, and he did not get many customers ;
so being very tired and faint on his way
home, he lay down to rest in a hollow, under
the cliff there, fell asleep, and so froze to
death.â€
Mrs. Stamp uttered a loud shriek, beat her
breast, wrung her hands, and shouted to her
husband to come, which he did accordingly.
At this moment the two men brought the
body into the house.
“Comfort yourself, missus,†said Clarke ;
“see how sweet he looks!â€
“Oh, Willie, Willie, come back!†screamed
Mrs. Stamp, throwing herself frantically upon
the body.
Clarke gently drew her aside. “He cannot
come back, he would not if he could; and bad
as it seems to you, it is better as it is. You
are very poor, and you could scarcely give
him enough to eat because you drink so hard;
and you would not give up the drink, you.
know. If it had not been for that,†continued
he, gently, and with the best possible motive
probing the wound, “you would never have
sent him out on such aday. Why, it was not
fit for a dog to be out.â€
Lost wn the Snow. 27
“TI know it, I know it,†said the poor
mother; “but oh! if he would but come back,
we would give up the drink—wouldn’t we,
husband? and work nat and be honest
people.â€
“Ah, missus, that can’t be; but there are
these,’ said Clarke, pointing to the other
children, who stood wonderingly looking at
the dead body of their brother, for they had
never seen death before. “Work hard for
these, give up the drink for the sake of these,
and then God will bless you, and mayhap this
great sorrow will be turned into good.â€
The husband, who until this moment had
not uttered a word, but had stood stunned
and stupefied, now burst into a violent fit of
weeping, crying out, “I could have parted with
either of the others better than with this one:
he was always so good and gentle.â€
As soon as this burst of grief had given way
somewhat, Clarke said gently, “ Friend, there
is work for you to do; set about it at once,
and in earnest.â€
“Yes, yes,†said poor Stamp, hurriedly,
“there is work to be done, indeed, and it must
be done now. I must see about the funeral.â€
28 Lost in the Snow.
“That has to be seen to certainly, and no
time should be lost; but I was thinking about
the drink. See what it has brought you to;
give it up, man, now and for ever, and over the
body of this dead child promise in God’s
strength never to taste it more.â€
“Promise, Walter,†said the wife, hoarsely.
The promise was given; father and mother
solemnly vowed for the future as long as they
lived to abstain from all intoxicating drinks.
“Amen,†said Clarke. “The vows of God
are upon you, may He help you to keep them.
I will send my wife to you, Mrs. Stamp, to see
if she can help you in any way. And these
poor children, they look as if they wanted a
meal. She won't be long before she is with
you.â€
“You are very good; but this place is not
fit for her to come into.â€
“She’d come if it was ten times as bad,â€
said Clarke, with warmth. “She has some-
thing of the blessed Master’s spirit in her; she
likes to help to save those that were lost.â€
Mrs. Clarke soon appeared, and not empty-
handed ; she brought coffee, sugar, bread and
butter, and some cold meat. While the water
Lost in the Snow. 29
was boiling for the coffee, she washed the
children, and when this was done, and they
were eagerly eating their food, poor Mr. and
Mrs. Stamp even in their sorrow, and in
presence of their dead, had a feeling of
respectability creeping over them, for had not
the first step towards respectability been taken
—the renunciation of the drink? “We should
like to sign the pledge as soon as we can get
it,†she said ; “it will be more binding upon
us like.â€
“My husband intends you to sign it this
very day.â€
In the evening Clarke came to the cottage
with two cards, which the poor parents signed
with a trembling hand. When this was done,
Clarke, heaving a sigh of relief, said, “Now,
my friends, to-morrow being Sunday you must
come with me to God’s house; it is long since
you have been there, I know, but you have
made this vow, which in your owz strength
you cannot keep. He will help you if you
ask Him, but you must seek Him in His own
appointed way.â€
Mrs. Stamp looked aghast at Clarke; then
said, “I should like to go, Mr. Clarke, but I
30 Lost in the Snow.
have nothing fit to go in. How can I go and
sit with decent people in these clothes?â€
“Never mind your clothes; God looks not
at the clothes, but at the heart. It will bea
cross, I daresay ; but youcome. No one will
stare, no one will be shocked. Christian
people will all be glad to see you, and as for
Him, He has said,‘ Ye shall find Me, when ye
search for Me with all your heart.’â€
“Ts it the grand church that you go to, Mr.
