The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1857-01-29

HS' H"9H'' VI N'o"i t''ts H1~4" w l'NI i'hi
was hurrying along. .$hrough tie hustle Of
Broadway, by the dc Of the elegant and
fashionable dressaTyouoy.man, who had
wondered an houf before for what pur-
pose he had been born. The almost shoe
less little feet were tripping back more
lightly than they came, to show her BENG.
factor the way to her wrctched home.
We will stop here a moment, he said,
as they arrived in front Of a store where
warm wooden articles were for sale; and
when they issued forth, the little cold
hands were covered Win a pair of warm
mittcns, two pair more were in her bas.
ket for the little brothers--warm hose for
each and some for the mother; and the
happiness of the child was 50 manifest,
that his own heart grew the lighter for it
Then came a shoe store, and the childish
feet patered more noisiIy than before.
Next they entered bakery, where af-
ter supplying the child abundantly, he
ordered a well-Glled basket 10 follow for
the sufferers, but he could not speak for
the gathering tears when the little crea-
ture, whose fearful eyes giStened at the
sight of food, and who was evidently suf-
feiing the pangs ofhunger,refused to taste
a crumb until she reached home, because
mother and little brothers were so hun.
cry.
after various winIings and turnings,
they arrive finally at narrow alley, aud
he followed the happy child into dark
and contracted doorway, and up two
flights of broken and trembling stairs to a
low room in the attic He paused outside
the door, while she rushed in, exclaiming
breathlessly, oh, mother! such good
gentlemen as | have foundp and he heard
the kiss she imprinted upon her mothers
check, and the cLink of the two half dol
lars as they fell into he hand. lie heard
the sudden but feeble exclamation, MY
child who gave you those? and after the
little ones reply, a sob as if heart was
breaking. Don't cry don't cry, dear
mother; you will make him sorry Is he
here, darling? Ask him to come in, my
child Surprised at the tone-lor it was
the voice of one who had seen better days
in that abode Of misery, he entered; but
he stood, horror-stricken, appalled,, at the
sceEe before him So utterly overcome
was he, that he seemed deprived of the
power Of utterance.
Upon a low, miserable bed, in one
corner, propped up by broken chair,
partially concealed by an old coverlid,
was the wasted figure of a woman appa-
renty of middle age, with features so
pinched by hunger as to give her almost
the appearance of breathing corpse
Upon the comfortloss bed lay the
strips of colored paper which had been
given TO her children, and which she
had hardly strength to twist together,
while tie hands themselves so thin and
heshless, seemed scarcely those Of liy-
ing creature.
Two little boys, one apparently of two,
the other of four years, lay, the one q
cross the foot of the mothers bed, the
other upon the floor, sleeping, from their
exhausation, but seeming lifeless, so at
tcnuated were they; and their features
we're SO sharpened by starvation that it
seemed as if age had already stamped
itself upon the forms of childhood.
On another side of the low room was
an open fireplace, with few embers Just
perccptble; not chair, not a table, not
an indication of anything to sustain life;
nothing to redeem the cheerless abode
from an aspect of utter misery and desc
lation. He had read of poyerty--he had
heard of wretchedness, but never had his
eyes beheld, or his heart conceived, any
thing like this. There was nothing to
disgust the most sensitive, for everything
had been kept most scrupulously clean by
the Jealous child whose efforts had been
unlriring bat there was everything TO
pain feeling hcart He stood like one
petrifed, and was silent. though his heart
was full to overAowing.
/ 'Iou are not accustomed to scenes like
this, sir, said the poor sufferer, perce,y-
ing his emotion, and | fear it is -ia(al
to YOU His lip quivered, and he had
difficulty to command his,yoice as he said
briefly. you must have suffered much.
God knows how much, sir' and as shs
turned away her face, he saw the trem-
bling lip and startling tears,
There was something in the accent and
manner Of both mother and child, that
spoke better days.
How long he asked, 'have you been
in this abode Of uretchedness?,'
Only one week; the landlord, finding
that l had disposed of everything, and
that he would be unable to obtain his rent,
dismissed us from his house on one Of the
severest days.of the season, and sent us
here. Could l'have obtained a suticiency
of hcalhful food my strength would have
been somewhat restored; but, as it was, l
was utterly incapable or exertion.'
His heart sank, within him, as he men
tally calculated, God forgive me! that in
my luxury and Incidence ] have wasted
that which would have made this a happy
household. He 'made%a few more kind
I inquiries, but remained not long, for no
time was to be lost in inaction. .,