Ponola [sic] weekly register. (Ponola [sic], Miss.) 1843-1843, 1843-07-08

my heart will feel lighter foreqcr.''
The engraver listened with his whole
soul, then turned TO me and proceeded:
"Two years ago was laying by some
thing every week, and no man worked
more honestly or cheerfully than |. A
friend of mine took TO specializing, and
endorsed for him; he failed, ard my
earnings went to smoke. Well, sir, |
was in debt and in trouble, and debt and
trouble work evil with free man; | get
out Of spirits, ana out Of sorts, and fall
before last was taken sick. | had no.
thing; Ellen was 100 weak to sit up, and
starvation came close to US, sir, ] assure
you. At last cur trouble came to the
ears Of one who gives much to the poor;
he gave to us largely; for two months
supported US; then some more pressing
cases came, and he quilted Us with the
! assurance that the town would see US
| provided for. | went TO the trustees
they had crowds Of poor folks on their
hands who could not get trusted for their
daily bread; andas we could, why they
thought it was not right to do more for
us than 10 give US little wood.
"Nhat they said was true enough, for
every body knew me to be industrious
when welI-and though iIl-Iuck had ,loos-
ened some friends, it had not taken all /;
but some how hated 10 go in debt. So
| went TO some Of the societies, and they
gave, some three dollars, and some five,
but nothing steady. All this while |
was getting worse, and the idea of beg
gary, Of starvation, of degradation, of
lost character, haunted me day and hight;
for | was well raised and taught, sir
Well, by and by the societies could give
no more, they had SO many applicants;
Ellen, here, get something from the
house OF employment, but she was too
weak to do much, and so, in spite. Of all,
it came to debt. The grocer, the Baker,
and the doctor, all had TO trust US and
heavy enough the trust lay upon cur
hearts; thai with -tosgeay -o+dte,ob;, il
seemed to me | should never get we'll
However, when spring came, had
picked up enough TO go TO work once
more, but somehow could not do as
had done before, and could barely get
along leaving debts all unpaid. Then
came suits and coastables; and the doc.
tor, I'm sorry to say it Of him, was hard
enough to have Ellen's chair and bed,
stead sold to pay himself with. Las
fall came, sir, and was too poorly again
TO work; every thing was monstrou;
high; and poor folks thicker than ever
1t was on awful December, ffe last, lol
such as we were! You would have tho
that woman there could not have lived
poorly as she was, sleeping on the floor
here, and living on the leavings Of th(
market. God help US, it was a har
time! Any little tea that | could now
and then get for her, | had TO SO to thc
grocery over yonder for, and there was
4 sci Of drinking fellows, that often ask
cd me 10 join them. Once | did so, anC
while was drinking, lady went thro
the entry into a room where sick Wo
man lay, and in passing, saw me. / tho
, nothing Of it then, but it done mischief
Well, in January, Ellen was likely Il
die, and barely able to crawl about; 81
| went to the council chamber, but
was thronged. tried the societies, bu
the lady who had seen me drinking tQlc
them--she was one Of them, and they
sat me down for drunkard. The ba
: ker would not trust, and once more we
were close to death from want, and M
!. hope ahead, when enc came thatI woule
to God hadn't come, though we'd have
been buried before now, but for him.
"Amenn' breathed the feeble wife.
sIIe came in enc day as | sat in the
shop, doing from hunger, and asked i
was an engrayer. | said, yes. You're
poor, ant your told him we were
Then babe me go with him. | did SO
He took me to a coffee house, and gave
me some spirit and biscuit, and when
was done, put me into a hack, md got il
himself. | felt something was wrong