Clarke, where all the quality go? I should
be almost ashamed to be seen there.â€
“No, we will go to the ‘Waterman’s Bethel’;
it is a nice, quiet little place, and you can slip
in there unnoticed like. There is no one
there who will make any account of your
clothes.â€
They went; the discourse was upon this
passage—“ His great love wherewith He hath
loved us†The boundless love of God was
dwelt upon, and the address finished with an
earnest exhortation to sinners to come to
Christ.
Stamp listened with rapt attention; his
wife was not a less eager listener; tears
streamed from the eyes of both. At the
SSS
See
Se
SSS SSS
SSS
me
“hy
(
MR. AND MRS. STAMP IN GOD'S HOUSE.
mh
Lost in the Snow. 33
conclusion, Stamp said, “We will go there
every Sunday, Mr. Clarke.â€
Clarke shook hands with them warmly.
“God bless you,†said he; “don’t forget to
pray a few words before you go to bed.†:
“What shall we say?†asked poor Stamp,
in an eager voice.
“ Say—‘Lord, we are resolved to be Thy ser-
vants; bless us, and help us to keep our vow.’â€
The few words of prayer were uttered, and
before going to rest Mr. Stamp said, “ Wife,
this has been a dark week for both of us,
and God has sorely punished us; but if we
acknowledge our sins, and humble ourselves
before Him, and implore His aid to enable us
to keep the vow we have made, never to taste
drink more, as Clarke truly says, this great
sorrow may be turned into good.â€
The vow was kept and the prayer regularly
made. Twelve months saw a great alteration,
not only in the personal appearance of Mr.
and Mrs. Stamp, but of their children also,
and in their surroundings, Finding that they
were sober and getting on in the world, the
landlord had greatly improved their little
dwelling—the roof had been raised and a new
Cc
34 Lost in the Snow.
storey added, all the windows wefe mended,
and the bit of garden ground neatly laid out
in front. There was a potato-bed, and there
were cabbages, onions, lettuces, and several
young gooseberry trees; for Mr. and Mrs.
Stamp took great pride in their garden, and
the children were delighted to do a little
weeding. It was equally attractive indoors ;
they were getting their “household godsâ€
about them quite fast—new chairs, a good-
going clock, and other useful pieces of furni-
ture—while it was whispered that there was a
small nest-egg at the bank in the shape of sav-
ings. Mr. Stamp felt himself to be a respect-
able man ; he and Mr. Clarke were the greatest
possible friends, for, as Mr. Stamp often says,
he owes everything under God to him.
One morning, about eighteen months after
the painful event narrated, Mr. Stamp was
walking along the street with a fine display of
beautiful fish, which he was offering for sale
at the doors of several large houses—for he
had his regular customers now—when he saw
coming towards him the landlord of the
public-house where he had formerly spent
so much money.
7 STAMP AND THE PUBLICAN.
Lost in the Snow. 37
“It is! no, it is not—yes, it is ; it-can’t be
Mr. Stamp,†said Mr. Haines, looking long
and inquiringly at him, for he could scarce
believe his eyes.
