Saturday morning visitor., 1848-12-16
From the Christian Keepsake for 1849.
THE LAST PENNY. ID
by T. S. ARTHUR.


Thomas Claire, son of St. Crispin, was
a clever sort of man; though not very
well off in the world. He 0as industri-
ous, but, as his abilities were small, his
reward was proportioned thereto. His
skill went little beyond half soles, heel.
taps and patches. Those who, willing to
encourage Thomas, ventured 10 order from
him new pair Of boots or shoes, ne, err
repeated the order. That would have
been carrying their good wishes for his
prosperity rather too far.
AS mtimated, the income of Thomas
Claire was not large. Industrious though
he WAS, the amount earned proved so
small that his frugal wife always found it
Insufficient for an adequate supply Of the
wants Of the family, which consisted of
her husband, herself, and three children.
1t cannot be denied, however, that If Tho
mas had cared less about his pipe and mug
Of ale, the supply of bread would have
been more liberal. But he had 10 work
hard, and must have some little selfin-
dulgeDce. AT least so he very concIu-
sively argued. This selfindulgence cost
from two TO three shillings every week, a
sum that would have purchased many
comforts for the needy familiar.
The oldest of Claire's children, girl
ten years of age, had been sickly from her
birth She was a gentle, loving child,
the iavorite of all in the house, and more
especially of her father. Little Lizzy
would come up into the garret where
Claire worked, and sit with him sometimes
Tor hours, talking in strain that caused
lim TO wonders and sometimes when she
did not feel as well as USUAL, lying upon
the floor and fixing upon him her large
bright eyes for almost rs long a period
LiZZy was never so contented as when
she was with her father; and he never
worked SO oheerfully as when she was
near him.
Gradually, as month after month went
by, Lizzy wasted away with some disease,
for which the doctor could find no remedy.
Her cheeks became paler and pa!cr, her
eyes larger and brighter, and such weak
ness fell upon her slender limbs that they
could with difficulty snstain her eight.
She was no longer able TO Chamber up the
steep stairs inlo The garret, or loft, where
father worked; yet she was there as Of
ten as before. Claire had made for her
hltle bed, raised short space from the
floor and here she lay, talking TO him or
looking at him, as Of old. He rarely
went mp or do"n the garret stairs with
out having Lizzy in his arms. Usually
her head was lying upon his shoulder.
And thus the time went on, Claire, for
all the love he felt for his sick child-Or
all the regard he entertained for his fami-
ly-indulging his beer and tobacco as IL
snal, and thus consuming, weekly, por-
ton Of their little income that would have
brought 10 his children many comfort.
No one but himself had any luxuries.-
Not even for Lizzy's weak appetite were
dain,ies procured. II was as much as the
mother could do, out of the weekly pit
tance she received, to get enough coarse
food Tor the table, and cover the naked
ness Of her family.
To supply the pipe and mug of Claire,
from two to three shillings a week were
required. This sum he usually retained
out Of his earnings, and gave the balance,
whether large or small, TO his frugal wife,
No matter what his incomd happened 10
be, the amount necessary to obtain these
articles was rigidly deducted, and as GER
tainly expended. Without his beer,
Claire really imagined that be would not
have strenth sufficient to 60 through with
the weekly toil-hoM his wife managed to
get along without even her regular cup of
good tea, ii had never occurred to him 10
ashland moi to have had pipe 10 smoke
in the evening, or after each meal, would
have been deprivation beyond his abil-
ty to endure. So, the two or three shil-
lmgs went regularly in the old way.--
When the siXpences and pennies congre-
gated in goodly numbers in the shoema-
ker's pocket, his visits to the ale house
were oien repeated, and his extra pipe
smoked more frequently. But, as his al
lowance for the week diminished, and il
required some searching in the capacious
pockets, where they hid themselves away,
TO find the struggling coins, Claire found
il necessary to put some check upon his
appeiites. And so il went on, week al-
Ter week and month after month. The
beer was deank, and the pipe smoked as
usual, while The whole family bent under
the weight Of poverty that was laid upon
them.
Weaker and weaker grew little Lizzy.
From the coarse food that was daily set
before her, her weak stomach turned, and
she hardly took sufficient nourishment' 10
keep life in her sllenuated frame.