Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1856-05-09
OUT OF WORK.
DY sYLvANUs COBB, JR.


It's no use, Maria, I've tried every
where"
But you are not going to give it up.
Peter ?"
:. Give it up how can I helpit? With
in four days l have been to every book
bindery in the city, and not bit of work
eau get.'
But have you tried anything else ?''
What else can try %
"Why, anything that you can do"
Yes, I've tried other things. l have
aud offered to help them if they would
hire me.''
"And what did you mean to do for
them %
"I offered either to post accounts.
make out bills, or attend to the counter" "
Mrs. Stanwood smiled as her husband
thus spoke.
What makes you smile ?'' he asked.
TO think you should have imagined
that you would find work in such place.
But how is Mark Leeds 90
- He is worse off than l am"
Chow SO ?"
- He has nothing in his house to eat"
A shudder crept over his wite's frame
now.
Why do you trembIe. wife %
Because when we shall have eaten
our breakfast tomorrow morning. we
shall have nothing"
"What y cried Peter Stanwood, half
starting from his chair, do you mean
that ?''
e. do"
But our hour."
ALI gone. l baked the last this sf-
ternoon."
"But we have pork -
"You ate The last this noon"
Then we must sta rye !" groaned the
stricken man. starting across the room.
Peter Stanwood was q book binder by
trade, and had now been out of employ>
ment about month. He was one of
those who generally calculate to keep
about square with the world and who con-
slider themselves particularly fortunate if
they keep out of debt. He was now thir-
ty years of aye, aud had three children
10 provide for besides himself and wife,
and this. together with house rent, was a
heavy draug ht upon his purse, even when
work was plenty, but nowhere was
nothing.
Maria." said he, stopping and gazing
his wife in the face, "we must stare. l
have not penny in the world"
"Do not despair, Peter. Try again
to- morrow, for work. You may find
something to do. Anything that is hon.
est is honorable. Should you mike but
a shilling day we should not starve."
But our house rent"
Trust to me for that. The landlord
shall not turn US out. Ifyou will engage
to find US something to do, will see that
we have house ROOM"
al will make one more trial." uttered
Peter, despairingly.
"But you must go prepared to do any
thing" .
Anything reasonable, Maria"
"What do you call reasonable 2"
"Why, anything decent"
The wife felt inclined to smile, but the
matter was too serious for that, aud a
cloud passed over her face. She knew
her husbands disposition, and she felt
sure he would End no work. She knew
he would look for some kind of work,
which would not lower him in the social
scale, as he had once or twice expressed
it. However she knew it would be of nc
use to say anything to him, and she lei
the matter pass.
On the following morning. the last bit
Of food in the house was put upon the ia
BILE. Stanwood could hardly realize that
he was penniless and without food. For
years he had been gay. thoughtless and
fortunate, making the most of the pres
ent. forgetting the past. and leaving the
future to take care of ofitself. Yet the truth
was naked and clear; and when he left