“Just the very same, sir,†said Stamp,
boldly confronting him. -
“Ah, so it is; dear me! Well, you are so
altered that I scarcely knew you. I have not
seen you this long time—not since, I think,
that great trouble that you had some time
ago, when your poor boy was lost in the
snow. It must have been a great blow to
you.â€
“It was, Mr. Haines, a great blow—so
great a blow, indeed, that it knocked off my
shackles. Before that happened, which went
nigh to the breaking of my heart, I was the
basest slave this country ever knew, bound
hand and foot ; but now the fetters have been
broken, and I am a free man—a /vee man,
Mr. Haines.â€
“T do not quite understand you. But I see
you are looking well; and Mrs. Stamp, she I
hope is well also ?â€
“Quite well, thank you, Mr. Haines—never
better. She, too, is a free woman.â€
38. Lost in the Snow.
“T am glad of it, Mr. Stamp—glad of it,â€
said the landlord, condescendingly. “What
fine fish you have got, and seemingly but just
out of the water! You must have had a
good take this morning. Why do you not
offer us some at ‘The Jolly Sailor’? we
should be glad to take some, and you might
have it out in—in liquor.â€
“Thank you, Mr. Haines, very much for
your kind offer, I am sure; but ‘ The Jolly
Sailor’ sees me no more, and I take ready
money for all the fish I sell. I have little
mouths to feed, Mr. Haines.â€
“Well, then we will pay you money for
what you bring. But you say you come to
us no more. We have not offended you, I
hope ; always used you well, did we not?â€
“Mr. Haines, I did not use mzyse/f well; but
I had rather not talk about the past. As I
said before, I am a free man now—the chains
that bound me are, I trust, snapped for ever,
and I am a happy and a prosperous man.â€
“ Ah, I see how it is.) You have been and
signed the pledge.â€
“That is just it, Mr. Haines. I am, by
God’s mercy, a total abstainer. Good day.â€
Lost in the Snow. 39
“Who would have thought it!†said the
landlord, looking after him as he walked
away, with a firm, manly step; “so fond as
he was of drink once. And how bold he has
grown; looks you straight in the face and
speaks his mind as if he feared neither you
nor any one else. But he is a loss to us, that
he is. What he drank nearly paid our bread
bill; and I must tell my wife that she must
not let Jemima dress so much, for we can’t
afford it now.â€
Tt is almost needless, we think, to add that
Mr. and Mrs. Stamp became converted people;
that they surrendered themselves to Him who
died upon the cross to save sinners; and that
they obtained help from Him of whom no one
ever asked in vain. That was the secret of
their prosperity ; they experienced the truth
of that passage in Holy Writ—* Godliness ts
profitable unto all things, having promise of the
life that now is, and of that which ts to come.â€
HYMNS FOR SAILORS.
THE
CHRISTIAN’S CHART.
JOHN v. 39.
BLEssED be the God of heaven
For the volume He hath given ;
Source of all our present peace,
Guide to everlasting bliss.
Sailing o’er life’s dangerous sea
To a vast eternity,
’Tis the chart by which we steer
To the peaceful haven there.
40
flymns for Sailors. 41
Reefs and sands around us lie,
Many wrecks are floating by ;
Yet to this while we adhere,
Shipwreck never need we fear.
Book of God, we hear thee say,
“Look to Jesus, He’s the way ;
Trust in Him and you shall live—
Life eternal He will give.â€
Here in faith our souls we rest,
We shall be for ever blest :
Blesstd be the God of heaven
For the volume He hath given.
42 LTymns for Sailors.
THE
CHRISTIAN’S LAMP.
Thy word ts a lamp unto my feet.
PSALM Cxix. 105.
How precious is the Book Divine,
By inspiration given !
Bright as a lamp its doctrines shine,
To guide our souls to heaven !
It sweetly cheers our drooping hearts
In this dark vale of tears ;
Life, light, and joy it still imparts,
And quells our rising fears.
This lamp, through all the tedious night
Of life, shall guide our way,
Till we behold the clearer light
Of an eternal day !
—+o+—
THE LIGHTHOUSE.
Whereunto ye do well that ye take heed.
2 PETER i. 19.
THE lighthouse, founded on a rock,
Casts o’er the flood its radiant eye,
Firm amidst ocean’s heaviest shock,
Serene beneath the stormiest sky.
Hymns for Sailors. 43
Nor for itself it stands alone ;
The seaman’s friend, it shines afar,
As though an angel from the throne
Came down to be his leading star.
It warns to shun the breakers near,
Full into port his vessel guides,
Points where a wider course to steer,
Or how escape conflicting tides.
Thus built upon eternal truth,
High in mid-heaven, o’er land and sea,
Christ’s Church holds forth to age and youth
A beacon and a sanctuary.
Light, peace, and safety dwell within;
Abroad its sun-bright beams display,
Clear from the rocks and shoals of sin,
Through life and death, the one good way.
NELLY HERBERT
OR
“LO, I AM WITH YOU ALWAY.â€
SSS
SEE
SSS
ee
EZ
Z
LEE
SII
LL Ga LE EEE
SLEDS.
MY SAKE,
“TAKE THIS LITTLE LOCKET, AND WEAR IT FOR
NELLY HERBERT;
Or “To, I am with you alway.†|
— SCS sae
ITTLE NELLY stood beside her
dying mother. Only a few
months had passed since her
father’s death, and now she
must soon lose her mother also.
