Demoine courier., 1856-02-28
A Scene in Real Life.

#E- -.
hams Magazine, FEB 1856.
A Scene In Real Life.
The editor of The Chicsgo Times. hay
ing been on the north side Of, that city 10
see a friend, vas recently prevented from
reaching his office, in consequence of q
s,eam-,ug having passed up The rive,
with a small flee, of vessels in tow, one
Of which bad been cas-, off and hauled in
jos, west Of the bridge. leaving the draw
still open. While waiting be Witnessed
the following scene:, u
"The vessel we have mentioned had
been moored or made fas, outside Of sew.
eral canal boats; and a. we stood look.
ing al the men upon her, one Of the men
approached . female who had been
crouched upon the deck. and addressing
her, pointed TO the shore, then to the
bridge, and then down towards the
,hronged and busy streets Of living. NOV
ing, headlong Chicago. She rose, pick.
ed up a email bundle, from which she
drew forth = coin, which she rendered
TO the hardy sailor. He re fused il, what.
ever i. was, and lending her . hand,
helped her from the vessel 10 The dock,
and from the dock up to the bridge. By
this tire a large crowd Of persons ,hrpng
ed the north end Of where ,he bridge
would be, il i. was always a bridge; and
in contemplating the new faces and the
repr eseniatiyes of the various classes
there assembled, we had almost. forgotten
The incident we have related. Our Of.
sen,ion was called from . 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
a most audible sob from some one near
US. II was not the sob of childhood.
caused by some sudden change from
gaye,y to grief; it was the sob Of some
maturer breast, filed with q sense of
loneliness and despair. i reached 9th.
er ears ,aan oura.
A lady, dressed in = manner which
bespoke a wealth Ina, could crafty ,as,e
and elegance. and who, like ourself was
detained a, tina, place. stood near. accom-
panied by three children. whose desire
TO ge. at the extreme edge Of The platform
she with difficulty repressed. With q
woman's tenderness. her hear, Iecogniz-
ed The suited ebulli,ion Of sorrow, and
approaching The person from whom i,
came, WHO was nop other than the wo-
man we had just seen land from tho ves-
sci, she quietly, ard in tina, soft, sweet
voice o. woman which none can resist,
inquired if she stood in need, or was she
i'll, or was her sorrow such that's could
no. be relieveda A portion Of The railing
near Us was vacant, and towards that,
and almost a, orr side, these Two women
came to converse. The stranger was a
fair, handsome girl Of about seventeen
years, neatly. bu, cosrsely dressed, with
shoes no, only we'll worn, bu. heavy and
unsui,ed a. much Tor her sex a. Tor the
seasO The poor girl, in homes. sim
plici,y, ard with an earnestness which
despair alope could impart. related her
history. uninterrupted by a single obser-
WALTON from her companion. but often ac-
companied by the iesrs Of both.
She said tina, she was born in Boston;
she had no brother or sister now; she re.
nenbered that she had q sister. the old
est, whose name vas Lizzie: that sieier,
years ago. againss her fathers will. had
married, and with her husband, having
been banished her fathers light. had
gone of. ami had cot been heard Of since
no doubt val dead. At the time OF
her sisters marriage her parents were
wealthy; the pride which drove away
Lizzie had brought allen, regrets and af.
ter a while came melancholy complain
ings by the mother signing tor tho sr.
brace Of her frst-born. These soon led
to anger and ordinations II home. and
dissipation by the father abroad: Lose.
e. came upon them, and q. last. gather
ing the few worldly goods they possess.
ed, they LET, the proud city Of their birth,
and se,'led 6vs years ago upon land pur.
chased 0! the Government 10 Wisconsin.
Her brothers, some older and some
younger than herself. one by one droo?.
ed and died: and soon the mother, call,
ing in agony upon her loig exiled daugh.
lef. joined her boys in a happier CLINE.
None were now left bu, the father and
This poor girl. He TOO, was humbled
and stricken by the slow but certain dr.
ease which lights up the cheek, snd fires
the eve with the brilliancy Of health,
even when i,s victim 10 on the confines
of e.erni,y. He would si, and ,sll 10 bis
surviving child The acts Of winning love
and sacrificing devotion which had made
his Lizzie the very object Of his liie.-
He would talk Of her sweet smiles AMI
her happy disposition until memory
would lead him TO the hour whom hs bic
her to depart. and not let him see hsI
face again. His decline was rapid. ans
this lone child saw The 6rst flowers which
the warmth Of spring had called from Vi,