New Orleans daily crescent., 1854-12-25

Stitch stitch stlfon! L
4s IL In poverty, hunger and dir /
shs isssl ssnr the Song ossha Shirt Hood.
ssr=z-------
From ohaabersa Edinburgh Journal
sTIrcR q. STITCH. sTITG y!
VIVA h.,s not wept over the 6 Song Of the
Shirt "A, Who has not sympathized with the
tenant If the garnet
II poverty, hunger and art,
Sewing at once, with double thread,
a shvcud as well as shirt ~ 81
untiI thn very names, dle-work' and 6 nee
tile- woz1eu,, became associated with poor, half
starved creatures, doomed by their employers to
sit Id foul atmosphere, chained to their seam by
the constantly piled needle and thread, like
galley slaves TO the oar J And yet this contin-
ual ringing the changes on
Seam and gusset, and band,
Band, and gusset, and seam,
u not such scarecrow 10 all /; is not always SO
fatal in its consequences; and, though it may
be the exception which proves the rule, In an
instance we are about to mention, this stitch
stitch stich was preferred, nay, as enthusi-
astically followed as any branch Of high art
as absorbingly as q passion for music, OF love
for painting. i
Annie Linton was the best sewer in Mrs.
Royss school and the mistress declared, on in
father, Z" that the Duke of Buccleugh himself
might wear it |. This was high praise for lit
tie Annie, who was only eleven years Of age, and
she never forgot it, Her work was the neatest
and the cleanest ever seen. Then she did it 40
quickly her mother could not keep pace with
her daily demand for f something 70 sew
= wish Annie would take to her book, said
Mrs. Linton to her husband.
But it was quite clear that Annie never would
II rfys<r nd
less spelling; and Yet She could mark !" with
cotton3 all the letters Of the alphabet, as if she
was very miracle of learning.
,s Something to sew eagerly demanded
Annie.
Will any moving come of this sewing 7
asked her father, with o very natural attempt
at pun.
little Annie, cleverly taking up her fathef's
al she whiAked past hitn m fear Of being TOO late
for school
Three weeks after ss
@ z Annie's learning to be scholar said Mrs.
Linton, g no more demands for sewing
That afternoon Annie came bounding into the
house from.scheol, sat upon her fathers knee,
opened her work bag, which hung over her arm,
and putting screwed up paper into his hand,
said: g There's the moving" Nj
Her father undid the paper, and found four
half.crowns. b Annie, : questioned her father,
& where did this come from Y
From the sewing, Z answered Annie, laugh
ing delightedly DIT his surprise, as she escaped
from his knee, and ran out Of the room, but to
Il delay a little longer the solution Of the riddle
6 Wife, said John Linton, sit is impossible
that Annie could earn ell this by the sort Of
child's play girls call work. and whom did
she earn 1T from I'm afraid there's something
wrong.
And, to tell the truth, Annie Linton was
practicing little disguise; nor had she given
her father all the money she had earned The
sum originally was twelve shillipgs. This was
all designed for her father alone; but prior
claim had come in the way 1t was cold winter
weather, and tho children Of the school brought
the forms, IN q sort of square, round Mrs. Roy s
fre. Aunie who wss y sasorite of the mistress,
always occupied e warm corner close to her own
big chair On the day in question, Mrs. Roy
happened 20 be out Of the room.
Il III change seats with you, Jessie Wilson, if
you're cold, said Annie, addressing d little
girl; very book Borrn, who, clad in thread
bare, printed cotton gown, sat abiyering over
9 her lesson.
Jessie, thus insited, came q little nearer,
s You should put on a woolen frock like mine,
and warm yourself well at your mothers FIRE
before you come to school these winter days.
said Annie, scrdtinizing the poverty struck
appearance Of the girl.
Mother says replied Jessie, that she'd
rather do Without fire than my schooling, and
she can't pay for both. !
& Has your mother no fire at home this cold
weather asked Annie, in amazement.
No" said Jessie; 81 wish / dared bring
her with me here; it's warmer than at home.
And know mother is i'll. though she won't tell
me. z
6 Sit there said Annie, placing Jessie in her
warm corner, and don't 60 out Of school with
y ont me-.
That afternoon the two girls went hand in
hand 10 Jessie's door.
Hare you plenty TO eat, il you've no fire =
asked Annie
{ This is the first day that mother was forced
to send me to school without any breakfast 2
sad Jessie, hanging down her head as if ashamed
Of the confession
/" Here said Annie, after slight pause,
untwisting the paper in which were deposited
her first earnings; / won't 20 in with you, for
your mother might not like to take it from d
little girl like me; but {and she put two shil-
lings into Jessie's HANDY that is to buy you some
9 thing to eat, and o fire and If your mother can
sew as well as cam z said Annie, with pardon
aye yanity, ! san tell her hew to get plenty
No wonder Annie's riches Increased tbe 6rs,
investment was good one. NEVERTHELESS. fhf
h concealing it from her parents she knew to he
wrong; she feared they would disapprove; and
she added TO her little prayer at Ilirht, aftel
the usual ending Of 4 God bless father ant
mother, and forgipe me fer keeping secret that
helped Jessie Wilson.
Gould the Recording Angel carry IN 4 nure,
prayer to Heaven.
0t course, Mr. and Mrs. Linton very soon dis
severed that Mr., 6eamwell, of the $ Ready
x salade Linen " Warehouse : was the grand sourc
n Annie's we8th. He said there was no on
who could work like her, and that he would Civ
y her eighteen pence each for the finest discrip
lion Of shirt making. This was no great pay
ment for Annie es exquisiA Astitching, and, thirt,
years ago. it would have brought her three
ana-sixpence ashirt But Annie Is of the pres
emit, mot Of the past; and as she could complet
a shirt q day, her fingers flying swifter than
Weayer's shuttle, she earned nine shillings
week.
is s Good wife, said Mr.. Linton. sswe are no
50 poor but that we can maintain our iaughte
I'LL she's twenty, and by that time, at the pres
emit rate Of her earnings, she will have iittl
fortune ii the bank. Y
But this little fortune amassed but slowly
5or Annie seldom had nine shillings to put b,
at @ tln END OF the week there we're other g les
J sie VI ilsons !. who required food and fire.
y as Annie been poet, she would assuresily
nave WFatten net the song, but q song of d shirt
LOT once HheH she was questioned as TO the dull
monotony oI her work: s Dull Delightful p
SAID Annie, IN advocacy of her calling. aWhy
Wtth this rare linenand fss thread. nv stitches
seem Ike stsiagng little pea.ls along the wrist.
bands zknd collar f'sss ~ s, - $ '~5