Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-02-13
EVENING STAR
OUT OF WORK.

four days have been to every book bindery
in the city, and not bit Of work can get. ,
But have you tried anything else '''
What else can / try ?"
"Why, anything that you can do"
eyes, I've tried other things. have been
to more than dozen Of my friends, and offered
TO help them if they would hire me-"
And what do you mean to do for them 2''
81 offered either to post their accounts,
| make out bills, or attend to the COUNTER
Mrs. Sherwood smiled as her husband thus
spoke.
What makes you smile 20 he asked
" To think you should have imagined tha,
you would find work in such place. But
how is Mark Leeds?'
q He is worse off than am -
Chow so?"
He has nothing in his house to eat -
A shudder crept over his wife's frame now.
"Why DO you trembe, wife ?''
Because when We shall have eaten cur
breakfast tomorrow morning, we shall have
| nothing -
What cried Potter Stanwood, half start
ing from his chair. DO you mean that"
Il do"
" But our four"
"All gone. L baked the last this after
nocn.' -
"Bu. We have pork 80
& You ate the last this noon"
"Then we must starve grosned the strck-
en- man, starting across the room.
Peter StanwOOd was book binder by trade,
and had now been out of employment about a
month lie was one of those who generally
calculate to keep about uare with the world
| and who consider themselves particularly for
tunate If they keep out Of debt. He was now
thirty years Of age, and had three children
to provide for, besides himself and wife, and
this, together with house rent, was a heavy
draught upon his purse, even when work vas
plenty, but nowhere was nothing
q" Maria, " said he. stopping and gazing his
wife In the face, we must starve. L have
not single penny in the world"
"But do not despair, Peter. Try again
tomorrow for work. You may find some.
thing to do. Anything that is honest is hon.
orable. Should you make but a shilling a
day, we should not starve"
But our house rent 2''
Trust to me for that. The landlord shall
not turn US out. If you will engage to find
something to do, | will see that we have house
room"
III make one more trial., uttered Peter,
despairingly."
But you must SO prepared to do any
thing"
Anything reasonable, Maria"
" w hat do you call reasonable
Why-anythipg decent ("
lhe wife felt inclined to smile, but the mat
ter was too serious for that, and cloud passed
over her face. She knew her husbands dis
position, and she felt sure he would find no
WORK She knew that he would look for some
kind of work which would not lower him in
the social scale, as he had once or twice ex-
pressed 1t However, she knew it would be
OF no use TO say any thing TO him now, and
and she let the matter pass.
On the following morning, the last bit Of
tood In the house was put upon the table.
Stanwood could hardly realize that he was
pennyless and without food. For years he
had been gay, thoughtless, and fortunate,
making the most of the present, forgetting the
past, and leaving the future to take care of
itself Yet the truth was naked and clear;
and when he left the house, he said some
thing must be done"
No sooner had the husband gone, than Mrs
StanwoOd Put on her bonnet and shawl. Her
eldest child was girl seven years old, and
her youngest four. She asked her next door
neighbOr if she would take care of her chill.
dren until noon. Thee children were known
to be good and quiet, and they were taken
cheerfully. Then Mrs. Stanwood locked up
her house and went away. She returned at
noon, bringing some dinner for her children,
and then she went away again She came
home in the evening before her husband, car
rying heavy basket upon her arm.
band had entered and sat down, what luck"
" Nothing! nothing" he groaned. II
made out to get dinner from an old chum,
but l could not find work"
"And where have you looked to-day?"
"0-everywbere. I've been to a hundred
places, but it's the same story in every place.
It's nothing but one eternal no-no-nol I'm
sick and tired of it.'
"What have offered to do?"
hu / for 70 rar 70 al
liquor store down town"
The wife smiled.
"Now, what shall we do ?" uttered Peter,
spasmodically.
"Why, we will eat supper first, and talk
the matter over"
Supper! Have you any,"
Yes-plenty of it"
{" But you told me you had none"
Neither had We this morning, but I've
been after work to-day, and found some.''
"You? You been after work ?" uttered
the husband in surprise.
Eyes"
"But thow-where-what? ?'
"Why, first went to Mrs. Shows. l knew
her girl was sick, and L hoped she might have
work to be done. L went to her and told her
my story, and she set me at work at once do
ing her washing. She gave me food to bring
home TO my children, and paid me three shil-
lings when got through"
"What-yOu have been out washing for our
butchers wife 20 said Peter, looking very
much surprised.
"Of course have, and have thereby earned
enough to keep us in food through tomorrow,
at any rate; So tomorrow you may come home
to dinner"
But how about the rent ?''
go, L have seen Mr.. Simpson, told him Just
how we were situated, and offered him my
watch as pledge for the payment Of our rent
within two months, with the interest on ar
rearages up to that date. told him the busi-
neSs because you were away hunting up
work"
$50 he's got your gold watch
"No-he wouldn't take it. He said If
would become responsible for the rent, he
would let it rest"
"Then we We got roof to cover US, and food
for tomorrow. But what next? What a
curse these hard times are!"
"Don't despair, Peter, for We shall not
starve. I've got work enough engaged to keep
US alive
"Ah-what is thatp'
"Wby, Mr.. Snow has engaged me to carry
aak hos sJata