HOUSEWIFE S DEPARTMENT. 



469 



For this department we have chosen, for variety, the following short moral 

 tale, that too nearly corresponds — oflener than many know of — with what is 

 every day taking place in real life. 



MARY WILLIAMS.— A Tale. 



In the neighborhood of a small town in the 

 Eouth of England there came to dwell, some 

 yeai's ago. a young mother, whose family consist- 

 ed of a boy six years old, and a lovely little girl 

 three years younger. She was a stranger to the 

 inhabitants ; and there was about her something 

 of mystery, which the uncharitable interpreted 

 to her disadvantage, and which prevented even 

 the kindly from wannly interesting themselves 

 in her fortune. Her name was Mary Williams. 

 Mary Williams lived for some time unknown 

 and unnoticed. She intimated her wish to main- 

 tain her family by receiving the children of her 

 neighbors to instruct in the rudmients of educa- 

 tion and in their Christian duties : but no pupils 

 presented themselves. She desired to be em- 

 ployed as a seamstress ; but no work was offer- 

 ed her. Mary saw her little savings visibly de- 

 clining : she sometimes looked upon her chil- 

 dren with a sad foreboding, and wiped the se- 

 cret and unbidden tear from her sunken 

 eye. 



The inmates of the cottages which surround- 

 ed her little dwelling were excessively curious 

 to know the history of Mary Williams. She was 

 seldom seen in the daytime, for she was em- 

 ployed in instructing her little boy, who was do- 

 cile and industrious ; or she was endeavoring to 

 conceal the approaches of poverty by additional 

 care in the presei-vation of their garments. She 

 and her children were still ever neat and clean. 

 But on a summer evening she sat in the garden 

 in front of her door, and listening to the prattle 

 of her loved ones, endeavored to forget the cares 

 which had removed the bloom from her cheek. 

 It was at this hour of repose that the go.ssips 

 would sometimes come around her. Their man- 

 ifest intention was to break through the reserve 

 •which she had resolved to maintain. They some- 

 times made her feel bitterly ; but she was not 

 uncivil to them ; and they generally went home 

 with an impression that Mary Williams was a 

 singular young woman, but that there was no 

 harm in her. 



Mary still wanted employment. The full difB- 

 culties of her situation now became visible to 

 her. A few shillings only remained to provide 

 for the necessities oi the passing week. But she 

 had still the comfort of feeling that she had not 

 been improvident, and the equal satisfaction of 

 knowing she was not in debt. Her spirit did 

 not sink ; for she had been accustomed to place 

 a firm reliance on the mercy of the Most High ; 

 and she looked for a sure relief to the Almighty 

 Protector of the widowed and the fatherless. 



One day that her last shilling remained to her, 

 Mary Williams determined to make a more 

 strenuous effort to procure work as a seamstress. 

 Should this fail, her only resource was to engage 

 herself as a servant, and bestow all her earnings 

 upon her children. But she dreaded a separa- 

 tion. She therefore resolved to conquer her 

 natural timidity, and to solicit that assistance 

 which she fell that she could honestly ask. She 

 stated her case to several tradesmen. Their first 

 question was, " Are you a widow ?" She could 

 only an.swer by her tears. The conclusion was, 

 that her children were illegitimate, and that she 

 was unworthy. She returned home without 

 success and almost heartbroken. For the first 



time she sat down, and sobbed aloud in the pres- 

 ence of her children. 



Her little Susan clung around her with uncon- 

 scious indifference ; but her Henry felt and 

 shared her grief. " Mother," he said, " you have 

 told us that God will take care of us, and why 

 do you cry ?" " My dear boy, tliat is the last 

 leaf of bread I have the power to procure ; and 

 must I see you starve, my children, oh, my chil- 

 dren'?" " My dear mother, that is sufficient for 

 to-day, and God will take care of to-morrow." 

 The afflicted parent remembered the promises 

 of Scripture : she kissed her children, and 

 wiping her tears, fell on her knees, and silently 

 prayed for a short space. She then turned to 

 her Bible and read aloud the sixth chapter of 

 Matthew. She confided in tlie promises of her 

 Redeemer, and laid herself down to sleep in the 

 tranquillity of innocence and of faith. 



In the morning Mary rose with a resigned 

 heart. She had sufficient left for the first meal 

 of her household ; and she sat down to her scanty 

 fare with thankfulness, in the assurance that her 

 " heavenly Father," who " feedeth the fowls of 

 the air," -would supply their future wants. They 

 had scarcely breakfasted when a lady of mild 

 and benevolent appearance entered the cottage. 

 " I have heard," said she, " of your necessities 

 and your desires. But I love sinceritv ; let me 

 know your history without reserve, and if you 

 are deserving, you will not want a friend." 



There was something in the manner of this 

 kind visitor that told Mary Williams she had no 

 idle curiosity to shrink from ; she felt that her 

 prayers had been heard. Dismissing her chil- 

 dren, she respectfully requested the lady to be 

 seated, and in a faltering voice commenced her 

 narrative. She was a woman of good sense and 

 strong feeling ; she spoke from her heart, and 

 therefore she at once produced conviction, and 

 obtained pity. 



"Oh, Madam!" she said, " I have perhaps 

 been wrong in keeping my sorrows to myself 

 and in thus exposing myself and my poor chil- 

 dren to want, it may be to reproach ; but though 

 I blush not for my own crimes, I blush for the 

 fault of one I loved, the father of those dear lit- 

 tle ones. I was the only daughter of a decent 

 tradesman ; a good man, but not a rich one. He 

 died and left me a little money. I was too 

 young and inexperienced to engage in his busi- 

 ness ; I conquered my false pride, and deter- 

 mined to go to service. About the time that I 

 had formed this resolution, a young man who 

 had been apprenticed to my father returned to 

 town. He possessed many good qualities, which 

 blinded me to the evil parts of his character. I 

 knew that his passions were violent, and that he 

 was habitually indifferent to religion. He paid 

 his addresses to me ; and I fondly thought that 

 my influence as a wife might become the in- 

 strument of his reformation. We married ; and 

 by the help of friends engaged in the occupation 

 which my father had followed. For a short time 

 we were tolerably happy ; but my husband 

 neglected the public worship and the private 

 duties of a Christian. My little- boy was born. 

 I became more importunate to my husband to 

 think seriously. I could not bear that my child 

 should have an example of irreligion iu his pa- 



