Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-04-20
MAREL1s NEW YEAR.

1t was a very cold, Miserable garret room
where Mabel Browne. a poor little bound
girl lay asleep one New years eve. The
windows were broken in great many places
and stuffed with old rags, that did not keep
out the cold at all !; even the snow drifted
in. and lay in little heaps upon the floor,
close to the foot of Mabel's straw pallet,
where she lay covered up with only piece
of old carpet. You wonder how she could
sleep at all in such place-you are sure
you could not Poor little Mabel she
knew Of no better things, Her parents had
been poor, and had to work hard even to get
something to eat and when they died, Ma
hel was bound out to huckster-woman, who
the aT l iongg hagd Ears s and worse treatment all
wait in the shop, run errands to carry things
home to customers work about the house.
wash and dress the children, and wait on
them, and twenty other things besides SO
that the poor child was tired enough to
sleep soundly when she was allowed to so to
bed, even on that miserable pallet.
By and by, while she lay there asleep, a
boy came clamoring at the door and flung il
open when he saw Mabel asleep, he shout
ed down stairs -:
Mother mother what do you think
Mabel amt up yet, and it's eight o'clock
and [ had to dress myself alone, and Jane
amt gettin' dressed neither. Isay, mother !!
The little girl sprung up hastily, wakened
by the rude noise, and hurried on her poo
ragged clothes, that she might go down t.
dress the children before her mistress
came up But she was not in time t
escape scolding for her laziness, accompa
, MED wi a slap. and an order to go ge
Bob and Jane ready for breakfast that min
ute Mabel was used to such treatment
she had to bear it daily and hourly. Sh
t did not cry or say werd, but dressed tn
5 children patiently, bearing what all thei
e rudeness and fretfulness though they I'M
tafed their mother and scolded her, an
j struck her because she had to wash them i
cold water, and pinched her because thei
!, hair was tangled and she could not comb
:, out without hurting them, and gave he
J trouble in great many ways. God ha
given the little girl gentle, patient. fol
" giving spirit, and so she had strength to re
y ceive meekIy all that she had to endure.
After she had given the children the
I. breakfast and swallowed hers, she went il
z, to the back room Of the little shop and s
= down amongst heap of evergreens, eed'
g and holly, and box, that she had been t.
r, ing up into wreaths for sale. A lady ha
Ie been there the day before and ordered
TO quantity of wreaths to decorate her parlors
is New Year dav, and Mabel had been ohligc
ID to sit up very late the night before to fms
t them. Now she was laying them careful
into large basket, in which they we're to
L sent home. She knew she would have
carry them. there was no one else to Rdo i
ID and no matter if it was storming-if t
- snow did lie deep upon the ground, and N
'st bel had no shoes-if the sharp. sleety Fl
st, was pouring down, and Mabel had no clio
It or warm covering. The huckster WON
neve. seemed to think that Mabel cot
Ike feel pain or cold or weariness and VIII
she came into the back room, and found t
girl and the basket Of evergreens still the
she scolled her sharply for waiting and ba
es- her begone at once to carry them home.
lid Mabel, all barefoot as she was, and with {
" ragged hood and an old scanly cape
,ut protect her from the driving sleet, star
out upon her erraud. Poor child, it SEE
ro- ed hard thing to have to contribute
lrn other peoples enjoyment and she 50 m
rabIe herself She thought how beauti
it the ladys parlors would be, adorned v
,ur the wreaths to make which her poor fng
had been torn and wounded how ric
'ou the crimson holly berries would shine
she from the dark leaves in the brilliant lis
and how happy children would romp ali
the rooms, never thinking of the poor cl
who had come barefoot through the SNOW