New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-08-13


"PLKlsE. sir a penny for sweeping the crossing
sucb /, the request OF little girl. toiliug amid the
mud and slth 20 make the crossvay psssnble. She
ia beautiful. that poor child. Hers IL lace that
Won NAV Gaze on with interest The eye Is bright
and intelligent the mouth and teeth such rs many
a more fortunate maiden might envy the hair part
ed carelessy over the TER forehead DARK ana SIX
Ike the colntensnoe irll e sweetness and expires
sion As she speaks she looks up, and extends
her brown hand bat they the look and hand are
suddenly Withdrawn Yet that lOok-so hasnike
goes % the heart and starts the unbidden tear.
SO pitiful so modest, and yet so unavoidable 10 IL
You may see the shame--tae crushed spirit through
that face struggling against the circumstance, the
necessity that compes her 10 make this simple yet
eloouent sppeal As pause before her the warm
blood PUSHES into her pale cheek. and tears which
she vaiuly strives % repress. gisten in her eyes
God help thee poor child thou art expecting the
harsh word and fierce look. such as have 50 often
greeted thee to cay and they Will reno my young
heart again as they have before rent t-who
knows how terribly
But why shouldst thou not be thus ooldly treated
and rannIs.dl Thy garments are tsEtered they
hang in shreds about thee thy feet have no cover
- - protect them from the cold Thou art poor
rd uretcbed hapless child, and therefore defence
is.s. rhv shouldst thou not be repGlsed lne
hundreds who hurry past thee might readily spare
thee the penny thou askest out tnou ART oes
q =,
srs % many such as thee S0ch, tar gir, Is the
reasoning OF the crowd who pass thee by cro"ds
Who would feel for thee who would cneer thee'
who would aid thee. too, It they should pause one
moment to gaze on thee and reject 10 NOT 'n"A
tbev are al heartless indeed, they are not SO the!
Rnt wbv dost thou weep Nay, fear not shall
not hurt thee-no not for a world. Rare paused
10 rsFs-f. Come come cheer thee mere is '',ne'
Thou hast worked hard to day and got Mite ior VI!
! labor Thou hast done well, though tor whoever
does her best, does well
The child starts at my words she turns 'o"s'u
ms--,he seems amazed. Alas 50 rarely does she
-, ,bs voce of Kindness Now the tears, which
she has struggled hard % repress. eush iorth she
cannot restrain them that single word OF sympathy
has sent them hurrying up from their source ana
she NAV not conceal them even though she ny.
Come. come dry thy tears, poor child ana spsAA
"a mo Hast a father-a mother May be, II tney
need hello. it might be afforded them. Letuswaik
home you are weary IL Is near n's"' wv
soon 60 homeward
Ihe little rirl speaks not a word. but obeys me,
Nth stare as though she felt that some unac
countable presence were near her, and that some
thing most unusual had happened She leads me
through several streets, until at last we come I"
tall cheerless house, inhabited, evidently, by more
than score of families. We ascend the stars :
We 90 up-larup-to the very tOpO the huge oulid
ing and enter a small-a very smail-apartmenI
where the day light struggles through sontary
+ uindovy set in the roof The child walks into the
/ room and hands the piece OF money nave gwen
/ her 10 A woman who sits near chimney place
where a solitary brand is duly consuming. She Is
very pale and thin. that woman her eyes are large
and nstrous there is wildness m their stare thht
] startles YOU ! follow ciosey on the child ioot
/ stems The woman hears. ere she sees me. " /
/ have ACCOMPANIED the little girl % ask II ! may
serve YOU" Mother he gave me the only money
I cot All dav" Such the words that are spoken
/ and OBJ how sweet and mclociOus Is the emu
voice The mother looks steadiastly IN my lace
| for n moment size smiles she places her pare hah"
! on the girls head gazes Ondy 10 her young iace.
and bursts into tears The little creature though
she strives hard 20 be calm. sobs as If her heart
/ would break | stand in the midst OF the room,
| tSirling my hat in my hand. aud cannot SPEAK
! Not one OF US can give uttcrance to "ords
In few moments. however, ! rcpress my feel
ings look around me- and see now orthe hfst Tune
| two other forms lying IN corner wei neh con
/ cealea under n ragged quilt covering. They are
children. one OF them an infant so meagre, so Wsn
! and shadowy that he seems scarcely to be beng
| of earth Nv God shall ever forget that lace
Oh what has this poor babe done that' with abund'
nnce MI around him. he should be LETT 10 suffer al
most in solitude the pangs Of hunger and cold, IN
I'll III, flesh has persisted from lis little limbs, and
his frame is like that Of a skeleton | approach
his rude couch hush traces OF tears are on hs
baby cheeks let me not disturb him, for he sleeps
! To the day OF eternal WAkln-. toor Dol --hH
human power. however potent can rouse thee from
that slumber Thy sojourn here on earth was briei
! indeed. hur Oh uh0 kuous tao weight OF anguish
thar has pressed upon thy wreched life, until It has
crushed thee Thy little bedtelow and thy bro
Their some what older. and evidently Of more firm
constitution is not so pale thee there are in hl.
countenance indications OF nerve and spirit. which
thus far, have no doubt sustained him whilst thou
not endowed with the power TO struggle agains
thy fate hast sunk prematurely under 1t. He has
pillow ed thy aching head on his arm and sleeps be
side thee Heaven be with him, and comfort him
As vet he knows not thy doom. Now surely, b
needs His aid for cold humanity will suffer him +
remain here to starve and die, as thou hast stsrve
and died
The story of these children and this mother ma,
be told in few words. The father bad been poo
man, dependent bis daily labor for support
Sickness disabled him he fingered in AFFECT power
" for few weeks and died. The wife, heart
broken became i'll also she could not work for th'
support of her children. Desttution and misery
were their lot. The little sent out &
beg as an only resource and they starved mothe
and children-all, This is their history up 10 the
time visited them IL is the history Of thousands
IL is brief but a veritabe history yet how few
will reflect on its truth
| Baltimore March 20, lrf7.
| ~ The following from the Louisville Courier