Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1855-10-31
From the Chicago Times.
SCENE IN REAL LIFE.

Nii'iOh ~ NaiiSu " C'CH'S Ho pP0hiHS ~
fore us, which leave ain impression upon
our minds, and lead us to thoughts and
reflections which it is well we, as all 9TH
er men, should indulge in at times.
We had been on tie north side to see
an acquaintance at his hotel, and return
ing by Clark street, found, as is general
" the case with man in hurry, one
of those little busy inventions, steam
tug, had passed up the river with a small
fleet of vessel. in tow, one of which had
been cast off, and bad hauled in just west
OF the bridge. Seeing no hopes of get
ting to our Office for some time, and
knowing that our compositors could not
be in any worse temper an hour later
than then, we resolved to bear it meekly,
and find mental occupation by observing
what was going on about us. We little
expected what did occur.
The vessel we have mentioned had
been moored, or made fast outside of
several canal boats, and as we stood look
ing at the men upon her, one of them
approached female, who had been
crOuched upon the deck, and addressing
her, pointed to the shore, then to the
bridge, and then down toward the throng-
ed busy streets of living, moving, head
long Chicago. She rose, picked up
small bundle, from which she drew forth
coin, which she rendered to the hardy
sailor. He refused ii whatever it was,
and lending her hand, helped her from
the vessel to the dock, and from the dock
up to the bridge. BY this time large
crowd of persons thronged the north end
of where the bridge would be, if it was
always bridge, and in contemplating
the new faces, and the representatives of
the various classes there assembled, we
had almost forgotten the incident we had
related. Our attention was called from
a vain endeavor to discover some hope
of a cessation of tugs going up and down,
and schooners and briggs pulling in and
out, by hearing most audible sob from
some one near us. 1t was not the sob
of childhood, caused by some sudden
change from gaiety to grief; it was the
sob from some maturer breast, filed with
the sense of loneliness and despair. 1t
reached other ears than ours. A lady
dressed in a manner which bespoke
wealth that could crafty taste and ele-
gance, and who, like ourselves, was de-
tanned at that place, stood near, accom-
panied by three children. whose desire
10 get at the extreme edge of the plat
form, was with great difficulty repress-
ed.
With woman's tenderness her heart
recognized the stiHed ebullition of sOr-
row, and approached the person from
whence il came, who was none other
than the woman we have Just seen land
from the vessel, she quietly, and in that
soft, sweet voice of woman which none
can resist, inquired if she stood in need,
or was she i'll, or was her sorrow such
that it could be relieved ? A portion of
the railing near us was vacant, and to-
ward that, and almost at our side, these
two women came to converse. The
stranger was fair. handsome girl of
about seventeen years, neatly but coarse
ly dressed, with shoes not only well worn,
but heavy and unsuited as much for her
sex as for the season. The poor girl in
honest simplicity, and with an earnest
ness which despair alone could impart,
related her history uninterrupted by
single observation from her companion,
but often accompanied b. tears OF both.
We have not spacs for it at length, and
we viii give it. changing its order just
enough to enable Us to state it briefly.
She said that she was born in Boston,
she had no brother or sister now; but
she remembere that she had a sister
whose name was Lizzie; that sister,
years ago, against her fathers will, had
married, and with her husband, was
banished the fathers sight, had gone oil,
and had not been heard from since--no
doust was dead. At the time Of her
sisters marriage, her parents were
wealthy; the pride which drove away
Lizzie had brought silent regrets, and
alter while came melancholy complain
ings by the mother signing for the en-
brace of her first born. These soon led
10 anger and examinations a, home, and
dissipation by the father abroad. Losses
came upon them, and at last gathering
the few worldly goods they possessed,
they lefl the proud city Of their birth,
and settled, five years age, upon land
purchased from the Government in Wis
eonsin. Her brothers, some older and
some younger than herself, one by one
dropped and died and soon the mother,
calling in agony upon her long exiled
daughter, joined her boys in happier
cline.
None we've now left but the father and
this poor girl. He too was humbled,
and stricken by t!:at slew but certain
disease which lights up +he cheek, and
fires the eve with the hrilliancv Of healLh.