Save Your Mother

"Jencie, it is striking fivo o'olook, i'is vour (uro to Luild the tire." ' Oh dear, it is alwuys iivo o'clook, or welve o'clock. or tx. o'doclt in the morniug. I have justgo fairly agoiug on these book-marka aud uow I inusi slop. 1 do wish wo kept a girl." ' "We do, my dtííir, we keep three,' said the moilier, w.ih a Biuile. Tbo Haidluga were v.llnge peopls, couifortably cireuuistauced in lite, but baving uotbing to Waste. Tho fotber was au indurttrioua meeinuis, aud bis twc .-ons were leamiiu; u trade of liim. Tlicj were all at home witliiu Êve niiuuto.- of six, as regularly as tbt bour of the evening oauie, aud were always tus hurigry is so many bears. If upper was ready tliey runde cbeerfu! tmste to gather 'tound tlio table, aud good bumur generully prevailod. If it was üot ready tliere was alwayg trouble. Ever siiicü Mr. Haiding was born, he bad grown croas if lo could uot eat tlio moment bunger called for food, aud his goos were mudo in their fathcr's likeness. Tbis eharaeteristio is ona that is so uncommon and rumarkable iu a mun or a boy, tbat it desprves special rneutiou. Now the fauiily sittii g riiom of the Hardiugs was a plcasaut spot. Largu and airy, wilb u great, cbeerful fireplace, and hen it was uutuuin, a blazing tire, aud motbers and diiughters seated about tho center table atwork or reudhig, it was far DON agreeable tberu Ihan out in the grim, coid kitchüD, all alone. This thunght kept Jennie minute after minute delajiug her depaituro to prepare the eveüing meal. "Come, iny cliüd, (wenty minutes have gone. You kuov thoie is ouosideraïjle to do touight, and I'm afraid Bupper will nol be reudy wheu fatber comes." Keldctuutly Jencie laid aside hor work, ud at half-past five was kiudliug the kitchen lire. Wbeo we have too short tiuie to do anv work we are ahuost suro to bae "bad luok" with il. ít wou't go rigbt. Jenuie's lire would iot burn. All the ibavius aud the otiips LurncJ up, and tlien the iire died out. She kindled it tgain ; and ncain it ;ti vorsely lefused to doduty. Had lier 'pirit of uuwiliinguess eiiléied iijtu the ireV "Ob ! dear, tho tire wittnot burn toliglit," Boreamed Jeonie ia disptration, or it uuw wunted uut tweuty minutes to UiThere was too o'ear a foreknowledge of Lat would be if ibings wunt au thua 'or auybody to keep quitt. Up sprang bolli tho other girls, vcxtd and nut curiog to üido it, at Jennie'ii deay, aud the uiother u order to waku or jeep peaoo, herself carne itito the cold iitolion bearing a largo shovelful of live ujii'n frotn the hcarth. These did tlio business. In two minutos ili(! blaze leftpod ruarlug up the cliiuiey ; the cookiug Move was getting iot iinJ tho tea kettlo begiuuiug to feel iis infliH-iiee. "Mother, do go in, you will take your death in this oold room," eotreated Alma, and she woul'l have prevailed had she stPi;:o(l tlicre. But siiu addud, "I never aw sueh a girl as you are, ■Jtnuiie Harding. You are never rcady wlion your turn comes. I do believe yt.u woold i;i'lior niotlier would do your woik, il it killed her, tüan to do ityourHclf.;' "You know botter, Alma. Mother, shall Alma talk bo to me ? I aui suri) I could uot makj the firu burn, if it would not do it." "My de:ire, please to top this kind of talk. It hiirtrf me iniich icore thuu the cold cai.'