The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-01-30
Richard Hoffman.
ATAIEoF LOVE AND RErRIBUrIoN.

Rachel Bently, the lovely daughter of
one of the richest merchants of London,
having married George Hoffman, one of
her fathers clerks, during the old mans
absence in India, he. On his return disin-
herited her and discharged George. The
latter being overwhelmed by disappoint-
ment, took to drink, and in a few years
became a habitual drunkard his wife
supporting herself and two children
Richard, now a fine boy in his thirteenth
year, and Mary, sweet child of six-by
selling, one after another, the remnants
of her costly wardrobe and jewelry.
On the last day of December in the
year in which our story opens, Rachel was
without food, light or fire, and on that
very day the rent must be paid.
Little Mary was moaning for food and
crying with cold.
The drunken father was at the dram
shop.
The agonized mother had but one more
article of value left-a loeket containing
lock of her fathers hair. She had
hoped to be able to save this, the last me-
mento of her once happy home. But
goaded by little Mary's cries for food, she
seized the loeket, rushed to apawnbroker's
obtained a few shillings, put by the
amount of the rent and with the rest pur-
chased little bread and milk for her
children, and then set out, with them, to
visit the old confidential clerk of her
father, Peter Manglee, who had ever been
kind to her, to consult him about sending
Richard away from the contaminating in
luence with which he was surrounded
On returning home late New Years eve
from her fruitless visit, for the old clerk
was not at home, Rachel discovered that
her husband had been home and stolen
the sum she had put by for the rent, from
the place where she had concealed it, and
gone off again to aThe Crown and Magpien
tavern, to waste it in drunkenness. Lit
tie Mary, chilled and hungry, began to
cry for food, and the suffering mother, in
hopes of regaining portion of the mon
ey taken by her husband, set out with
her children to the haunt of vice, whittier
George Hoffman had gone.
There was great crowd at the bar of
The Crown and Magpie." The landlady
"a stout, vulgar looking woman, with
red ribbons in her cap, profusion of false
curls, heavy gold chain around her neck
and humorous rings on her fat fingers
was busily engaged in pouring out gin for
her customers the regular ones she was
treating-for it was New Years eve.
Such was the scene of vice and dissipa-
ton which met the eye and sickened the
heart of Rachel when, with little Mary in
her arms, and protected by the presence
| of her son, she ventured into the house.
ais Mr.. Hoffman here ?" she inquired,
family.
The question had to be repeated sever
al times before she could get an answer.
"Can't tell the names of any of my
customers, /" replied the mistress of. " The
Crown and Magpie,n snappishly.
perhaps you viii oblige me by ascer-
tanning"
aToo busy, msam! Hot water Sally
Three and eight pence, sir. Half and
half directly! ''
sYou can't go in there |" shouted the
landlady, as Rachel was making her way
towards the parlor. Mine is respects
bic house, allow no female beyond the
bar.''
@But am Mr.. Hoffman's wife"
$50 they all sax" answered the woman
with q sneer.
There was coarse, mocking laugh from
the crowd of half drunken wretches stand
ing near. The eyes of Richard flashed
angrily; but the voice, and still more, the
implorng look of his mother restrained
him.
Let as return home,n she said, In a
tdespairing tone. feel faint and sick at
heart.n
And leaning on the arm of her son, the
unhappy wife tottered rather than walked
from Replace.
The kssR, frosty air partially restored
her strength, and Rachel proceeded with
her children until she reached the thor
ioughfare leading through St Margarers
lehnEchzysrd, towards the AlnenEy, when