The Gonzales inquirer. [volume] (Gonzales, Tex.) 1853-current, 1854-05-27
DEATH IN rmE ATTIC.


Darkness rests like pail upon the streets
which arc now deserted. The busy throng
which has swept the thoroughfaics until late
at night, has ceased to flow, and the great me.
tropolis no longer throbs its living tide through
the accustomed arteries. The snow has been
falling fast for an hour, and the sharp gusts
sweep round the corner and go wailing down
the dim avenues, as II sorrowing for human
woe The lamp lights CLEAN palc and siclly
out through the storm. The policemen. or
some rcvcllcr, and the Winds alone disturb the
silence that reigns.
Turn downward where tho cpers of want
and viec have gathered ms if in sympathy y. A ~
The foul crater is active, for its mora deadly
fumes ascend in the darkness Of tho night.S---
Down below the surface OF earth, arc piis
| where the ruillanly and tho vic nrn nt their
rcvcls. There is faint, deathly glare fr3n,
the dirty windows, and ia spite Of tho .wintiy
plast, an occasional breath os the rum hell
recking beneath. And there eften comes lp
some startling In! hai to mngle with the
shrcking Of tho wind. sss ~
Here is n dark alley, scnrcc wide enough to
admit person, and running back where no
light breaks in upon the impenctrable. dark
ness. The foot strlkcs,a step and We climb
upward upon crcaking flight of stairs. Tho
snow and wind whrl Hereby over the roof
and shake the crazy structure to its foundation,
but We lean closer to tho walls and mount up
ward. syss
Five stories up, and wo stnnd upon tlie nar-
row platform and peer down with awhirling
brain into the black ocean below. Turning
! into narrow hall, wc stand before a shatter.
cd door, revealing feeble light Within Even
in this winter night, tho miasma OF pollution
floats through the building like pestiiencc.
2 What n scene, as We enter that chamberi
Hero poverty and want grin in their ghos,ly
loneliness and solitude. Tho silence az. desc.
lation broods over oil, and the iAinss ssanplight
fiickering to its wanc, is like tho boaHt which
crecps.Yp from the exhalations OF the grave.
There IL not coal in the crate, nor chair hi
tho room. The gusts Of wind sift- the snow
through tho cracks by the door, and an invol.
nntary chill steals over tkc sl,riacc and then
into tho hearth. Starvation, gnant, pinchel
and special, stalks before the imagination, aud
in'iiE!es :. s,ssss! with every gust that rattles
the shattered door.
And do human creatures dwell In such
abodcs az thiss
There is n sound in that dark corner There
is sigh MS IL n life of agony were crushed at
once from the heart. And then spectre form
slowly rises and stalks towards the light. II
Is q woman, but Godi how thin and laggarcd
iicrcer gust yhakcs the old building She
stands in a listening attitude, as its low wall
dies away, and then, wildly 'taring at vacan-
cy, takes her scat mechanically upon box by
the light. Her face is thin, aud every feature
the footprint of unuttcrablc agony The eyes
are sunken and inilamed, but % fearless rs her
check aud lip are bloodlcss. Tho latter Is thin
and drawn closely, as If in mortal suffering,
6yer her teeth
She leans towards the waning sapcr, and
takes garment In her hand upon Witch she
has been sewing. How fearfnlly fearless and
calm she appears. We look until somo night.
mare fascination chains ms 10 the spot. Save
startling wildncss about tho eye, IL would
not sce,n that those features bad ever been
stirred by human passion. She holda her
hands towards tho light in tho attempt 10
thread her needle, but falls; and stl, with
her hands extended, stares at The dim taper.
There is stirring in tho hemp of rags bo.
side her, and the woman starts as u stung by
nm adder. The faintest flush passes over her
cheek, and sho muiers 10 herself M sho more
hurridly essays to thread tho needle
From that heap os rags boy has como
iorth! Child of ten years, porhaps~,hc stands
before that spectral mother aud In husky
whispers asks for bread She staros strangely
into his face, and eth mu,teya TO herself
The boy IL almost naked and shivcring with
cold. and upon those childlish fcnturcs hunger
has written enough toplcrcu the hardcs, heart.
Tho very lock ls hope,sss, l,sa, ,,.l,oshing
agony. Tho child bows his head IN that wo.
mnn's lap with sob,liko moan, aud then
leoycs with languid step TO tho crate and
lays his iingers, slrcady blue with cold, upos
the frosty iron. Tho chill causes him 10 aiaft,
and ho returns moaning to the woman. The
hand has fallen in her lap ami shr IVY ;; las las
bis cold check down upon Il and wecps. She
laughs but u is the low. horrible ha, hai OF
the nsssiiaci
"Mo,hcrl dear mother, give me one mouth.
fal of bread. ilsin't there hread enouph
where Pa has gone, Mother. will God give
me bread II ! say my pTayerst"
The child knecls. aud the prayer his moth.
sr taught him goes teehly up against the wall
Of ,he blast, aud then. with wesriness and
hunger, tho little pieadcr Calls Ia sheep IN his
Knees, his head on his mothers hand.
That mother smiles as she sllli S,Ares al "a.
cancy.
Tho storm hss passed, and ,he aesnFng l:shs
~ the sabbath dawes uren shs cfesi city