Only those children who have
lost kind parents can under-
stand how bitter were the tears
that Nelly shed, and how sadly she listened
to her mother’s last words. Though Mrs,
Herbert’s voice was weak, the smile upon her
face was very sweet and hopeful, as she drew
her little girl closer to her, and whispered—
47
48 Nelly Herbert.
“Do not grieve so, Nelly darling ; remem-
ber you will not be left alone. I have written
once more to your Aunt Kitty, for I fear that
my other letter to her must be lost ; but be
sure that as soon as this last one reaches her
she will come and take you to live with her,
and will love you very much. Take this
little locket, and wear it for my sake ; Aunt
Kitty gave it to me when we parted—see, it
contains a lock of her hair. You have grown
so much since she saw you last, that she may
not know you again ; but. she will knqw that
locket. She loved me; she loves Jesus—all
is well! Still, Nellyâ€â€”-and here her voice
trembled—“ still it is possible that though
loving you much she may have dittle power
to assist you; yet fear not—Jesus is your
friend. He has said, ‘I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world.’ . Nelly, an
arm of flesh may fail, but the Saviour never
fails. Dear child, I could die happy, if I but
knew that this little heart was quite stayed
on Him!â€
Nelly kissed her mother tenderly; just
now she was thinking less of the words
spoken than of the speaker, and Mrs. Herbert
Nelly Herbert. 49
understood the all-absorbing sorrow that filled
the child’s heart. So, gently returning the
caress, the dying woman left off speaking,
though the moving lips showed that she was
giving her orphan daughter into her Heavenly
Father's care. By-and-by Mrs. Herbert’s
weary cyelids closed, her breathing ceased,
and a peaceful smile settled on her face—she
had joined the host of redeemed spirits in that
happy land, where all her earthly griefs and
pains would be for ever forgotten.
After three days of tears and mourning,
Nelly stood, a poor lonely orphan, at the grave
which now held both her parents. Could she
have remembered her mother’s last words,
“Lo, He is with you alway,†she might have
found comfort amid her sorrow; but Nelly
did not think of taking her grief to the
Saviour and seeking help from Him, for she
was trusting to an arm of flesh—Aunt Kitty
would come and love and pet her as her
mother had done.
Aunt Kitty was Mrs. Herbert’s twin sister.
She had lived with them for several years after
Nelly’s birth, until Mr. Herbert, who was a
clever mechanic, had been sent by his
: D
50 Nelly Herbert.
employer to mount machinery in different
parts of the country; and when Nelly’s
parents left London, Aunt Kitty took a
situation as lady’s maid. Postage was very
dear in those days, and as the distance
between the two sisters increased, they could
not often write to each other, though their
mutual affection was no less warm than it had
ever been. After two or three years of this
wandering life, Mr. Herbert had been suddenly
killed, in a terrible explosion, and Nelly’s
mother, whose health had suffered fearfully
from the sudden shock, lingered only for a few
months, and then, as we have seen, she too lay
down to die. And feeling how near her end
was, she had once more written to Aunt Kitty,
who, strange to say, had never yet answered
her former letter, in which she had told her
of their last change of residence, and of her
husband’s death.
The cause of Aunt Kitty’s silence was that
she had been obliged to take a new situation.
Her old mistress had died; and Kitty had
gone abroad with a family, leaving a note for
her sister in the hands of the housemaid, who
promised faithfully to post it. This promise
Nelly Herbert. 51
was never kept, for the careless housemaid
lost the letter, and then when Mrs. Herbert’s
two letters arrived she was so ashamed of her
first negligence, and afraid of its being found
out, that she burned them both without open-
ing them. Thus it happened that Aunt
Kitty, who was now in France, never heard
of Mr. Herbert’s death, or of her sister’s illness.
Mrs, Andrews—Mrs. Herbert’s landlady,
who kindly took charge of Nelly after her
mother’s death — waited for several days
for the expected letter from this aunt,
of whom she had heard so much. But
as none came, she wisely wrote to the lady
with whom she believed Mrs. Herbert’s sister
was still living. As this lady was dead, the
letter was opened by her son, who wrote at
once to inform Mrs. Andrews that Kitty had
left on account of the death of her mistress,
and had gone with her new employers into
France; and that he would endeavour to
find out her address and tell her that Nelly
was left an orphan. The first inquiries that
he made proved unsuccessful, and then other
Matters took up his attention, and he soon
forgot all about it.
