nary attributes of sane Christians,
should so readily advise others to attempt, or do, that from which
_they_ would instinctively recoil; the mass of Widow Glenn's advisers
might have been far more serviceable to her, by contributing their mites
towards preserving the unity of her little and precious family, than
thus savagely advising its disbanding.

Newspapers, at this day, were far less numerous very expensive, and
circulated to a very limited degree, indeed. But the widow took a paper,
a family, weekly journal; and while casting her vacant eye over the
columns, at the close of a Saturday eve, after a severe week's toil for
the bread her little and precious ones had eaten, the widow's attention
was called to an advertisement, as follows:

"A Housekeeper Wanted.--An elderly gentleman desires a middle-aged,
pleasantly-disposed, tidy and industrious American woman, to take
charge and conduct the domestic affairs of his household. A
reasonable compensation allowed. Good reference required, _the
applicant to have no incumbrances_. Apply at this office, for the
address, &c."

The eager smile, that seemed to warm the wan features of the widow, as
she glanced over the advertisement, was dimmed and darkened, as the
shining river of summer is shadowed by the heavy passing cloud, when she
came to the chilling words--_the applicant to have no incumbrances_.

"No incumbrances," moaned the widow, "shall none but God deign to smile
or have mercy on the helpless orphans; are they to be feared, shunned,
hated, because helpless? Must they perish--die with me
alone--struggling against our woes, poverty, wretchedness? No! I know
there is a God, he is good, powerful, merciful; he will turn the hearts
of some towards the widow and the orphan; and though basilisk-like words
warn me to hope not, I will apply--I will attempt to win attention,
work, slave, toil, toil, toil, until my poor hands shall wear to the
bone, and my eyes no longer do their office--if he will only have mercy,
pity for my poor, poor orphans--God bless them!" and in melting
tenderness and emotion, the poor woman dropped her face upon her lap and
wept--her tears were the showers of hope, to the almost parched soil of
her heart, and as the gentle dews of heaven fall to the earth, so fell
the widow's tears in balmy freshness upon her visions of a brighter
something--in the future.

It was yet early in the evening; her children slept; the