Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-04-28

quiry. They found the house in the greatest
disorder, and the family in the keenest possible
distress. Mrs. Howard was moaning and
shrieking Historically; while Alice, with a
voice choked and broken by sobs and tears,
was essaying every art to soothe her. Mr.
Howard was pacing the floor, with hands and
teeth hard cenched, and face white as death
while the little ones were huddled together in
corner, crying piteously. Mr.. Howard
turned towards the visitors as they appeared at
his open door, but Aunt Sarahs meek and
gentle countenance checked the wrath that
seemed rising to his lips, and he staggered
back and sank upon bench like a person
fainting. Aunt Sarah approached Mrs. How
ard, and tenderly inquired the cause of the sor-
row that so afflicted the family. But the suf-
fering lady turned from her, and seemed not
to desire her sympathy. AT length one of The
little boys came forward, attracted, doubtless,
by Aunt Sarah's gentle mien and voice, and
taking her hand in both Of his, said
George Frost told me that his father was
going to put my papa in Jail, because he said
papa was a thief. 1t is this make mama
cry; but we were crying, because we were
SO hungry. We have had no bread these
two days, and now we have no potatoes.
The ice being thus broken up, MIR. How
ard confirmed what the child had spoken, re-
lated his history as sketched above, and end
ed by saying that he had asked Mr.. Frost to
give him credit for few bushels Of grain,
and had been refused; that he had written
to friend in Ohio, and had resolved, if he
should get an unfavorable answer, to end
his miserable existence by suicide, before
this last blow fell upon him.
Aunt Sarah, with few sensible, gentle
words, quieted the stormy spirits Of the
household, reproached herself for having
been deficient in neighborly kindness, and
assured Mr.. Howard that if his circumstances
had been known, he would have found a
ready sympathy.
The good lady soon discovered that Mrs.
Howard was in violent fever, and Mrs. La
cey left, promising to send her husband, DR..
Lacey, Immediately, while Aunt Sarah re-
mained to attend the invalid. The doctor
soon arrived, and before night the house was
full to oveffowing with all manner of good
things. And during the evening, Mr.. Frost
came in to say that the affair of the lost bag
was all cleared up. His eldest son had Just
returned from short journey, and said that,
wanting bag to fill with oats to feed his
horses by the way, he had enptied the wheat
into the granary and used the bag, little
dreaming of the mischief he was occasion
ing by so doing. Mischief indeed, for
though Mrs. Howard received every aten-
ton, she never recovered from the shock,
and after lingering few months, died.
But Mr.. Howard got his expected letter
from Ohio, and, after the death Of his wife,
departed for that State with his mourning
family. We heard afterwards that he was
in good circumstances as clerk of bank !;
that Alice was married TO a worthy young
farmer, and that her brothers were at COL
lege. But Aunt Sarah often speaks Of Mr..
Howard as one of the many victims TO the
injustice Of society, which never scruples to
add TO the burden Of poverty the soul crush
ing weight of unjust suspicion-as if man
must be dishonest because he is poor.