Saturday morning visitor., 1848-12-16

But coarse bread and potatoes and butter
milk go against her weak stomach. All,
me! five only had li1le that the rich
waste ~
"There is curse in poverty !" replied
Claire, with bitterness that was unusual
TO him, as he turned his eyes upon his
child, who had pushed the food away thc1
had been placed before her, and " as look
ing at it with an expression of disappoint-
ment on her face. ga curse in poverty"
he repeated. "Why should my child die
for want of nourishing food, while the
children of the rich have every luxury ?"
In the mind of Claire, there was usual
ly dead calm. He plodded on, from day
TO day, eating his potatoes and buttermilk,
or whatever came before him, and work
ing steadily through the hours allotted 10
labor, his hopes or fears in life rarely ex-
citing him TO an expression Of discomfort
But he loved Lizzy better than any earth
ly thing, and 10 see her turn with loalh-
ing from her coarse food, the best he was
able 10 procure for her, aroused his slug
gish nature into rebellion against his lot.
But, he saw no remedy.
Cant we get something a little better
for Lizzy?" he said, as he pnshed his
plate aside, his appetite for once gone be-
fore his meal was half eaten.
Not unless you can earn more," re-
piled the wife. "Cut and carve and man
age as will, it's as much as l can do 10
get common food"
Claire pushed himself back fsom the
table, and without saying word more,
went up 10 his shop in the garre!, and sat
down 20 work. There was a troubled
and Respondent feeling about his heart
He did not light his pipe as usual, for he
had smoked up the last of his tobacco on
the evening before. But he had penny
lett, and with that, as soon as he had FIN
ished mending pair of boots and taken
them home, he meant TO pei new supply
Of the fragrrnt weed. The boots had on
| ly half an hours work on them. But n
few stitches had been taken by the cobler,
when he heard the feeble voice of Lizzy
calling 10 him from the bottom of the stairs.
| hat voice never came unreearded 10 his
ears. He laid aside his work, and went
down for his patient child, and as he took
her light form IN his arms, and bore her
up into his litile workshop, he felt that
he pressed against his heart the dearest
thing 10 him in life. And with this feel
ing came the bitter certainty that soon she
would pass away and be no more seen.--
Thomas Claire did not often indulge in ex-
lernal manifestations Of feeling; but now, ,
as he held little Lizzy in his arms, he
bent down his face and kissed her tender
| ly. A light, like CLEAN of sunshine,
fell suddenly upon The pale countenance
of The chlld, while faint but loving smile
played about her lips. Her father kissed
her again, and then laid her upon the lit
lie bed that was always reany for her, and
once more resumed her work.
Claire's mind had been awakened from
its usual lcaden quiet. The wants Of his
falling child aroused it into disturbed ac-
tivity. Thought beat for awhile, like
Gagged bird, against the bars Of necessity,
and then iluttered back into painting inbe-
cilhy.
At last the boots were dorie, and with
his thoughts now more occupied with the
supply of tobacco he vas to obtain, than
with any thing else, Claire started 10 take
them home. AS he walked along, he
passed fruit shop, and The thought of
Lizzy came into his mind.
"It we could afford her some Of these
nice thingsl'' he said TO himself. ~Tbey
would be food and medicine both, 10 the
dear child. ''But," he added, with sigh,
tive are poor I've are poor Such
dainties are not for the children of power
typ
He passed along until he came TO the
ale-house where he intended 10 get his
penny worth of tobacco. For the first
lime a thought of seli-denisl entered his
mind, as he stood by the door, with his
hand in his pocket, feeling for his solitary
copper.
"Ihis would buy poor Lizzy an orange"
he said to himself But them" was
quickly added, ~ would have no tobacco
to-day, nor tomorrow, for / won't be
paid for these boots before Saturday, when
Barton gets his wages"
Then came long, hesitatihg pause
There was before the mind of Claire the
image of the faint and feeble child with
the refreshing orange 10 her lips; and
there was also the image of himself en-
cheered for two long days by his pipe
But could he for moment hesitate, ii he
really loved that sick childp is asked -
Yes, he could hesitate, and yet love the
little sufferer; for, TO one Of his order of
mind and habits Of acting and feeling, a
self-indulgence like that Of the pipe, or a
regular draught Of beer, becomes so much
like second nature, that il is as il were,
part of the very life, and TO give it up
costs more than light effort.