Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-05-12

out charring, and the mans bricklayer. In
| the front, there's man called Gegg and his
daughter. fancy they re people that have been
| better Oft at some time Of their lives. lie has
been tradesman-a cooper, he tells me; but
things went badly with him; and since he came
here his wife died of the fever and he's been so.
weakly ever since he had it, that he can earn no.
thing. His daughter lives hylher needle
Mary was out; she had gone TO take home some
work, i'll hopes OF getting immediate payment for
it. couple of shillings would purchase them
coal aud food, and they were much in need of
both. John was sitting by the seanty fire. with
his daughters shawl over his shoulders, looking
wan, wasted, and responding.
MIR. Benjamin, the landlord, Mr.. Glegg,' said
Harker.
| John knew they owed little rent and was
afraid they had come to demand it. I'm sorry
my daughters out, gentlemen he said. Will
you be pleased to take a chair9'
MIR. Benjamin is going round his property
said Harker. He is proposing to make a few
repairs, and do little painting and whtewash.
ing, to make the rooms more airy and comforta-
ble.'
That will be good thing, sir, answered Glegg
"a very good thing; for l believe it is the close
ness of the place that makes US country folks ill
when we come to London I'm sure I've never
had days health since I've lived here
You We been very unlucky, indeed Mr.. Glegg,'
| Saiu llaIheT. Dut you KNOW, ii we lay out money,
we must look for return. We must raise your
rent
Ah, sir, suppose So, answered John with
| sigh; and how we are to pay it, don't know
If could only get well, shouldn't mind; for I'd
rather break stones on the road, or sweep cross
ing, than see my poor girl Shaving from morning
to night for such pittance.'
If we were to throw down this partition, and
open another window here,' said Harker to Mr.
Benjamin, ut would make a comfortable apart
ment OF it. There would be room then, for
bed in the recess
Mr.. Benjamin, however, was at that moment
engaged in the contemplation of an ill-painted
portrait of girl, that was attached by pin
over the chimney-pi 1t was without frame,
for the respectable gilt one that had formerly en-
circled it, had been taken off, and sold to buy
bread. Nothing could be coarser than the exc
cution of the thing, but as is not unfrequently
case with such productions, the likeness was strik-
ing; and Mr. Benjamin, being now in the habit of
seeing Mary, who bought all the meal thew used
at his shop, recognized it at once.
That's your daughter, is it g he said.
Yes, sir; she's often at your shop for meal;
and if it wasn't too great liberty would ask
you, sir, if you thought you could help her to
some employment that's better than sewing; for
it's hard life, sir, in this close place for young
creature that was brought up in the free country
ar: not that Mary minds work, but the worst
, is, there's so little to be got by the needle and
, it's such close confinement
Mr.. Benjamin's mind, during this address OF
poor Glegg's, was running on his guinea. He felt
3 distrust of the honesty of both father and
daughter; and yet being far from hard hearted
, person, their evident distress and the mans sick.
ness disposed him to make allowance for them
t 'They couldn't know that the money belonged
y to me, thought he, adding aloud Have YOU nc
e no friends here in London?'
Il No sir, none. I was unfortunate in business
a in the country. and came here hoping for better
O luck; but sickness overlook us, and we've neye,
o been able to do any good. But, Mary, nv daugh
# ter, doesn't want for education, sir; and NOR.
l., honest girl never lived
o Honest, is she 3? said Mr.. Benjamin, looking
/. Glegg in the face.
iii answer for her, sir, answered john wht
thougnt the old gentleman was going to assist he
! to situation. ''You1l excuse me mentioning
S it. sir; but perhaps it isn't every one distressed
we were, that would have carried back that none,
v she found in the meal: but Mary would do it
o even when said that perhaps it wasn't yours
d and that nobody might know whose it was whicl
% was very wrong of me, no doubt; but ones mint
n gets weakened by illness and want, and could n
l. help thinking of the food it would buy us; bu
Mary wouldn't hear of it. I'm sure you NIGH
n trust Mary with gold, sir and it would be rea
d charity to help her to situation, if you knew
), such thing
It Little deemed Leah that morning, as she hand
a hard-earned shilling, that she had spoiled he
It own fortunes, and that she would ere night, b.
called upon to abdicate her stool behind the coun
d ter IN favour of that humble customer; and We
f SO 1T was. Mr.. Benjamin could not forgive he
;. derellcton from honesty, and the more he had
trusted her, the greater was the shock to his con
+ hdence. Moreover, his short sighted views o
i. human nature, and his incapacity for comprehen
ding its infinite shades and varieties caused hin
e TO extend his i'll opinion farther than the delin
t. quent merlted. In spite of her protestatons, b.
q could not believe that this was her first misde
o meanour; but concluded that, like many othe
if people In the world, she had only been reputed
j. honest because she had not found out. Leaf
IS soon found herself in the very dilemma she haC
e deprecated, and the apprehension of which hat
d kept her so long practically honest-without &
it situation, and with damaged character.
!. AS Mary understood bookkeeping, the duties
!: OF her new office were learned, and the only
evil attending it was, that she could not take care
i OF her father But determined not to lose her
Mr.. Benjamin found means to reconcile the diff
Guilty by giving them a room behind the shop
Where they lived very comfortably, till Gegg
: recovering some portion of health, was able te
= work little at his trade
In process of time, however, as infrmity began
: to disable Mr. Benjamin for the daily walk from
k his residence to his shop, he left the whole man.
agement of the business to the father and daugh-
t ter receiving every shilling of the profits, except
g the moderate salaries he gave them, which were
sufhclent to furnish them with all the necessares
n OF iite' though nothing beyond But when the
was found that be had left everything be posses
/, SEQ to Mary Glegg, except one guinea, which,
It without alleging any reason, he bequeatbed TO
a Leah Leet.
d MAY VERSES