American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-07-09
[ITOm IIH NI'TTONUIIIlE-
4 LEAF FIR q NJ LIE f..

ruth Is ,trnnge-slrangcr than fiction.
BYRON.
The time of year was winter in its most sui
len mood, q thick fog, PREGNANT with a sitting
smoke, hung over the face Of this modern Baby
lon, making the few lamps that were to he seen
at the time we write bum with CHASTITY flick
erng flame; and as if TO make outward things
wear i more miserable aspect than the fog i'm
parted, dri2zHng rain came slowly down,
dreuchlug those who had the misfortune 80 be
out Of doors to the skin, when the door of
miserable tenement, in narrow, squaIid court,
which ran between two rows of poor and ruin
Gus houses on the banks Of the river, turned on
its hinges, and a man, poorly clad, and wan in
aspect, made his way, with rapid pace, to-
wards some light indstinctly seen through
the fog.
In a few minutes nc had crossed Old London
Bridge, and stood before a COmOrtabIe- looking
mansion. in the street Immediately adjacent to
the Temple, from the lower rooms of which
bright lights shone, and, now and then, ''by
fits, = !oud peals of laughter were borne on the
wind. The man passed up and down the street
some few times, and then knocked at the door,
which was opened by red-aced, buAom fc-
male, who had thrown 4 capacious shawl over
her head and shoulders to avoid the incemen-
cy Of the weather, and to her pert summons,
what he wanted at that late hour it was nigh
twelve oclock he said he wished to speak to
Mr.. Jetferies upon important business, which
would admit of no delaj. She babe him wipe
his feet, as the streets were dirty, and step into
the passage while she went to inform her mas
ter that Il lierce-looking man wished to say
WORD to him. She shortly returned, saying that
Mr.. Jeftores was then too much occupied to
attend TO any visitor al that late hour
c,;J lao, al ~, -
and feeble voice, ''that one allied to him by
every tie that should bind one man to another
must speak to HIM.
lie was shown into an Office, and told to wait
until the master of the house could find it con-
venient to speak to him. In a few minutes the
door was opened and a respectfully attired CT
derby man stood before.
"Nou have come, SIR" he said, in a cool
even tone, without recognising his visitor, cat
a most unreasonable hour. In what way dc
you wish me to serve you? You must be brief
as my time is in such great demand that can
not waste it upon triAes, far less on you, whom
| hate far more than the vicst wretch that
crawls these London streets"
edward" said the other, in hollow, un-
earthly tone, 1--WE should not meet like this
when sc many long and tedious years have
passed away since last we met-but let that
pass. Ny wife and child are, at the present
moment, perishing o. want, in an obscure gar
ret on the other side of the Thames, and have
come to supplicate from you a small sum ol
money to save them from the grave; every mo-
ment is of consequence to them and me. Even
now fee! the thorny pains of hunger gnawng
at my heart; but this is naught, compared to
the suferings of those who are dearer to me
than life"
''Know this, then," said the other, in tho
same unru.lied tone, "that were you and your
on the brink of the grave, as | had hoped yol
were ere this, would mot give you one farth
ing of my hard earned gains to save you al
from perdition. You GENE here no more; your
way lies thete-mlne heeej good night and tn,
speaker coo!y left the room.
The brother, who had drunk to the dregs o
the cup of adversely, said no more, but will
clenched hand and distorted features, rushed
from the house, while his kind relation return
cd to an adjoining chamber, there to drown
care in the Lethean nectar.
In garnet devoid of every essential to thu
enjoyment of life, pale-iaGed woman and he
child were sleeping on a miserable pallet
stretched on the floor. BY their side sat a mar
who was the very personaton of death itself
lone, frendess being; one with whom the
world had long been on unfreadly terms.
The dense fog which had enyeloped the me-
tropos two nights ago, had given place to d
bright sky and moon, which threw palld lus
ire on TIE walls of a dismantled chamber The
man was gazing with distracted air upon the
sleepers, and, anon, passing his hand across
the woman's face, tic assure himself that dealt
had not yet set his gasp upon the lovely care
worn being, who was all his world-the sub
iect of his thoughts and dreams by night
Sharp misery had worn the young mother tc
the hone hectic flush, the undeniable precur
ser of the body's exhaustion and premature de-
cay, covered her face; the grave and she were
surely soon 20 be boon companions.
The broken man--tor such he was-had
long been on ill terms with the world, buffetec
to and fro by adverse winds on the great ocear
of life for many, many years, and at last dash
ed on a desolate rock, from which there APP
peared to be no retreat. He had been untor'
tunatein trade; hurled, in one little day, from
a respectable tradesman to a trendess outcas
of society," wandering vagabond. lie hae
by every means in his power, supported hlmsel
and family, until sickness and want laid the
heavy hands upon him, and prevented hin
from holding mental office which he had oh
tanned through the instrumentality OF the MAJ
from whom he rented his miserable apartment
He had been forced, much against his will
but stern necessity overleaps apparently, I'M
surmountlble dfficulties) 70 bem from RE!
Drolacr, WhO had pursued him through liG
with ilendsh hatred, u tride whereWith to sup
port life. The rest is in the possession Of th'
reader.