Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1843-05-25
which our climate has Tor many years,

streets. and she hurried on from square
to square, without mesiing any one TO
whom she might with the slightest pros
pect Of success, apply for assistance. -
Every body seemed to be snugly housed,
aud protected from the inclement wealth
er, saving herself, and she was slightly
clothed, while the cold wintry blast
searched every instertice Of her thin and
threadbare garments, and the driving
sleet and snow beat (uriously against her
exposed face and hands, singing them
like the piercing OF innumerable needles
But she paused not, and ran rather than
walked on, seemingly unmindiul or in
sensible to The raging of the stormy ele.
nenis. for there was far more bitter
strife going on within her bleeding bosom
the fearful conflict between despair
and the unconquerabIe ycarnings Of II
mothers love for her suffering and help
less offspring.
She, however, nj length stopped before
the door of her newly acquired employ
ers but to her extreme dis,nay, il was
plainly apparent that the entire family had
retired 10 rrst, and thus was her reliance
here, for the time, rendered Of not the
slightest await. And now hope seemed
utterly 10 forsake her breast. Her enrr-
gees, that ihrough desperation had been
stretched t0 the utmost tension Of their
weakness, suddenly relaxed-her limbs
ifcmhled with exhaustion and bent be-
meath her weight while with the feeble
cry OF "My children! Oh, Heaven
save my children - she sunk powerless
upon The icy pavement, and there for a
few moments remained insensible to woe
or suffering.
But The driving sleet now proved her
safety, and soon restored the suspended
animation o! her benumbed faculties
while with heavy hear.drawn sigh,
sh. arose slowly and feeby to her feet
again. Leaning now against the walls
for support, she stood for short space
aud gazed wildly around for assistance
ms she pondered upon the last desperate
extremity, yet remaining and that would
no, allow of expectation or a hope for,
except in the more freQueuied thorough
fares, (which in her weakened and ex-
hausted state, she was at present unable
To reach She could hardly expect to
encounter, amid the storm, any one, save,
perhaps, some poor unfortunate like HIM
self
The drowsv occupants oi the house
against which the poor widow at that
moment supported herself could not have
reflected how much misery their slight
neglect was occasioning, or they would
n"ver have laid themselves down to rest
" without dispensing, in full to the neces-
sii"us laborer, the piiilu need Of her
weary earnings. They possessed every
thing in abundance, and therefore
though, not that others could want, while
plenty was IN The world.
q, ye proud and favored ones, who
nightly retire to your downy slumbers,
ronirn'ed and happy how little do ye
dream of the destiiuion and misery which
shIver in the comlorlless dwellings of the
'ndg-n poor, or Of the suffering wretch
rdness that totters and moans even be-
iore the iron gates Of your luxurious
palaces while the shril storm which
proves your lullaby, bierces the thin COW
ering ol scaniy rags, and benuinbs every
sense Of hopeless and desolale hearts -
How do. you glow and perspire ia your
heated apartmens- opening for relief
their cur,ained Easements, or clov at the
grooming festive board, while famine and
despair, stalk abject and suffering with
''houscless heads and unied sides" along
The deserted streets, and "bide the peh-
,ngs Of the pi,iless storm" And yet ye
know not, nor care for aught, save your
own surieit We say in your full hearts
1--WE thank thee, Lord, that thou hast
not made us Ms these poor wretches "-I
md then turn to your soft reposc, with
quiet consciences, for the heating tenn
pest without dea(rns your listless ears
Take physic, pomp;
Expose ihy'elf'o feel what wretches feel
That thou pinyst shHko the superfux to them,
Aud show the heavens more just"
As Mrs Sand(ord stood thus, uncer-
tam how to proceed, and dreading the
total desorton of her feeble strength, the |
sound of approaching footsteps rang like
sweet music in her eager ears. She
listened, yet shuddered, and she knew
not why, as she discovered, at . distance
the figure of n man advancing for every
thing rested upon this crisis and il seem
ed to have been sent by n special Prov
idence. But this newly glimmerlng hope,
instead ofre- anma,ing her dropping ener
gies in the slightest degree caused her
so TO tremble with the conflicting emo
tlons Of doubt and anticipation, that but
for the support against which she leaned.
her week frame would have again tot
tered and fallen.
And during n moment Of intense ankle
ty, a brief prayer arose to her lips, to
which, in her excitement, she involun-
tarily gave uiterance.
80 Thou" she murmured, "who hast
promised in thy covenants to be pro-
iecior 10 the widow, and father Ia the
laiherless, deign to look down upon the
m,series Of the poor dependents of thy
providence and suffer not the tale of
their manifold wants to pass unheeded,
by the ears and heart of han who now
advances q, Lord bless, in thy
divine mercy, this, the last sad hope Of
the dpsuInie and tnrsaken ~