Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-10-09
MONTPELIER, THURSDAY, OCTOBER Q. 1915

and ran to their homes heads were thrust out at
the windows; some shullled to their own rooms,
mat they might be ready if called on Others intru-
ded themselves in the way with an obsequious cur
tesy, sol came to the doors with their little ones
peeglng from behind their aprons and all around
were on tlptoe of expectation.
rs they climbed the crcaltng stairs, and explored
inc naked garrcs of the various houses it was sim
guar TO mark the dissimlarity in character and cir
cunstance5 of the various inmates alike only in
Their poverty. Even in form aud feature their CON
trasl was striking. In the countenance of some
might be Enthusiastically read the sensual and the
BRUSH, while In the ljncamcnts OF others nirht be
traced notwithstanding the dirt and rags. the pre-.
dominance OF the gentle and even the refned.--
llere was the round check boor who faltcnrd amid
INC nun winch seemed natural to him and here the
angular featured man Of thoughtund Of observation
whom more favorable circumstances nipht have
placed IN different sphere. The student Of hu-
man character could not have desired better field
Tor lh2 prosecution of his studies than such "A one
as ms ana the more so, as character was so orc
DY developed Tor good or evil, unwcakencd by any
OF me Influences which affect civilized life. Mrs.
Mo"oray, as she joined her husband in kind con.
Versllon with the various flmilics they visited
soon began to feel deep interest in thcm. sooth-
ngy advised with them, and relieved some Of their
mos, pressing wants.
Ihoy had completed their intended rounds Of vi.
''r So ''siN leaving Llt court 10 return UNNC
ward when young woman carrying in her hand
mlIIner's basket crossed before them. She was
very mcanly clad, and her appearance bespoke
dcep poverty, yet there was an air Of responsibility
about her that could not be mistaken. She evidently
shrunk from observation; but as she looked up with
Il surprised nj: at The unusual sight of two rcspcc
tably dressed persons in such place, her sad coun
tenance beaming with intelligence 50 orcibly In
pressed Mr. Mowbray, that he stepped her. and
M ol bnr vhnrp gbp liypI ,tisl
pay her visit.
The young woman courtesyed, ana led the way to
a house superior to most of those they had Just
left, but scarcely less wretched and ruinous. 1t
was a large building, and had perhaps once been
tenancd by the wealthy but had long since fallen
into decay, and its lofty, capacious rooms had been
divided into number Of small ones each Of which
contained family, large or snail, as the case
might be- Mr.. and Mrs. Mowbray followed the
young woman up the wide staircase to the top of
the house and then turning into a long gallery,
their guide stopped at length at door, and lifting
the latch with courtesy and an apology for the
of the roon ushered them into her a
parlment, and busting the chair. There was but
one,) invited Mrs. Mowbray to take seat
The room was spacious, and appeared the larger
in consequence of being so scantily furnished
Some half dozen old books lay on the window, a
few articles Of crockcry ware were arranged on
box in the corner Of the room, and these, with
little table, Il chair, and a box which seemed to
serve occasionally for seat, comprised nearly all
the articles visible in the rooul Everything, bow
ever, was clean and tidy and there was an air Of
decency and responsibility about the room which
pleasngy contrasted with those they had Just left.
Do you live here alone, pray" inquired Mr.
Mowbray.
No, SIR replied the young woman fceby, 'my
aged mother lives with me but pointing to a bed
at the farther end of the roou, and which the gath
ering shadows of evening had prevented them
from before obseving) she is i'll, and has been con-
fined to her bed for the last month";
Have you no father" inquired Mr.. Mowbray.
The young girl was silent fora moment as her
tongue struggled to articulato an answer while a
tear trickled down her check
My father is dead, sir she replied, he died =
bout SIX months ago. after a short illness, and we
we're in consequence compelled to leave our form
er nice home, and take this ROOM
And pray do you support yourself and your mo-
Their" asked Mr.. Mowbray, glancing at the table,
which was srewed with pieces Of lace, ribbon, &c.
j make caps and collars, sir said the young fe-
male, when can get work to do; but it is very
precarous and so badly paid for, that have been
Obliged to pawn nearly all our furniture to keep
out Of debt. | am unwilling that my poor mother
should be chargeable 10 the parish but my hard
est cXertions are insufficient to supply us even with
bread
ray. NIOll 10 YOU WOIh LOT! inquired AIS
Mowbray, looking curlously at ar unfinished cap
which lay Oh the table
work principally madam replied the young
woman, for the large lace shop in the street close
by. That cap, madam, will only bring me IS.
when it is finished, and have already spent nearly
day in making it, aud the materials cost Inc Is.
3D. Even this poor profit is to be reduced, for my
employer told me last night he could not afford TO
give Inc so much for them as the ladies' refuse to
give his price,
'Ladies, indeed:' exclaimed Mr.. Mowbray in
dlgnantly They little think, when they are so
merciless hunting for bargains how sadly they are
diminishing the wages Of the poor.
Mrs. Mowbray turned her head aside and blush
ed deeply, for she recognized in the cap before her
the counterpart of the one she had bought the
preceding day, and in the employer Of this poor
young woman the lacoman Of whom she had
bought it.
Mr.. Mowbray made some farther inquiries, and
leaving the poor cap maker trhe, promised to
send doctor to visit her mother, and to call on her
again; and Mrs. Mowbray, before leaving, gave
her an order, with an assurance that she would en-
deavor to interest her friends in her behalf
Mrs. Mowbray though ashamed and self-conyic-
ted, returned home pleased with her novel tour, and
henceforward was the frequent companion of her
husband on such occasions Bargain hunting had
been in her case the result rather of thoughlCss-
ness than of an uneeling dispositions and from
this time she was more liberal in her purchases,
and never ielt disposed to Geprecate the value of
article without thinking Of the poor cap maker.
She came to the wise conclusion, that an unneces-
sary or bad article can never be cheap and that
good article is worth fair price. A bargain was
ever after associated in her mind with deprecated
wages, and the misery and the charm which it had
once possessed in her eyes was entirely dspeed
by the recollection Of the sorrow and oppression
which were so often involved in its production.
FMARRIAGE,-A couple had been living to-
gether as man and wife in Philadelphia, for some
time. The gentlcman-pc perhaps becoming tired of
the incumbrance-reijlsed to support his reputcd
wife, She instituted suit to obtain her share of
his worldly substance. The defence was, that
they were not legally married. 1t appeared that
no clergyman, or minister of law, OBLIGATED at the
marriage ceremony; but that the parties acknowl-
edged themselves man and wife in the presence of
witnesses.
This Judge Sergeant decided to be a legal mar
rage and ordered the husband TO give security for
the payment of ten dollars per week for the sup