The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-02-06

knew, entertained other purposes IN re-
gard to her money.
So Anna gave her half dollar TO the
poor motherless children and she fell
happier for what she had done, than il
she had spent it in buying things to graf
ify herself.
Such was Anna, the little girl who was
now walking with her mother and bro
ther.
20, look!' she cried, stopping sud-
denly, and catching hold of her mothers
hand. 'There's poor woman and three
little children. It's SO cold, and they've
got no home. Can't give them my
sixpence?'
Just look at that unfeeling lady, said
Willy, speaking with some Indignation,
and pointing across the street, where a
lady, warmly clad, and with her hands
projected by muf, was passing the
beggars without offering them single
penny.
THAT is Mrs. L. replied the mo-
ther; 'and know her, my son, to be
any thing but an unfeeling woman
Why don't she offer the beggar a
penny, then? only wish l had some
money. Pd give it to her very quick.
Run over, sis, and give her your six
pence
Now, Willy had spent every cent
given to him during the holidays in buy
ing things for his own use. He did not
indulge at all in the luxury of benevo-
lence.
Mrs. L. replied the mother,
may not think it true charity to encour-
age women to sit, with their poor little
children, in the cold all day, begging for
pennies, instead of trying to support
them by useful work.
'Ah, but mother spoke up Will,
quickly, suppose they can't get work to
doP
Then don't you think it would be bet
ter for them to go, with their children, to
the Aims House, where they would have
warm rooms 10 stay in, good food to eat,
and comfortable clothes to wear-and
where they would be required to do
something useful? Idleness and beg
gary are next-door neighbors to vice.
Cant give her my sixpence? urged
Anna, whose heart was too full of sorrow
for the little children, all exposed to the
cold, to feel the force OF what her mother
said.
Certainly, DEAR if you wish to do
SO. The money is your own, was re-
piled.
So Anna ran across the street, and
placed her sixpence in the woman's
hand. When she returned, she looked
thoughtful. But little was said by her
on her way home. That evening as she
sat alone with her mother--Willy and
the other children were playing in the
nursery-she said:
q don't think that beggar woman was
a good woman, mother
9Why not, dear?' was the natural in
quiry.
4 can't tell, said Anna-'bu when
she looked into my face, | felt afraid.
o! Pm so glad she is not my mother.
Pm sure she is not good to her children.
Poor little things! I wish they were in
the Children's Home. They would be
so much better off,
There is no doubt of that my child
And the baby, mother. o! it had
such strange look. Its cheeks were
red and shining, and its eyes were half
closed 1t did not look as if it was
asleep and yet it wasn't awake. What
could have allied it, mother?'
'Beggar women, replied the mother,
'ofien give their babes large doses of
laudanum, or preparations from this dele
terious drug, to keep them quiet, while
they sit idly in the street.
sDoesit hurt them, mother?'
Ill makes them stupid and insensible
for few hours; and also destroys their
health. If it does not cause their death,
it lays the foundation for wretchedness In
the future.
Had the babe lspeak Of taken laud-
anum?
Il should think so from what you say, ;
replied the mother.
20 dear isn't it dreadful, mother? Why
don't they take the poor little children
away HUIu SuCn OdO WOtu6Lii dilu put
them into the Children's Home? Itwould
be so much better.
In that | agree with you entirely,
Anna. But, what is every body's busi-
ness, as they say, seems to be any body's
business. Our city officers, who are cho-
sen by the people to attend to the public
good, are not always as faithful in little
things as they should be.
Il only wish that ! was Mayor for a
little while," said Anna. tPd take up
every woman I found begging i'll the
street with a baby in her arms--that |
would And if they had been giving
them laudanum, or any of that kind Of
stuff, I'd take their babies away from
them, and put them in the Children's
Home
That would certainly be wiser than to
encourage them in idleness, and the i'll.
treatment Of their ten der offspring, by
giving them sixpences.
But there are some beggars who are
deserving,