52 Nelly Herbert.
Thus several weeks passed in anxious
waiting, and Mrs. Andrews began to get tired
of her little charge. She was very poor her-
self, and could ill spare the bread which she
kindly shared with the child. Besides, she
had to go out washing and cleaning day
after day, and Nelly was then left alone to
shed bitter tears over her lost friends, and to
be filled with strange misgivings concerning
the aunt who had failed at the time when she
was most needed.
“She does not want to be bothered with
you, that’s my opinion,†said Mrs. Andrews,
one day ; “I never heard of such conduct in
all my life—it’s perfectly shameful.â€
Nelly’s lips quivered. Even now she could
not bear to hear her aunt ill-spoken of.
“Do not speak so, please,’ said she,
sobbing ; “aunt is sure to write soon; she
may not have got the letter yet.â€
At this moment a good-natured farmer
stopped at the door. He was very well, off,
and sometimes when fruit was plentiful made
_Mrs. Andrews a present of a baskctful of
apples. As he entered the cottage, a sudden
thought came into the good woman’s mind.
Nelly Herbert. 53
Mr. Walters had enough bread and to spare
—perhaps e would give Nelly food and
shelter for a time.
“T would do it most willingly, for my part,â€
answered the farmer when the suggestion was
made to him ; “but I’m a little afraid of the
missis. She doesn’t take to children, you
know, except to her own, and she’s a trifle
quick-tempered, Mrs. Andrews. However,
we can but try. Pack your box at once,
little one, and I will bring the cart to the
door and take you‘ home with me. My
Johnny will be glad of a playfellow, and you
may help to nurse little Polly, till we hear
from your relation.â€
Nellys box was soon packed. Her
mother’s clothes had been sold to pay for the
funeral; nothing remained but the locket
which Nelly wore round her neck, and a large
muff which Aunt Kitty had once given her.
This was packed along with Nelly’s few
clothes, and after an affectionate farewell of
her kind friend, the orphan girl was snugly
stowed away among the baskets and the
hampers in the cart, and half-an-hour’s ride
brought them to Oak Farm.
54 Nelly Herbert.
The welcome which Nelly received was
anything but cheering. Mrs. Walters, a
coarse and ill-natured looking woman, was
anything but pleased at her husband’s plan,
and was hardly pacified by the consideration
that Nelly could be useful in the house, and
with the baby.
“We shall see about that,†she muttered at
last ; “at any rate she will not eat the bread
of idleness here—that’s certain! There, take
this milk and bread ; eat, and make yourself
comfortable.â€
This was easier said than done. Every
morsel seemed almost to choke the child,
and the tears were ready to fall. There was
such a difference between her gentle, loving
mother, and this surly, cross woman who was
now to be her mistress. Would Aunt Kitty
never come to help her?
~ Nelly was glad when Johnny, Mr. Walters’
son, came in and offered to show her the cows,
the fowls, and his own two pet lambs. It was
a cold November evening, and Nelly was
thankful to take her muff with her to shelter
her little hands from the frost, while Johnny
buried his in his trousers’ pockets. Nelly
Nelly Herbert. 55
liked animals very much, and almost forgot
her trouble in her delight with the lambs,
which were quite tame, and would eat out of
Johnny’s hands. But on returning to the
kitchen, the sound of Mrs. Walters’ angry
voice made her heart sink within her, and she
was glad to be told to go to bed in the little
garret which was to be her room. The pillow
was quite wet with tears, when she at length
dropped asleep.
Nelly soon knew what work was—she
did not eat the bread of idleness at Oak
Farm. She who had been so petted by
an over-fond mother—who had never known
what it was to give up her own will to that of
others—was now the drudge of the whole
household. She found out, in her bitter
sorrow, what kind parents she had had; her
mother’s loving, kind attentions came back to
the little girl’s memory with double force, and
it was only now that Nelly saw how selfish
and exacting she herself had been. As she
thought of all this, tears of repentance mingled
with those she shed over ‘her loss. Children,
love and honour your parents while God
spares them to you; when they are gone for
56 Nelly Flerbert.
ever, what would you not give to have loved
them better ! .
