Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-06-15

door, the wind IS drivIpg the RAIN into
the carriage" -,m.-.a,,.
The young girl turned away, the door
was closed, and the next moment the
coach was rolling rapidly over the pave
ment. For nearly minute she did not
move from the spot Shivering with cold,
faint for the want of food, and weary
from, having wandered through the
streets since morning, she knew not what
to do. She had been in the services of
Mrs. Warrington for several months, as a
seamstress, and had faithfully and salts
factorily performed her duties ; when
her father, clerk at a small salary, was
accused of having abstracted money, to
considerable amount from his employ
err He was now il prison, awaiting his
trial, and if found guilty, there was lit
tie doubt but that heswould be transported
for life.
| When this came to Mrs. Warrington's
ears, she at once dismissed poor Margaret
from her service, alleging as her reason
for so doing, that children generally fol-
low in the footsteps of their parents. By
some means, everybody, even from the
to know that Mrs. Warrington had dis
]
prove dishonest, hesitated to employ her.
After while, it even come to be limited
! that she had actually stolen both money
and iewelry from her late employer, who,
! from motives of compassion, had forborne
to mentioni it. For while, by means of
| the wages due her at the time she left
Mrs. Warrington's, she had been able to
subsist by paying an extraordinary price
for very poor board, to coarse woman,
| who almost daily reminded her that there
was not another decent person in the city
who would receive a girl like her into
the house. The woman, of course, per-
| mitted her to remain no longer than
while she had the means of paying ther,
when the poor girl, after many fruitless
attempts, added to the hundreds made
already, to obtain work, even though she
received nothing in return but her daily
food, gaining courage by desperation,
though refused the day previous, again
appealed to the compassion of Mrs. War
rlngton.
! Margaret, as has been said, remained
nearly q minute without stirring, after
| the carriage drove away. She had been
thinking of what Mrs. Warrington had
said with regard to a place provided for
paupers. Her first thought was that she
| should prefer perishing in the streets, to
! finding shelter in a workhouse, but the
cold rain dashed against her by heavy
gust of wind by increasing the acuteness
I of her suflerings, made her shrink from
! looking death in the face when presented
in so dreadful form. She walked on
rapidly as her nearly exhausted strength
would permit, when meeting one of the
police, she inquired the way to Lambeth
Work house. 1t was long way from
the place where she then was, and it was
nearly midnight when she arrived. She
rang the bell several times before the
porter made his appearance. He was ac-
companied by man by the name of
Dyke, who held some Office under the
guardians of rhe establishment.
Il am perishing with cold and hunger,
and have come here for shelter" said Mar
garet.
''What is your name?" demanded the
subordinate.
margaret Edgewood."
81 am certain,' said the porter, speak
ing aside to his companion, "that this is
the very girl dismissed from here this
morning. She was directed to find em
ploy ymcnt, and told not to return" He
then addressed himself to Margaret.
Sc You are the girl who left here this
morning. and was told not to return, as
you are able to earn your living"
&c 1 am not, indeed never was here
before
ssIt is very easy saying so, but much
less easy to make yourself believed
There is no admittance for you here-you
may 60"
She would have repeated her request
to be admitted, had not the door been
closed in her face.
s'I don't think said the official, "that
she is the girl dismissed from here this
morning.
"She may, or she may not be-" repli-
ed the porter. 's At any rate she'll get
her pay before morning for waking me
from the refreshing sleep had just fallen
into"
al think you'd better open the door,
let her in tonight" said the porter gruff-
ly, at the same time making active pre-
paration to resume the comfortable bed
] he had so unwillingly left at the sum-
mons of the houseless wanderer. The
benevolent impulses of Dyke, not being
remarkably active, yielded to his own
] desire for repose, and he said nothing
! more.
While the foregoing incidents were en-
ecting, as many as a dozen or twenty
high born and fashionable ladies. had as
sembled in an apartment, elegantly and
appropriately furnished for the purpose
intended. r .aeE
There was one among their number,
who, on account of her great personal
beauty, as well as the superior usefulness