Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-01-10

AAAo Will uouo w CdIo AOr tQem Or len0 3
helping hand
Charles, their only son, had been a Grip
pie from his infancy From him nothing
could be expected, and the girls, superficial
~ educated, tried at first to get school,
but failed after short time, from sheer in
ability to teach. In addition to their other
trials the hea tn of the youngest daughter
began to decline, and after months of pre-
tracted suffering they laid her to rest. This
was heavy blow, and had besides drained
their little stock of money. Plain sewing
or embroidering was next sought after, and
occasionally little was procured, but they
felt that they were sinking very rapidly,
although Charles had succeeded in getting
a few pupils to whom he taught drawing
and painting, but they scarcely renumera-
ted him, for he did not possess much talent,
and what little he had had not been Guilt
waited. Half educated and pennyless, they
struggled on as many others have done and
Will continue to do while this false state of
society is kept up, and tinsel passes current
for pure gold.
Mrs. Harper introduced herself and was
received by them with the courtesy of ladies,
lut she felt reluctant to enter into any
business matters, and having remained
some time she rose to depart. As she was
preparing to leave she saw half finished
picture on an easel and stopped to admire
it.
cit is the work of my son." said the old
lady, che teaches
All, here was an opening. Tom must
Immediately become a pupil and quarters
tuition paid. And that having paved the
way for other things, the girls, she was
told, could do any kind of embroidery and
we're very neat at plain sewing. And Mrs.
Harper was delighted to hear it, she had so
much sewing, and it would be so delightful
to have them coming to the house. And
Tom should come to them every day to get
his lessons, and they could live so neigh
borly and sociable. Or if they would like
it, she could get them scholars enough to
begin school; such school was needed
-one in which sewing would be taught.
And when Mrs. Harper left them, there
were no lighter hearts in the whole city
than theirs, although when they rose that
morning they were without cent in the
house or victuals to eat. She made it a
happy New Year to them
81 have but one place more to visit, Tom, -
said his mother, "and then we will end our
calls
This visit was to one of her favorite pen
sioners. Nancy Gray, an old maid, as she
was called, but an angel in human form, as
Mrs. Harper thought. She had been left
IN early orphan at an early age, and had
toiled late and early, to support her little
brothers and sisters, one of them blind from
her birth, and she had never ceased work.
ing for them. Some of them married and
became poor, and Nancy toiled for them !;
and one of them lost her husband, and had
large family, and Nancy toiled for them
too. And thus her whole life was spent in
labOring for others. And now she had
grown old and bed-ridden, and there was no
one to care for her but little girl, one of
her sisters grand children, for they were
all dead, her sisters and brothers, and she,
the oldest, hung as she said, like the last
leaf on the hough. But she was still so
pleasant and cheerful, and her little room
looked so neat, that it was pleasure to
visit her.
1t seemed to Tom that he had grown many
years older since he went out that morning
with his mother. He had seen life in so
many different respects, and had learned a
lesson that he never forgot. And whenever
he felt inclined to indulge in any useless
luxury, he recalled the events of that day,
and thought how much real poverty and suf-
fering could be relieved by the abnegation
of that which would afford us but a transient
pleasure.
Winter az the North.