Nelly had to help in the house-work, to
wash up dishes, and to take almost the entire
charge of the fat baby, who was very heavy ;
and Johnny, too, after the first strangeness
had worn off, was delighted to play tricks
upon her, which, though fun to him, were
very trying to her. Hewould secretly tie her
long curls to the chair while she sat rocking
the baby to sleep, and then laugh to see her
pulled back by the head when Mrs. Walters’
shrill call made her start suddenly from her
seat. Or he would dress pussy in Nelly’s
black bonnet and cloak, calling it 42s baby—
never thinking of the trouble the neat little
girl would have to brush away all the hairs
left on her only decent garments, or to bend
back her bonnet into its proper shape. Poor
little Nelly’s eyes were scarcely ever dry ; and
she crept up to her little garret at night so
weary that she could scarcely hold up her head.
Thus, altogether, Nelly’s life was very hard
and cheerless, and the deep mystery which
still hung over her aunt’s conduct greatly
increased her sorrow. And Nelly did not
Nelly Herbert. 57
know that all the while God was doing a great
’ work in her soul, and teaching her patience and
self-denial. She could have borne her cross
better if she had thought of Jesus and His
love; but she had almost forgotten Him.
There were no Sunday schools in those days,
and Nelly seldom went to a place of worship.
Mrs. Walters seemed to forget that Nelly had
a soul to be saved, and made her stay at home
to mind the baby while she went herself to
hear of Him who said, “ Suffer little children
to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of
such is the kingdom of heaven.†And the
little girl’s state grew gradually worse; her
temper soon became irritable, she almost
forgot to smile, and if it had not been for the
good-natured farmer, who was always kind to
her, her life would have been very miserable.
Aunt Kitty! if she could but find her!
She did not know where “ France†was: she
had only a faint notion that it was over the
sea; and she was sure she could meet with
Aunt Kitty if she had only money enough,
and some one to take her across those deep
waters. And all the while Nelly little knew
that her dest Friend was walking at her side,
58 : Nelly Herbert.
stretching His arms lovingly towards her,
and knocking gently at the door of her
heart.
One morning Johnny came in, looking very
mischievous. “ Fancy, Nelly, pussy has got
four kittens, and I have made them such a
snug bed in the wood-house. Come, and see.â€
Nelly eagerly followed ‘him, and her delight
in the pretty little creatures was very great ;
for the first time for many weeks she looked
happy, as she gently stroked the pretty
kittens.
But what was her dismay when she saw
that the “nice bed†Johnny had made was
Aunt Kittys muff, and sad havoc the cat had
made with her claws.
When the cup is brimful, one drop more
will make it run over, and Nelly’s heart was
very full. Aunt Kitty’s muff! the only thing
which reminded the orphan of her mother and
her aunt. The look of indignation which
passed over her face delighted Johnny, and
he burst out into a roar of laughter. This was
more than she could bear. She pushed the
boy roughly away from her, and was rushing
past, when a shriek of pain arrested her. He
Nelly Herbert. 59
had stumbled, and in falling had hurt his
head against a log of wood. The blood was
oozing from a wound in his forehead, and
Johnny, who was a great coward, cried most
piteously. This brought out his mother, who,
hearing the boy’s accusation that Nelly had
thrown him down, hurried her off to her
garret, gave her several blows, and locked her
in. Nelly had plenty of time now to ponder
over her misfortunes ; her heart seemed ready
to break as she thought how lonely and
miserable she was, and how little prospect
there appeared of happier days. Sobbing
violently, she flung herself upon her hard bed,
while the sad words, “ Mother, why did you
leave me? Oh, Aunt Kitty, why don’t you
come to help me?†came from her lips, till at
length, worn out with sorrow, she fell into a
troubled sleep. From this, in the course of an
hour or two, she was suddenly aroused by
Mrs. Walters’ harsh voice at her bedside.
“Make haste, and take this basket of butter
to Squire Howarth’s,†said she, crossly ; make
haste, will you!â€
“Ts Johnny better?†asked the girl, meekly;
“is he much hurt?â€
60 Nelly Herbert.
“ Flow dare you ask? you good-for-nothing
charity-girl! Of course he’s hurt, and you
shall smart for it, I can tell you.â€
“ A good-for-nothing charity-girl!†It was
not the threatening words, but this cruel
taunt, that made Nelly’s face grow so pale.
But she made no reply, and descended into
the kitchen, where the farmer was sitting.
