Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1851-08-28


my eyes: may be spared my sight,
What could Millicent say, when her own eyes
fresh at the work as thev were began 10 dim
making the delicate, tiny stitches run into each
other, as if they had life and motion? She re.
mained silent; and Ruth, completely worn ont
saddened, and now become pensive. did not care
to say anything further. When Mi!iccnt mex,
looked up, her head had sank on her bosom and
with needle and work still in her hand-with
thread half drawn through the seam: which was
almost falling from her lap, the poor seamstress
was asleep.
| A long interval elapsed, and Millcent had fla
ished The dress, just as her aching wrist could
hold up no longer. At this moment she heard a
subdued step on the landing. and Mary entered
Her face was flushed and heated, and an unna-
tural light shohe in her eyes, which, as they met
M'llicen,'s, flashed under her darkly ciouded
brow like lightning.
"Stil at work0nisht and day at wo.kv' she
cried. "And poor Ruth, she looks just like a
corpse.''
81 let her stay where she was" replied Milli-
cent, apolosetically, 'because knew, if I woke
her to lie down; she would insis, ti resuning
work. But it is done ridw. and vii! get her to
bed.'
But Ruth's light s,eep, the mere lull Of fatigue
was already disturbed by their voices.
'Thank you, thank you, kindy,'' she said,
kissing Millicent's hand. "How good of vou 10
help me, when so tired yourself. Dear Mary
amt you very late?''
"Yes, it's one O'clock
"Ihen let us say prayers, and 20 10 bed"
81 amt goin' to say r aye = any more. Why
should l? l gels no good BY it,"
ooh, Mary! don't talk so-its wicked. II
you'd only pray, dear, it would console you.-
You'd find as even us have a good deal to be
| thankful for, and there was never trucr words
than them in the Psalm---'how joyful thing il
is to give thanks unto the Lor,'' was pining
myself, Just now, but Mi!licent kindly told me
how wrong il were; and hope shan't ever mur-
mnr again."
81 wish YOU and Millicen: 'ud mind your own
business. and leave me alone," returned Mary,
p,tulan.lv.
But before many minutes had elapsed, those
Sharp and hastv words were bitterly repen.ed;
and when Millicent and Ruth laid down by her
side. Mary's eyes were bathei in tears.
CHAPTER XIV.
few days at Mrs Liightfoots acclimated Mil
licent 10 the close and pestiental Workshop
But this was followed by the natural and usual
consequences; and the foul atmosphere combin-
ed with incessant tol, confinement, and bad and
insufficient diet, stole the sof; rich bloom from
| her cheek. dimmei the luStre of her eve, wasted
her lovely form, and broke and bowed down her
once cheerful spirit. Ollv her noble, iuimutab!e
endurance remained unshaken.
In this dep!orable situation. she learned acci-
dentally. on taking some work TO a bazaar, that
she could procure employment as maker of
wax flowers. an art she had acquired for amuse-
| ment and, coaferrinr WITH Ruth, the few shil-
lings requ red for materials and implements were
raised at pawnbroker's and she commenced op-
erations forthwith. She was now able. by work
ing the same number of hours as before, to earn
between five and six shilln-s week and had
the additional advantage Of exchanging Mrs
Lightfoo:'s workshop for that of Like, where,
confined il was, the was not absolutely poi
son.
Thus things continued FOR little time, when
! one of those periodical suspensions of trade so
frequent in the unhappy region Of Sp.talfelds.
and productive Of such disastrous and fatal effects
| threw both Erke and Mary ont Of work. The
| whole family were now dependent IN Millicent
| and Ruth. whose united wages. swelied by the
triiing sum earned by Mrs Fielding. amounted to
scarcely seven shlin,s weekly. On that scant
income five persors were TO subsist. after paying
| nearly half for rent.
NJ lIicen bore up b-avely. Slch hearts as hers
are made 10 struggle, to suffer, aad to show in
suffering their innate. their ti,arfellods grodness
And when the erring and feeble creature. at bcs,
| imperfect. offers such beautiful example. can
we ask more convincing testimony to the su-
preme benehcence of the Creator? OF a yerity.
every aflliction flesh is heir to, purposeless ana
crude though il seem. has its appointed miss on
the Ike n. excrnc'atiug pangs of hunger yet it is
strar ge how little food the human frame, with all
its wondrous and complicated mechanism. can
conirive TO exist on. How MiIiicent and the
Feldings lived was a mystery 10 themselves! 4
few green onions, stump of cabbage, picked mp
from green-grocel's waste, and slice OF bread
or, perhaps two or three radishes. AMI some
nattles was their fare for weeks and worse than
all, they were unable TO procure fresh drinkable
water!
One morning, after a brief and troubled sleep.
Millicent rose with the light. determined IA 20
herself to the pool, and procure an extra s;rply.
Though instructed by Mary, il was with difficult
ty she made ont the way; but at last after ira
versing labyrinth of crooked courts and passa-
gcs. she arrived at crazy wooden stair, descend
ing to stream filthy beyond description.
A drain for the miserable dwellings piled each
side on its brink, it was turtle polluted by the
most abomnable refuse. including the putrid car
casses of dead cats. fostering and fermenting in
the rising SUM- Millicent turned from it in loath-
ing but next moment stepped back Where else
could she allay her burning thirst?
Her pitcher filed, MilIitent was leaving the
fruitful plague stream, wheri figure appeared
above, lowering over the stair, who might have
been taken for its tutelary genius. Matted hair.
a wild and haggard look. anI his gaunt. meagre
form, the impcrsonifcation of famine, too clear
" denoted one of the distressed weavers, but il
was not IN tniS nnmDle anu WOFiQlV llThl tnat lie
viewed himself scroll on his hat was Inscribed
III large letters, With the word "JUDGNENT.'
and he held up staff. snrmounted BY placard
which, in accordance with the blazon on his hat
bore this wrathful announcemen.-
THE CITY HAS BEEN WEIGHED IN THE BAL
ANcE. AND GIVEN OVER TO SWIFT DESTRUCTION.
BEHOLD, THE PLAGUE! THE PLaGUEr'
With feeling of irrepressble dread, Mlicent
hurried past the psauio-Joaah, and mp the court.
never looking behind till she reached home
There. her thoughts were soon engrossed by
new incident
She was az work in the icrt. where the unweliy
loom nov stool idle when she was disturbed by
an unlslal noise beew. ani fastening down
stairs, found Mrs Fielding sobbing and crying.
Luke with his face buried in his hands, IN mite
despair md Mary. who had latserly been every
dav mnre and more wilfll. and seemingly quite
Indifferent 20 every thing aronni. for the moment
touched by the deep grief. os her parents.
"What has happened?" cried Miilicent. with
an exclamation Of sympathy. Mary, tell me
pray tell me.''
~ cart without cnrsin'-withons wishin' cs
I'll never heen born. and that of us had :"
swerad Mary. What did we come into the
world for, if we're never TO know nothiu' but
mis,rv-ever and ever m;serv?'
''IIush! hush! Mrry." said Mil cent, soo'h-
inglv. ave must not be so impatient"
''She says what's true. however," cried Mrs
Fielding; land its eroI-h 10 make the stones
sneak but the poor. know, has got no right 10.
No, and lbs all one 20 father there, who'll keep
IN tho Same ,va,. do;n. people turns. no m1tter