Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-05-18
A Child Of Faith.


Bell Smith letters 10 the National Era,
dated Paris
Shortly after the removal to our present
place Of abode, asked 10 have some CRATES
.rt in our American manner. The French
manner Of dlsposing Of fuel is a pleasant little
Cotton, SO fur as warmth goes, and not at all
10 my liking. We secured the services Of
quite an intclligent-looliing man, but had i'm
mense difficulty in forcing him 10 arrange the
gr1te as desired. To brick up the cavernous
Fireplace, which smoked abominably, and put
the CRATE qaite in the room, were propositions
to him rnintelligible. After considerable dis
cussion, lie did as We desired. It was inter-
csting TO see his manner Of accomplishing this.
lie was IS our concierge informed US, quite
workman yet he used no trowcl, and took up
tic mortar, and spread it on the bricks, with
his Lands, and chopped the bricks, when not
Of th2 right Size, with snail axe, in way
that made one nervous. | was curious 10
know what wages mason received and in
answer, lie Informed me that he could com
mand, on an average, two francs and half
(itly ccnts) per day. This he scemtd &c
think WAS very good, and proceeded 10 tell me
that many Of his comrades were in a worse
condition than himself / asked him if there
was not much distress among tho laborers in
Paris this winter
Yes madame. he replied, a great deal /.
everything is very high an1 taxes very heavy.
asked him if he thought i change of gov
crament would help matters. lie said per-
E"Ts,' Struggling his shoulders, and glancing
from under lis bushy eyebrows, in a way that
would E0t Lago bean pleasant to bourgeois
but expressed 10 opinion. The caution mani
Tested by all classes on the subject Of politics
IS very peculiar. Everything about you is
shroudcd in mystery. l have not vet met with
a French man or wo.nap, outside Of the shop
keepers. who expressed hearty opinion il
favor of Louis Napoleon have not found
one to give uiierance to one unfayorable -
This opened conversation, and he proceeded
to tell me Of the distress existing among tho
poor in his immediate neigIlborhood, which
given in his matier-ofiact way, was certainly
rs sad Il narrative as had heard for many n
day. But this is leading me from what set
out 10 write hlight-cycd boy Of ten or
and in pause pC lis talk asked if it was his
sen
We hope So NADINE, he replied.
Why he made this singular answer asked,
and he proceeded 10 tell me He had married
German very COED woman, but not used
70 the French ways. They were very poor,
auA when she was i'll, (and very i'll she was
q d fever, after the birth Of their bov-quite
oHt aI her wils,) he found it impossible 10
hire 4 nurse. and in accordance with custom
he sent the infant, bat two days ;,ld, 10 i house
kept for sCch purposes near Paris. The fever
continued many days, and after six weeks Of
sickness the mother recovered sufficiently 10
ask 10 SEQ her child. The flthcr was about
going for it, when neighbor, poor as him
self, who had children at this nursery, infuria
cd him that his child was dead There was 4
mystery about the matter. lie had received
no announcement of the fact from the cstab-
lishment, and since the day Of the reported
death, they had continued TO receive the al
lowance, paid weekly which they had deman-
ded. Full Of anxiety he went 10 the house.
The circumstances accompanying his en-
trance were very suspicious The old woman
seemed excited and hurrel when lie announ=
ccd his name and errand; and before she
could answer, a thin, pale, half starved appa-
ripa Of little girl, crQuchiqg by the fire.
place, cried out, Why that baby's dead -
The old woman gave her j look, and violent
ly contradicted the assertion. \ child was
given to him, certainly corresponding in age
10 his own; but so firm was the poor man in
his belief that they were imposing on him, he
Would not have nursed the poor little fellow,
but for aar Of the conaequences 10 his sick
wife. The child was taken home, but the
painful doubt remains.
We do he best we can it is our duty 10
cherish and support the poor thing. 1t may
be our child, after all.
Sad story, and very laudable sentiment !;
bat it did not prevent his cheating US aboni-
naby, when we came to pay for the CRATES.