“Good-bye, Mr. Walters,†she said ; “and
thank you for all the kindness you have
shown a poor orphan.â€
“Why, Nell, you look as solemn as if you
were saying good-bye for ever,†exclaimed
the farmer, laughing; “take this penny and
buy some sweets, and don’t trouble your head
about Johnny ; he’s not really much hurt—
*twill teach him a lesson.â€
With another “good-bye,†Nelly went—
never to come back: she would starve rather
than be called “a good-for-nothing charity-
girl!†She was wrong to indulge in such
feelings ; but it was not surprising that she
should act wrongly, for she had chosen to
walk in her own strength, instead of asking
the Saviour to guide her.
The butter was delivered at Squire
Nelly Herbert. 61
Howarth’s mansion; and as Nelly waited for
the basket, a gentleman who was just coming
out of the house, passed her. He was pulling
some papers out of his pocket, and when he
had gone, Nelly saw a purse, full of money,
lying on the ground. At one time this would
have been no temptation to her; but now she
turned crimson, then pale, looked round to
see if anyone was near, then snatching up the
purse darted off as swiftly as she could. This
money, which the rich squire would never
miss, might help to take her abroad and assist
her to find her aunt. Thus thought Nelly ;
and without stopping to consider, she fell into
the snare which Satan had spread for her. On
Nelly ran, in wild confusion, heedless where
her feet might carry her, and only stopped when
she was too wearied to go farther—stopped
to find herself close to her mother’s grave!
She had often come here before, for it was the
only place where she felt happy ; but now she
trembled, and covered her pale face with her
hands. “Lo,I am with you alway â€â€”those
words, spoken on her mother’s death-bed,
which in other days might have brought
comfort, now rushed across her memory and
62 Nelly Herbert.
made her heart sink with fear. Jesus was’
with her. Jesus had seen her crime! She
threw herself upon the grave, and would
gladly have hidden herself among the long
grass, but she knew she could not hide herself
from that All-seeing Eye. Bitter was the
struggle through which she passed, but angels
rejoiced over it, for she cried from her heart,
“God, be merciful to me a sinner, and help
me to resist this great temptation!†Her
mother’s prayers were answered: Nelly found
that she needed a Saviour, and He, in His
love and pity, drew very near to her that He
might give her peace.
She rose from her mother’s grave deter-
mined to do right, and after a hurried walk,
Nelly stood once more before Squire
Howarth’s mansion. Though her hand
trembled violently as she pulled the bell,
her will was firm to do what was right in the
sight of God, however difficult.
Mr. and Mrs. Howarth had just left for a
drive ; but the servant led her into the house-
keeper's room, that she might deliver her
message to her. Nelly entered, and saw
some one with a very sweet, gentle counten-
Nelly Herbert. 63
ance, arranging fruit and flowers for dessert.
The little girl cast another shy glance at the
woman’s face, and then suddenly she grew
‘pale and began to tremble. That woman
looked at her with her mother’s eyes—she
had her mother’s smile and figure. As a
sudden thought flashed into Nelly’s mind, she
uttered the cry, “Aunt Kitty! oh, my Aunt
Kitty !†and, springing forward, fell senseless
at the woman’s feet. When she awoke again
she was lying in her aunt’s arms, pressed closely
against her loving heart; for it was to that
longed-for friend that, under the mysterious
providence of God, Nelly’s penitent feet had
led her.
Aunt Kitty had gone abroad with Squire
Howarth’s family, who generally resided in
London. They had only just returned from
France, and had come to stay for a time in
their country residence. Kitty had already
been making inquiries about her sister and
Nelly, but had not received any tidings, when
her niece thus unexpectedly was brought to
her. When the child first entered the room
she had not known her ; but the exclamation,
the locket, and the mourning dress told her
64 Nelly Herbert.
tale, long before Nelly’s lips were able to tell
her all she wished to learn. And now a
happier life began for the orphan child. She
was kindly received into the house, where her
aunt was much loved and respected, and she
soon learnt to smile again. But the remem-
brance of her sin kept her humble through
her life. She never forgot how weak she had
been, or how mercifully God had dealt with
her. Henceforth, in joy and sorrow, she
leaned upon His arm, and proved the blessed-
ness of the promise, “Lo, I am with you
alway, even unto the end of the world.â€
e
?
be :
q
A
€
Ny
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