American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-01-15
From Arhur's Magazine
A SKETCH
FROM THE HISTORY OF THE POOR.
BY MRS. S. ]. HALE.

---''SorrOw, early death,
Sickness and peverty-O, these would be
Her Chlleren'S lOt''
Mrs. Conant was seventy years old; these had
not all been years Of sorrow-but who can keep
themselves warm during the storms Of winter
by thinking of the sun; At seventy years of
age sK was feeble, childless widow, with no
earthly resource, save her own trembling hands,
to support herself, and two orphan grand-child-
ren. She had had an affectionate husband and
four fair children, many kind friends and an
ample fortune-all had passed away.
What availsi it to count over, one by one, the
waves of misfortune, that had swept on, rising
higher with every wild burst, till finally her
earthly treasures had all been overwhelmed!-
The flood had passed--and all that was spared
her from the wreck was the love Of two little
helpless beings, the babes Of her youngest and
darling son.
While we have an object to love, and feel
ourselves beloved in return, we are not wholly
without enjoyment in life. Invest the wealth
Of the affections safely and you can never be
y1ute bankrupt Some little green shrub-some
sweet flower there will be, Springing even in the
fully cherish these humble blessings with the
warmth and dew of the affections.
1t would, to mind that only Judged by
worldly policy, seem as # those children must
have become great burden and trouble to their
poor, old grandmother. Even some kind heart
ed people may be inclined to think that reliev-
ing her from the duty of providing for her
charge would have been the most charitable
act a generous benelactor could have performed.
And ~e call this relieving of mere physical
sufierings beneuoleRcei 1t is the lowest grade
of this virtue. Why do we not take the feel
ings, the affection, the hearts of the poor into
the account when we would relieve them?
Those little children were, to Mrs. Conant
all the world. She had nothing beside to call
her own, to love and to live for-and yet, be-
cause she would not consent to part with them,
put them out--Qlone but the widowed mother of
little children can know the import of the
phrase)-she was called foolish and obstnate
and those who prefessed themselves willing to
assist her could not consider it their duty to al
low her to indulge end spoil her grandchildren.
So they let her alone, as they said, that is,
withheld their aid I'LL she would become rea-
sonable, and consent to accept it in their own
way. People may be tortured till they yield,
without being subjected to the thumb-screw or
the ordeal by water.
Mrs. Conant had been an excellent seams
tress, and at seventy years old, few, in plain
needle-work, were more expert Could she
have obtained constant employment and fair
compensation for her work, she would have
's.-npported her little ones and herself (she al
ways thought and spoke Of their wants irst) in
comfort. But she could not, with all her seek
ing, obtain work to occupy more than four days
in week. Even with this encouragement,
had she been justly remunerated, she might
have subsisted, for she required very little nou-
rshment herself, and the children were cheer
full as larks, even when they had only two
meals in day, because they enjoyed these with
their dear grandmother She once told friend,
poor woman like herself but one who could
feel a sympathy in those generous emotions
which the most grovelling cares can never en-
tirely repress in the heart of a true woman
, she told, with tears and smiles Blended on her
turrowed cheeks, how her dear little grandson,
Henry, once proposed to his sister to save half
& their supper for three successive nights and
give it to their grandmother for her Sunday
dinner, because she had spoken of the Sunday
dinners she used to have, VIXEN she was rich
"And they did save it," said Mrs. Conant,
Sand that very Sabbath, as well as the Satyr-
day tefore it, proved such-stormy days, that
could not go out to obtain food, and the three
pieces of bread, with the little cheese which
thepoor babes had saved, was all we had to eat
during the day. For myself,''N continued the
patient woman, 81 only tasted morsel to
please the children am Used to fasting on
the Sabbath now-once it was otherwise;
made it the day of feasting; but God saw that
/ Affections were necessary, and he has with
Elrawn Outward blessings. Yet / will bless his
Alame while he continues to feed me with the |
<Sae bread"
" "But you do not fast every Sabbath, do you:n
inquired her friend.
II do, and am contented to fast" was her |
meek reply- it wrings my heart to know
that my chkiren are hungry. And yet they
never complain, and they always kiss me when
they see me wcep-as sometimes do-and
they say theynlon't want anything only to live
with me- And Henry will tell me what he in
tends to 60 when he is little bigger, how he
shall work and buy me cakes, and apples, and
tea, and all good things. And Mary is now
learning to se,c-poor thing! fear she can
never earn her living by sewing"
IL was no wonder Mrs. Conant thought nee
dle-work poor business by which to live; she
could get but ten cents for making shirt, and
even at that rate had only work sufficient to
employ her four days IN week. No wonder
she was disco iraged. Her earthly labors were
nearly finished.
Sorrows atflict every stage of human life;
but they never appear so gloomy as when they
press heavily OH the aged and bow down the
grey head to the dust. The feebleness that
can hardly support the weight of years, when
lurdened with heavy griefs, would seem to
yfnd pleasant relief in anticipating the rest