The Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1854-1855, 1855-01-05
From Arthlr's Homo Gazette.
TIE FISH-wOMAN,
A HousEKEEpER's CONFESSION.

air In consequence and cold. 1t SO hap-
pened that there nothing in the house for
dinner. Some would of course, be com
PEELED to go 10 market, and the market was long
distance away. Cook was not well-I did not
feel like going out myself and getting thorough
ly drenched, as | most certainly would, If j
ventured into the street In this dilemma my !.
ear caught the welcome cry of fish women
The very thingi' | calculated, rising 10 my
feet, and going to the window, upon which l
tapped as she went by. 1t raining in tor
rents, The clothes of the poor woman
completely saturated. and clung TO her body as
the wind swept heavily against her.
Poor creatureH L CALCULATED, with feeling of
real sympathy. | knew something about her,
for once She told me that she had FIVE little chill
dren at home. for whose support she thus toiled
about the street
inns Is dreadful morning for you to be out,
L SAID on opening the door
1t Is, indeed, ma'am, but I can't afford to
lose the sales OF even single day Here's
fine bunch of fish for YOU. ma am holding up.
as she said this, large string of rock fish.
What is the price, l asked
a quarter dollar bunch ma am
What viii you take for two bunches?' l ask
ed, instantly forgetting all about her peculiar sit
uation, in the desire to save few pennies that
arose in my mind.
The poor creature paused moment, and look
ed thoughtful l her now, with her
pale, sober face standing in the drenchng
storm, with the water dropping from her shape
less bonnet about her breast and shoulders, cal
culating the amount of reduction she could af
ford to make me on her goods
You shall have the two bunches,' she at
length said forty-ive cents. They cost me TWEEN
ty cents bunch; but it's a dreadful morning,
and l don't feel very well. l want to get home
as quick as l can
sYery WELL | returned L will take Them
| then retired from the door, and took from
my purse half dollar. which | gave to the cook
and told her to go to the door and get two bunch
es of fish.
Here is a half dollar added '.She aoaV
gre goa FIRE cents change
l had hardly uttered the last sentence before
my conscience began to smite me. But stihed
It's reproofs until it was too late. While yet de-
batting whether l should generously pay the wo-
man her own price, instead of taking from her
one half of her meagre profits, the street door
punches of fish. As she handed me the change
and said, holding up the purchase
They cheap enough
l did not reply. They are dear enough
would have sounded much peasanter TO my ears
at that moment How insignificant and unat
tractive did the small piece of money held in
my fingers look-and yet, to gain just that little
piece of money! had permitted myself to wrong
poor fish-woman, who had five little children
to provide with home. food and clothing
She shall have it again. I said, laying the
coin upon the mantel-plece. The next time she
comes round, If 1t is tomorrow, | will buy fish
from her, and return her this five cent piece in
addition
This resolution quieted the murmurings of
conscience. On the next morning listened for
an hour or two, but she did not come into the
neighee mood. | was disappointed. for felt
anxious to make restitution. The next day, and
the next passed, but the fsh-woman did not ap-
pear. / neDer sasc her again
Several weeks afterwards inquired of wo-
man who called at the door to sell something. if
she knew anything about her. Ny description
quickly recognized
.Oh, yes she said; L knew her very we'll
But she IS dead now
.Deadr | exclaimed, in painful surprise.
Yes, ma am. Some weeks ago it raned very
hard and she out in it nearly all day She
took dreadful cold, got sick, and died in about
ten days
And her children? What of theme' l
asked
1 took one of them, a little girl into my own
family, though it was large enough already, dear
above knows. But thought of my chill
dren if | should be taken away, and that made
me crowd and pirch a little for the chld's sake.
The oldest has been put to a trade; one has
bee taken into another family, and the two
youngest in the aims house
Not in the aims house. l said, shocked a,
the closing sentence.
Yes ma'am. I'm sorry to have to say it but
two of the poor little things had to be sent there
No one that felt as she would like to, was able
to take them-for poor bodies have always
as many OF our own scratch for
Sometimes | think Il is blessing that even the
poor-h house is provided, where they can at least
have home if we should be taken away. This
is often better than being about among families
where they are too shamefully neglected, if not
treated most cruelty When l die, l want To
take all mine with me. do not think I could
sleep quietly in my grave if any one were to a
buse my children How old is the child you
have taken?' l asked. About five years old,
she replied Is it well off for clothes?'
No ma'arn, not very; None Of our children
are very well of in this respect. It takes Sc
much to feed them, that we never have great
!; deal over for any thing else
a thought came into nay mind at the moment
How would you ike to part with the child,
fIasked. If l get place for it in the-orphar
asylum
.I.would be so much better off there than I ca,
make il, that l could not refuse to let 1, 90. q
much like one Of my own as i. begins already tt
SEEM she replied
How many have you Of your own.'
-Four
All young?'
Yes, ma am. The oldest is but seven years o
age
Have you busband2
The woman was disturbed a. this question
So much So that rea,rettei having asked it Blu
she replied IN a changed voice: