St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-03-19

At Fourth street she stopped again
All was dark ahead, and dark to the
right. But many lights beamcd from
the windows as her eyes turned north
ward. Up Fourth street she turned
and walked on until Chestnut, Mar
kct, Arch and Race streets were sue
cessively passed.
But where am I going?" she said
on gaining this point, stopping, and
claspinS her hands together. II can,
not walk the streets all night. must
find a shelter somewhcre-bu where 2"
A deeply drawn sigh was the only
answer her heart could make. Just
then, from house opposite, came the
sound of merry notes.-the voices of
happy maidens. Tears rushed to the
eyes of the homeless girl, and fell rap
idly over her cheeks.
"Perhaps," she thought, "they will
give me a place to rest in for one
night" and following the impulse that
awakened this thought, she moved
across the street, and lifted her hand
to the knocker. ~---
But, rccollecting how strange would
seem her request, and how improbable
her story, she shrunk away from the
door, and again moved along the
street, more deeply conscious than ev.
er of her hopeless condition. She had
not gone many steps before the same
happy voices that had inspired he,
with momcntary hope, fell again up
on her car. Again she stopped, lis
tened, turned, and walked back, drawn
10y an impulse that she did not at
tempt to resist. Once more she lifted
her hand to the knockcr, and now she
let it fall, but with timid and scarce
heard summons. In little while, the
door was opened by a middle aged
woman. Anna looked in her face but
was unable to speak.
What do you want ?" the woman
asked, in rather rcpulsive tones, sec
ing that the person who had knocked
hesitated to make known her business.
am young girl, alone in a
strange city, and without single
friend, or place to lay my head, will
you not shelter me for only one night ?"
Anna said, in quick, low, half distinct,
trembling tones.
The door was instantly closed in
her face. She stood gain in the midst
of a strange city, alone.
The woman who had thus rcpulsed
her, after shutting the door, retired in
to small parlor, where were assem-
bled about dozen young women, and
one or two who had passed the prime
of life. They were quilting and full
OF life and merrimcnt.
Who was it, Mrs. Spcarc ?" asked
an individual of the company, looking
up.
Humph! Such an one l hope none
OF you may ever be-" was the reply.
Curiosity was instantly excited.
"Who was it, Mrs. Spcarc Who
was it 2" fell from every lip.
The face Of Mrs. Spcarc became Sc
rious.
"Somc wretched creature, who look
ed as Young as any one here, asking
III Il pldCc W SlStIf.
Every countenance became sober
/" What. did you say to her - asked
an elderly woman, taking off her spec
tacles, and letting them rest upon the
quilt at which she had been at work.
Nothing at all. l shut the door
in her face"
No one spoke. But Mrs. Spearc felt
as distinctly as if every tongue had
uttered it, that all disapprovcd of what
she had done.
" 1t would be very foolish thing,
indeed" she said, by way of justitica-
ton, to take into ones house stran-
ger, at night, who comes with a tale
Of being alone and fricndless in a
great city like this. Innocent persons
are not without friends, and guilty
ones don't deserve to have any"
" Did she say that she was stran-
ger and fricndless ?" asked the old
lady who had before spoken.
Yes. She said she was a young
girl, alone, in a strange city, without
a single friend, or place where she
could lay her head. Bnt any body
could say that TO me it sounds like
a very improbable story"
The other sighed, took up her spec
taclcs, wiped them, and placing them
on her head, bent again over the
square she was quilting but made no
reply. Mrs. Speare ran on about the
girl she had turne1 from her door, and
said many things by way of self JUS
LITIGATION. But no one took sides with
her. The merry laugh did not again
echo through the room. All felt pain
ed to think that there was, at the very
time they were blessed with home and
friends, a poor girl wandering the
streets without a house to shelter her. |
Before ten o'clock, they separatcd.'
Anna, so soon as she could recover
her thoughts, after this repulse, went
on again, but hopeless. The anguish
she had before felt, subsidized. She
was prepared to meet the issue, calm
ly. On, on, she went, for nearly half
an hour, seeing nothing around her,
and fearing nothing. At last, loud
voices aroused her. She looked about.
She had reached the extreme limits of
the city. Only a few houses were
thinly scattered around. A group of
men were no great distance ahead.
All her fears quickly returned
With throbbing heart, she retraced,
hurriedly her steps, until she entered
the more thickly settled districts.
BY this time she felt 50 exhausted.
that she could scarcely move on. Her
head ached with binding intensity
and fainting 1ushes would ever and