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dan any ob <le poor white trash wharyou
come from.”
The men went out laughing, and pass
ing by Charlie’s bed, satisfied themselves
with kicking it and saying,
“I guess we won’t take that young
reb.”
They had only one more room to
search, which was Ellen’s, and in which
Bessie was sleeping. On opening the
door, they found the child sitting up in
bed, looking terrified almost to death.
She had heard the men down stairs, and
was very much frightened. Ellen went
up to her, and putting her arms around
her said:
“Don’t be scared, Bessie. I wont let
them hurt you.”
But her efforts to soothe the child were
in vain. She trembled violently, and
kept her eyes fixed on the men.
At last they turned to go down stairs.
Ellen took Bessie in her arms and carried
her to her mother's room, and gave her
to Aunt Polly. She was obliged to leave
her then and follow the men down stairs.
They seemed to be satisfied with their
search by this time, and left the house.
As soon as they were gone, Ellen went
to see if Dixie had been taken, and to her
great joy she found him still standing
where she had tied him. Fortunately,
the men had gone into the back door in
stead of the "front, or they certainly
would have seen him. After she had
locked the doors, and seen that George
was comfortable, she went up stairs to
Bessie.
She found her tossing and moaning in
Aunt Polly’s lap, evidently very sick.
The rest of the night was spent in watch
ing her, and just at daylight the next
morning, as she looked from the window,
she saw the head of the Yankee column
just coming in sight.
♦♦♦
Written for Burke’s Weekly.
THE WATCH AND ITS HOUR
VERSES.
O to-day is your birth
day,” said Grandpa Hill,
as he drew his little grand
daughter, Ellen Williams,
up to him and kissed her.
“Yes,” she replied, “eleven
Jw “ See here,” said Mr. Hill, and
he held a beautiful little gold
watch up to her view. “ This, Ellen, was
my own little daughter’s, who died so
many years ago. Take much care of it,
and before another birthday I hope it
may have taught you many good les
sons.”
BURKE’S WEEKLY.
Ellen loved it already for its associa
tions, and resolved to prize it much.
Some weeks after this, she went on a
visit to an aunt, accompanied by her
grandfather. They arrived at a small
town, and were going in the stage coach,
but just as Ellen went to get in she trip
ped and fell, the watch broke from its fas
tening, slid down her dress into the soft
sand unnoticed, and she got in without
it. Before the stage had gone many miles
Ellen, to her dismay, saw that the watch
was missing, and begged her grandfather
to get the coachman to go back, as she
was sure she had it just before getting
in ; but the man said he could not. The
rest of the journey passed wearily for
both. Mr. Ilill loved the little watch
very much, as it had been the property
of his dear, dead child; and that made
Ellen feel so badly to think that she had
lost it.
We will leave them now and go back
to the town where it was dropped. A
little boy named Johnnie Brown wished
to take the train that would soon leave,
and so he came running along, when his
attention was attracted by something
shining in the sand. Hastily stooping, he
found Ellen’s gold watch.
“My! isn’t this a beauty?” he exclaim
ed; then, running on, lie thought, “Who
could have dropped it? I’ll ask Janie
about it.”
How, Janie was his sick sister, whom
he was anxious to see, as he had been
away three weeks on a visit to his broth
er Edward. Janie was about twelve years
old, and not very strong anyhow, and
scarlet fever, which she had had a little
over a year before, left its weakening in
fluence still more upon her, and she was
gradually fading away.
As soon as Johnnie arrived at homo,
and the first questions and answers were
over, he eagerly pulled out the watch, and
told how it was found.
The children decided that they would
keep it carefully, and perhaps the owner
might be found; their mother thought
the same.
We will now pass over a month or two,
and by this time Ellen had returned to
her home. One day, her mother wishing
some buttermilk, Grandpa and Ellen of
fered to go and see if they could find any
one who wished to sell.
“ Grandpa,” said Ellen, “I think we
might get some here,” referring to a one
story house that stood near.
They went in and found that a Mrs.
Brown lived there—none else than J aide’s
mother. I have not told you that they
lived in the same place Ellen did. They
were not acquainted, however, for Mrs.
Brown was in an humbler position in life
than Ellen’s mother.
The purchase being over, Mr. Hill was
attracted by little Janie’s pale face, and
going up to her, spoke kindly and cheer
fully. In replying to one of his questions,
she said:
“O, yes, sir, I have many pleasures,
and for the last month or so I have had
such a treasure!” and reaching out her
hand to a drawer by her side, she held out
the memorable watch. Ellen sprang for
ward eagerly, then stopped :
“Is it yours, miss?” inquired Janie.
“Here it is. Johnnie, my brother, found
it,” and she went on to tell what we al
ready know, and Mr. Hill also explained
how it must have been dropped.
“ Can’t you tell me how it gave you so
much pleasure ?” asked Mr. Hill.
“ 0, yes, sir, it’s my hour verses.”
“Your hour verses?”
“Yes, sir; I have taken parts of verses
from the Bible with just as many words
as the number of the hour. How, one
o’clock, ‘Watch;’ two o’clock, ‘Follow
me.’ ”
“Go on,” said Mr. Hill, “I would like
to hear them all.”
“ Three o’clock,” she continued, ‘Search
the Scriptures;’ four, ‘I am the door;’
five, ‘I will give you rest;’ six o’clock,
‘lt is I, be not afraid;’ seven, ‘I am the
resurrection and the life;’ eight, ‘Suffer
the little children to come unto me;’ nine,
‘Be of good cheer—l have overcome the
world;’ ten o’clock, ‘Come unto me all ye
that labor and are heavy-laden ;’ eleven,
‘ Peace 1 leave with you—my peace I give
unto you;’ and twelve o’clock is, ‘lf ye
shall ask anything in my name, I will do
it.’ ”
“And you try every hour to follow and
feel these verses?” inquired Mr. Hill.
“Yes, sir,” she replied.
u Don’t give us the watch now,” he said ;
“wait until to-morrow; we will come
again then.”
Ellen was very thoughtful on their re
turn, and soon he saw what caused it.
“ Grandpa,” she said, “ it seems a pity
to take the watch from that little girl.”
“ So it does, Ellen,” replied Grandpa.
After a pause, she said, “Suppose we
let her keep it awhile.”
Mr. Hill, pleased to see a spirit of self
denial in Ellen, said he thought it would
be a good plan. So the next day they
told Janie she must keep it longer. She
said no, but Mr. Hill told her they would
come there and enjoy it. And after two
months, a note, written by Janie, ere she
went to Heaven, was sent with the watch
to Ellen, and she now is trying to follow
Janie’s “Hour Verses .” Mamie.
me.’ ”
391