! tuiil (.hu molhor, whose huulth lor several yeara had beeo vcry poor. Tho {.'iris all becaaje bilent, uoü tho siippcr progreised finely. Many huuds uako light work, aud ua tho stampiog oí' heavy boots was huard at tlio back door, everytbing waa smoking hot ou tha tuble. By mnking tho old ftove red hot, the room, whiob waa the diuinroom as well as kituhon, had beeu reudered by this time comfortably wurm. "Well, this looks plouaaut, don't it ioysV'said Mr. Harding, as all threo carne in. Caps were tossed hastily into enrnera, and chairs as hastily placed about tho well-filled board. A hearty (perhaps a littlo hurried) Dlessing was prooouncod over the food, aod then tho work of tho hour bogan in earuest. Tho örst edgo of hunger dull ed, Mr Harding was able to think of liis wife. A sueezo from her etartlud him. He knew too well what thut meani. "Wliy, mother ! havo you bean takins auother eold V he asked, anxiously. "Ilava you expused yoursult 1" jálnirp glauues lroni two pair of very handhome eyee, wero hot tt Jounie ju.st i then. Ho was too intont upon bid wiíe. "Oh ! I hope it's nothing, Luthcr. Don't bo utieasy. l'il taku acónito, and go early to bed, and it may bu all goue D the worniug." "It may bo ; ijut I'in afraid not, Mercy ; I drcad to hear a sueczo froiu trom ycu worsu than to heur tho cry oí' fire" Au] there was good roason why hu should. Evcry cold Mrs. Harding l;ud tukcu for Sttvoral ycars had madu hor eick in bed, sometimos fur weeks. And kIio took cold very oasily. A suddea chili was aliaont lure to uause hor to have one. "Huw wrong, then, for her lo espose bercelf as kIio had just done," totno ooe savi. Truc, but what mother who fearg a quarrel botwcen her childrcn ; what wife ulio fears the displeasuro and disoomfort üf her husbaod, ever rouii'iuburo herself under sucli circmusttucas ? -Mr. Ilardiog's fears wore woll foundod. The nezt day, aliliouh she oianaged to riso and omnu lo breakfast for iho sake of the funiily, the deur, gentle mother was very iiek. She could not remain up, and puor Jennic hed bitter toare lo witness tho sutfcrins that her fault in part (oh, how astODÍshod Mr. Hardiug would be, wcio to ba told tbat be wm greatl; to blame in the case) had oooasiooed. Her sisters did oot reproach hef afilia. They 8aw hor griof. Bötiides, ihey feartd for thwir mother o nmch that all otlier Lhouglits wuro bun ished from their hearts. She grew rap idly worse, and the physiciun who was uuuimoned was evideutly iu doubt of her But tbe beloved parent was not, at this time, to be remoled. God had pitj im the n!Hicted family, and took not "Aleroy" frora theiu. After sever! weeks of suffurintf alie was agaio able to be a!put the house ; oud jou rnay wel! believe that Jeuuie was never agaiu Luckward or tardy whon it camo hsr turn to build the fire. No ; ud to this dsy the only trife (in regard to work) iü that family, is whioh shall tuke the best care of ''muther," and do most to tnake suro of keepiug her with them,and making oomfortable and pleaaaut her stiiy. My young roadtr, how is it Iü jour home ? "Is "mother watohod over and relioved of all that is possible ; or ie i-iio the sluve and puok-hore of the whole famüy ? Ia too many cásea the latter in the caso. Tliere is no rest nor cunifort for her until she folds her hands in tiealh, aud is laid away iu her grave. And thither hundreds of overworked mothers are borno every yoar, who by the thoughtful oare of their children might be gaved. O, how bitterly the ohildren wecp aud mouru when it is all too late. "You ïill goon be made to repent of your treatuient of yoar mother," was said to au only daughler, uot long; ago. Her uiother was not wol] and did not lfke to be left alone ; but Katie oould not enduro r.oufioement, aud was off, here, there, and evcrywhere, evcry fair daj'. And when kept in the house by tonus sbo fretted and troublud her sick inoibor, whose fuüiug heart yearaed greatly for tho tendernepa aud love a daauirtui Dogfat lo give. Weil, dow that daughter has uo one o cali after her, as bhe leaves the bouse : "Dou't stay loug, Katie ; I am lonefome wheu you are long awny." Her tnotber in in her grave, uud Katie mouriis and blames herself in vaiu. -