Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-03-04

MlisteIloneous.
A WINTER STORY.
ny rirz-JANEs o'BRiEN.

cold, cold night! The wind, sharp rs a
damascus scimctar, cuts through the fine chnks
IN the windows, causing my mother TO continually
change her seat to avoid what she calls draught
butas the draught seems to be every where she is
ut length ian to come to permenant settlement
close 10y the manel-piecc, where she keeps cutting
out mysterious heEagons aud rhOmbOds from some
hnnon stun, here after 10 be united by cunning
fingers into some wonderful article Of female ap-
parel' My two sisters are playing chess. Fanny
triumphant over a chcck-male, leans back in her
char, and watches with an air Of proud piety. the
trOwning and cOgitatiye countenance OF Lizzie,
whose little brain is throbing with n thousand
stratagems with which TO exricate her unhappy
queen from the impending disaster. l. wrapped
IN all the dignity Of nineteen years, absolutely
smoking cigarin the sacred chamber, Ia privilege
awarded to me on rare occasions by my mother,
who generally dismisses to my own room the
moment display lIayanna,l and reading Sir
Thomas Browns poetic essay on Urn Burial
There is a solemn quiet reigning through the room.
lhe pine logs ON the hearth fling out spasmodic
jets OF fire, aud hiss like wounded snakes, as the
bubling rosineous juice oozcs from each gaping
Spit The click Of my mothers scissors snnps
monotonously, and at regular intervals. The wind
screams wildly outside and clatters Mt the window
L,iue as u u was cold and wanted to come in.
through the dusky paues themselves, halfroveal-
T.. ny 'ne partially drawn curtains, glimmer white
'nv snowy uplands, and on the crest of the
ghastiy hills bare old oak lifts up its naked arms
seeming IKE an aged Niobo frozen in nm attitude
OF sorrow The smoke Of my cigar goes curling
eelingwards IN concentric rings Of evanasccnt va
por anu am whispering to myself one of those
sonorous and solemn sentence with which Tho ala
knight Of Norwich terminates bis chnptors- md
which, after one has read them roverbernte and
echo IN the brain, whcn-Rattat there comes
la,"I Hres9iute Knock Mt the hall door. My
mother shuts her scissors aud looks up innuirncIy
as much Us to say, "Who. in heavens name is out
on q night like this2" The cbess-plnvcrs ore i'm.
movable and seem as if an earthquake would be
matter OF perfect indifference to them. | lay
down my book unl 20 to the door, omen IL with
shiyer, and resolution to be cross and uncivil
the wind rushes triumphantly in, with great sigh
OF relief, the moment the FIRST chink appears and
look out into the bitter, ghasty night
nat a strange group stands on the piazza
winter seems TO have become incarnate in human
form, and with the four winds as his companion.
come to pay Us a visit.
There is tall, old man, with long gray nous
taohc, which, as it hangs down his Jaws the rude
breeze Snatches up, and swings about, and pulls
lnsolentlY rs II II knew lie was poor and could be
insulted with imputny. lie looks bitterly cold
His long arched noso is rs blue as the blue skv
above him in which the stars twinkle so clearly
ana he has on n scanty little coat on which few
remnants Of braid nuttcr sadly like the shrods of
vine that hung walls in winter time which they
III the golden summer, had wrcathed with glossy
leaves 50 splenldly. lie holds little child in his
arms little shiyering child, that srcmbles most
incessantly aud tries poor thing, to bury its head
1uEuth-
clent little coat. BY the side of this pair stands
another efhgy Of poverty and winter. A small
pale, delicate woman, with great blue eyes: pro-
fuse hair which matted in frozen iutricacies burst
out from beneath most remarkable shapeless
bonnet shawl so thin that il must have becn
woven by the spiders another little shiyering
chlld claspcd IN her arms, and carefully enveloped
in the poor old shawl, though one can see by her
biue neck and thin dress that she is sacrificed her
sen 70 keep the little one warm A huge umbrella
unnuInG pna ,ll Ia.I l..
leans on occasionally with great dignity and the
icy portrait IS complete But the main pcturc j.
not yet finished. A girl about ten years old.
sanding little back, clings to her mothers skirt
with one hand while with the other she tries to
keep something that looks like pair of trowsers.
wrapped round her neck. She is shadowy and
paie, ana seems like 4 northern mirage, ready
to dissolve into cold air at moments notice
o., wv no are you what do you want2" | said
IN gruf tone; for the wind blew bitterly on nv
check, and had made up my mind to be cross
The tall old man inclined his head slightly, and
spoke:
'.We are Poles" said he in excellent English
WIN slight foreign accent; ave are Poles, and
nave no money. We wish to go to Boston, which
We hear is but one days journey from this, but
we do not know where to lodge tonight We
are here TO ask you for nights shelter"
P1oh| said |, swinging the door almost to
I'VE know nothing about YOU, and never admit
beggars. We cannot do It,"
The man fell back pace or two, and looked at
the little woman with the great ewes. Heavens
how full OF despair those great ewes seemed lust AT
that moment saw his arm tighten convulsyely
round the little shiyering child in his arms
sluggish, hali-frozen tear slowly rolled down that
blue nose Of his lie brushed it away with his
cold, shriyellcd hand. lie nodded mournfully 10
the little woman, who clutched her umbrella firm
W anu then turred to depart without word. As
the door vas closing slowly. he shook his head once
or twice, and said, in voice. God help me %
The words had scarce been spoken when felt a
light touch ON my shoulder.
John" SAID my mother "call those poor people
back!' F FN0P''
j never felt so relieved in all nv life, When
that odd man turned away in silence at my sullen
refusal This prayer, disdaining to address him
sch TO me- but whispering his misery to God q
pang OF remorse shot through my heart / would
nave given worlds 20 have called him back but the
hideous, snllen pride which was through life chain
edup in my nn,ure until it has become like cooped
bear, put a paddock on my lips. How glad was
when my mother came and dissolved the bonds
with touch.
Come back" said /, "my friends; VIC wish to
speak With you again"
am sure my voice must have been very gentle
Tor as the old Pole turned, lis rugged check seem
cd to soften, and the great ewes of his male Iittle
wiie actually flashed through the dim night with
the fire OF hope. They came in and toh their
story They had landed from an emgrant shin
in New York, with only few dollars in ,heir
possession, which soon dwindlcd away to cer
shliiings. The old man was a mouder of me-
daillons, and be said, bitterly "they do not care
about art in New York" SO they made up their
minds TO 60 to Boston, whore they had heard that
such things might find encouragement With the
few remaining shngs, and what money they
could obtain by pawning their little wardrobe
they had struggled this far ON their journey. They
were now penniless, and scarce knew what to do
but the old man said, proudly, "ifwe can only
get through this night, we will manage somehow
to reach Boston tomorrow, and then we have no
fear"
My mother shut the door, but this time the old
man, aud the little pale woman, and three shver-
ing children, were on the inside, aud Fanny and