The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1855-04-20
Mrs. SnliIlI> Charity.
BY ELLEN ASHTON.

a. Isn't hal sramSireSs come yet I!
Airs. Smith, she spike. leaned over the bal
u.rrad-, calling down the staircase to The fooiman
No mum"
al DECLARE" mullercd the lady. but quite loud
enough for the servant In hear, that lazy thing
ought 10 BE- turned "a. lis eight o'clock ALREADY.
pretty DAYS work it wall 5r, begun AT such an
hour. lUhu,' and size rais"d her voc" to a loud
or KEY, " he sure you tell the cOachman 10 be
around By eleven. far I've got to 60 collecting,
with Frs. HJntlry. for the poor, this morning.
She Icit The stair Case as she spoke, and passed
10 her chaulb'.r. where she expected to spend The
next two hours in dressing TO go our.
Ii was cold, wet morning IN March. While
this sceEe tTansac'ing in The elegant mansion,
a ihinly clad, delicate. lnuking girl, was Irehly
struggling against the rain on her way TO Mrs.
Smirh's. She had been awake for half the night,
tending her sick sister. who lay dying of consump-
lion, in tho cOfnfUrtrss and hreess room which
they occupied together, up three pair Of stairs, in
n narrow, ilI-yenuaIed alley. For breakfast she
had nothing hut dry crust, and drank
nothing but a cup Of cold wafer. And now, with
a faded summer sha WI, pair of Thin worn shoes,
and al umbrella that only half protected her. she
was Drawing tho Indictment weather in order TO do
Mrs. Smiths Plnin sewing at dollar aud q quar-
ter a week.
splendid dressing gown, went TO the head Of The
staircase.
"Ab! that's you at last, Miss Jones, is ii r. she
said, sharply "A full hour behind lime. Reel
Iect, Miss, what told you. shall keep my
word and take off shilling for every day you
are so late. Go al once INTO the back room,
where everything's waiting for you"
Too heart-broken TO demonstrate the girl did
az she was directed, and took her place in an
apartment, which, il be occupied IS only
BY the seamstress," as Mrs. Smith said, was,
from motives of economy, never more than hall
heated Here, the girl sewed. in her damp clothes
and wet feet, all day, there not brng warmth
enough at The fue to dry either; and at CHI
went home through the storm TO her sick sister,
and the cold, unlur nished room they occupied.
All that morning. Mrs. Smith, protected from
The rain by her comfortable carriage drove about
ostensibly collect for the poor, but really 10 in
duge in gossip, and crafty her vanity by being
called benevolent. While exhibiting her splendid
tablets on which TO write the names Of donors
and exPalialing Sentmentully on the suferngs OF
The INDECENT, she took good care say nothing Of
the needewoman she had lett working al a siarv-
alton price, in a cold. unhealthy room.
The next day the seamStress did not at all.
Mrs. Smith was highly indignant. esp CHILLY rs a
piece of work, which she had particularly wished
TO be finished, incomplete.
You may tell Miss Jones. If she comes again
TO morrow" she said angrly, late in the day "tha'
don'r want her services any longer. People
who work Tor me must punctuai.
When the fUotmHn went back into the kitchen,
and rehearsed the message with which he had
been charged, there general QUERY among
the servants.
"'Pears to me-" said the cook, s'dat some OF DE-
rich hab no heart at all, deed it does. Dat poor
chile most starved. yesterday, and looked
as If she bad de ager; and she has sick sister,
dyn' Of consumption she SAYS Ef was you,
Jim. I'd tell mssus she might her off herself,
l.
founcrd around the room Indignantly.
But The seamstress never returned 10 receive her
dismissal. The exposure Of the preceding day
had brought Oh violent inflammation of tn lungs
and she now lying in a high fever, and draw
ing her breath in agony, by the side OF her wing
sister. Here, about dusk, her sndIady found her
accidentally, both, having been too Ill to summon
assistance.
II was the riiy of this woman, only less in.
digen than themselves. that saved the two sisters
from perishing Of cold and want. Not that they
lived long, however TO coDsune her hard earn
ings. The violent ILLUMINATION carried off
the seamstress; and her sister speedily followed
her.
One day, while Mrs. Smith was making calls,
her luxurious carriage pass"d Pauper funeral.
The sight of the coarse, pine c"ffin made The rich
lady shudder, she rolled by f.; and she told 10
all her acquaintance that morning, how inexpres.
sbly she had been Mortified by The sight.
cts dreadful to think how many poor people |
there are" she s4fd, "nnd in spite. too, Of all we
are doing Tor them. There be a great deal |
of mprovidence and laziness cause it. Only |
to think, | had seamstress, a week two ago, |
who because | reprimanded her for coming aie to
her work, left in pet, and havn't heard Of her
yet"
At the Judgmen, Day, proud lady, you will hear
OF her.
Vain, indeed, is the charity that gives publicly |
10 the poor :. OF our abundance" If we negleci !
the greater charity Of sympathy with the ind gent
and whom we actually now.-Petersoas M4ga-
zine.
FLORIDA RAILRoAD.-We had the pleasure yes
terday Of merting A. B,ngs, Esq, the managing |
contractor of the firm who have engaged to build |