The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1851-09-03


purity Of purpose. which. when pre-
served, scarce attracts a passing COM
mendatiun: yet. il lost, al the world,
the fair Of the land, and gnipif maleso-
lence, fail net 20 scathe 60 the hearts
core The misery gaaded wretch. She
stood beside me propr;rter's counter.
while he. arrased in his iiashy ward
robe, aud urnamented with seals, KEYS
and chains. fnmbled over the garment,
examined the seams, testified the
strength Of sewing, found fault with
this, and sbjected 10 tliai; and with all
the vulgar ccarseness and tsrannical
stupidity peculiar 10 the drieer Of a
slap shop" or the debauched mana
ger Of second-rate theater. Shears,
the proprietor, dealt out his i'll humor
to the half famished. pale woman be-
foe him. At length he consented 10
take the garment in. half finished as he
proclaimed il to be. and sulkiIy threw
the wretched seamstress quarter of
dollar upon the counter. She grasped
it; it was the link between her and
dissolution. She stood for a moment,
waiting for more work.
/" You may CO." said the proprietor.
Have you no more work, sir !"
No; you don'l deserve any more. If
! intended logise you mnre work. should
have made you work The button ioies OF
that foal nrer again."
. Bui, sir, how can afford 10 10 na.er
work on such roaise garments, a. such a
price 7"
.Plice WHY, can gel better work
done. hnnd.eds will be glad of The chanre
to mike one Of them coats for three .fppe-
ny bits 2"
Ali, sir. have twD small children 10
provide bread and fire for work in
ressan,ly on ene OF lhose c. ais from day
break mill midnight. ! a."
Well. well-no matter. I've no more
work iar son a, present, anyhow, so you
may 90 along"
Aud The arbner of the late of this wn-
man, and many others in The same niser-
able situation, : ood of 10 enjoy his rigar,
while The seamsiress reirared her steps
back To her home ol fororn wreirhedness.
As she paced along. in frame Of mind
bordering on frantic despair, she passed
an apolhecary's. A strange, mad mo,icr
flashed upon her brain! As il propelled
by some Invisible spirit o. destruction, sIl,
entered The 9 iicine shop and called iol
m ounce Of landannm The sI,opman, o
course, hesilaie.l mol. as wild and despe.
rae as his customer looked, ln sell her Tie
deadly drangh,, and extracted lis pay from
the poor wnman's list har,l-e;rned coin;
he threw her The change, and she again
bent her steps towards her dive ling. The
few pennies remaining suilired 10 buy 4
small loaf al a neig ghboling grocery. This,
and some drrgs oil lea warmed over the
blaze Of handful OF shavlngs on The
hearth. provided for The mcagrc repas, oi
the widows children.
After their meal, on some prelence or
other The widow sent her children 10 a
neighbor's house. and then drawing The
vial from her bosom. she prayed God 10
be The protector 10 her ahspring while
she sought refuge from her unbearable
burden olpnverty and woe, in self-desruc-
tion.
She's moi dead she's warm ,el, and
! breaihcs. said one.
Poor dear SOUL sighed another. She
has looked like death for long time, and
her lille girl says her mother never went
to bed last night al all The poor dear
creatures worn out, good long sleep will
do her good.'
.Ay.' says The first speaker, an old wo-
man. and she'll sleep sleep that knows
no waking; run quick some one Of you gel
the doctor. the wonan's taken poison
look, I've found The bottle under her head !
| Some Of them cried: some screamed
and bawled, while none started Tor The
doctor; and amid all Tic din and waillng
in came The widows children, though
some mains had been manifested TO keep
them away from the scene. The children,
surprising their parent dead, screamed IN
concert WIFI tft uctgHuuiSf WIN tfaN
come in upon the lirst iniImatlon IRON
the children. that returning home they
had found their mother so iasl IN sleeT
,hey could moi arouse her.
She awoke the din aroused her. Hel
eyes were CLASSY. her lips parched. bu
over her sill pleasan, aud comely feature:
PLAYED smile. She gazed around he'
ior moment upon The anxious face:
bending over her bed; she graspcd her
childlpn 10 her breast. aud IN calm
sweet voice. spoke:
%. why did yol, call me back iron
, heaven!'
Mother - Mother! screamed The chill
dren. 4,
sMy God! Ny Children !" and viii
,he iirsl force Of re-se,lled consciousness:
,he widow aImns, lranucslly hugged he
children, and then in the next inslan
| bound, d Off ihe bed. by strong effort Q
! mind aver matter, flew 10 an old chest ',
/. an opposite corner, throwing back The il'l
. She sn.chrd ou, a mucliwarn q, af'o 81