The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1847-01-23

cloak, and pressing her hands together,
burst into tears.
II was not an action of an ordinary
beggar, and my curiosity was strongly
excited by it. ] desired her 10 follow
me TO The house of friend hard by,
whose beneficence ! have often had oc-
casion to know. When she arrived
there. she was so fatlgued and worn out
that it was not till after some means
used to restore her, that she was able
TO give us an account of her misfor-
tunes.
Her name she told us was Collins:
the place of her birth one of The North
ern counties of England. Her father,
who had died several years ago, left her
remaining parent with the charge Of
her, then a child and one brother, lad
Of seventeen. By his industry, no "
ever, joined to that of her mother, they
were tolerably supported, their father
having died possessed of a small farm
with the right OF paslurage on an ad-
joining common, from which they OBJ
laned Il decent livelihood; that last
summer her brother having become
acquainted with recruiting sergeant
who was Quartered in a neighboring
village. was by him entIced to enlist as
Il soldier, and soon after was. marched
off, along with some other recruits. to
join his regiment; ;,that this she believed,
broke her mothers heart, for that she
had never afterwards had u days health,
and at length had died about three
weeks ago. That Immediately after
her death. the steward employed by the
squire OF whom the farm was held, took
possession OF everything Tor the arrears
of their rent. That, as she had heard
her b~n,her's regiment was in Scotland
| wien he enlisted, she had wandered
hitler IN quest ol him, rs she had no
other relation n the world 10 own her!
| But she found on arriving here, tina, the
regiment had been embarked several
months before, and was gone great
ways of, she could not tell wi!her.
"fhis news" SAID she, "laid hold of
my heart: and have had something
wrong here" putting her hand 10 her
bosoln, sever since. | got bed and
some victuIis Of n woman here in town.
10 whom told my story. and who
seemed To pity me. had then Il little
bundle of things which had been al,
lowed to take with me after my moth
er's death; bat the night before last
some body stole it from me while ! slept:
and 50 the woman said she would keep
me no longer. and turned me out into
the street, where have since remained.
and am almost tamished for want"
She was now in better hands, but
our assistance had come too late. A
frame nafuraliy DELICATE, had yielded to
the latisues other journey and the hard
ships Of her siluaion; she declined by
slow hut uninterrupted degrees, and on
Yesterday hrealhed her last. A short
while before she expired, she asked 10
see me, and taking from her bosom Il
little silver locket, which she told me
had been her mo olher's, and which all
her disiresses could not make her part
with, begged would keep i, for her
dear brother, and give il 10 him, il ever
he should return home, as token ol
her remembrance.
J felt this poor girls fate strongly;
butl tell not her story merely 10 in
duge my feelings. would the ref1ec-
tons it may excite in my readers. use
fu to others who may suffer from sml-
lar causes. There are many, fear,
from whom their country has called
brothers, sons or fathers, TO bleed in
their service, forlorn. like poor Nancy
Collins, with '.no leiaton IN the world
10 own them" Their suherings are
often unknown, when they are such as
most demand compassion. The mind
that cannot obtrude its distresses on
the ear Of pity, is formed to feel their
poignancy the deepest.
la our idea of military operations,
we are too apt to forget the misiortunes
Of the people. In defeat, we think Of
The fall. and in victory, OF the glory of
commanders; we seldom allow our
selves to consider how many. in low
er rank. both events make wretched;
how many, amidst the accIamalions OF
National triumph, are left to the. help
less misery Of the widow wed and Or
phan, and while victory celebrates her
festival, feel in their distant novels, the
extreniites Of want and wretchedness.
Il was with pleasure saw, among
The resolutions in late patriotic as
semhly in this city, an agreement To
assist the poor families Of our absent
soldiers and ssamen. With no less
satisfaction. lssend in some late news
papers, benevolent notice for alneel-
ing of gentlemen, To consider n euh.