True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-11-24
!. STEUBENVILLE OHIO, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER a. 1853.

ing lbarefooted out in all this dTesdful
storm, ma'sm.' et gsy' yr.r ai
%, mamma, he looks so hungry, cant
| give hira something Z chimed in little
Laute'ta. =" y. q. II. .al 81 t.f,
In the front hall. John 2 ase
'Yes, ma'am.' ~.. lc'..rf .sf
John, I'm perfectly astonisEed! /! a.
barefOoted beggar, with his wet, sloppy
feet on that marble pavement ~
please ma'am--' interposed John.
Mot a wold, John-turn him out, this
instant! Why, I'm completely aslounded
at his assurance. How came you 10 let
him in 2 a.s.H nt, .f.
He looks very Aeedy, ma'am-can't
1 tell cook to give him few scraps =
4 have givenyou my commands, John;
let them be obeyed.' said Mrs. Evelyn.
adding as the lootman with an air Of dis.
appointment and regret left the ROOM
Its against my principles to give mis-
cellaneous charily--this street begging
ought to be put down.. .'el .t .t
Yet as she sat selfjus,ifed and com.
placent, what was i. that brought 10 her
mind. with guilty pang, an old text
which runs this wise, 'Inasmuch as ye
have done it unto the least Of these ye
haze done 1t unto ME!' a.t 100.
Nonsense said Mrs. Evelyn, uneasily
to herself, as though she were answering
an unseen accuser. it will never do to
answer those scriptural quotations so lie.
erally.' , :..-
And the gaunt child Of poverty, gath.
ering bis rags around his feshless bones,
crept slowly down the pillared steps, and
covered beneath the area gate like a
houseless dog, while the white snow drift.
ed down about him in hurrying clouds.
'Come, get out of the way here ! ex.
claimed the cheerful, sientorian voice of
stalwart baker. descending the steps with
his basket of hot loaves and rolls. The
boy started up with the quick instinct Of
starvation, and crepf into the hall after
the man, with distended eye balls and
eager, quivering mouth. As the baker
set down his basket, loaf fell and rolled
on the floor, unobseryed. The boy hest
tated an instant-il was his first theft
but the temptation was slrong-out of so
much prodigal profusion one small loaf
could not be missed--and he was dying
Of starvation. The next instant, and he
was darting from the door. with the bread
imperfecty concealed under his rags.
But he had calculated ia too sanguine
manner on escape. One Of The servant
maids had seen the maneuvre, and The
. cry Of stop thief was instantly raised.--
The kitchen colony all rushed to the area
and on the very steps be was collared by
a burly policeman, who pounced on him
as hawk swoops down on defencelese
!, chicken. In vain he writhed, trembling
and .errifed-he was fast. .. Il :
whats the matter!' shrieked Mrs.
Evelyn from the window, looking down
with amazement on the little crowd col
= lec!ed around her area gate. A chorus
Of voices in all keys, from bass TO falsettc
hastened to answer, while the gruff tones
of tho policeman rose above them all.-
This here young vagabond has beer
caught stealing ma'amp " 70,
Yes, stealing! The starving creature
had dared to snatch a morsal from thu
overaowing crib of the rich-the instinc
Of self preservation had dared 10 assert il
self! Hunt him closer tighten the grasy
:. on his emaciated throat! No wonder
!, : that Mrs. Evelyn raised her hands ant
J, eyes in pious horror 10 The bleak sky
Caught stealing f1.' % r.''
h But amid all the uproar Of indipnan
I virtue rose one pleading voice-t6a. o
the cook-whose own eldest boy wa
about the age sof the homeless victim.
'Oh, ma'am, he Is soyoung Let hin
Il go policeman, he'll give back the loaf an,
i say he's sorry, and no harm done ate
!. ALL - '''.'" @I 0f'I'' ~ :
The policeman hesilated, and looked {
|. Mrs. Evelyn for his cue. .''''@' F4I
J. lie, him Off ma'am, pleaded the goo,
woman, see how young he isr
|. Let me go--let me go! screamed th
!, white and terrified boy /; I'll never TAX
4 anything again. |. is the FIRST time
i ever did so-indeed indeed it is!
= Policeman, do your duty I said III
v soft voiced Mrs. Evelyn; I cannot en-
4 courage such juvenile deprayity. Hi
! youth only makes the case more revolving
70 can't conscien;ioasly interfere
5, Away, went the myrmidon Of the law
IS dragging along the struggling child wit
Q crowd Of idlers in his train, while Mr.
70 Evelyn closed the window and drew
mild sigh on the wickedness OF huma
:. nature in general. a "a .H ssg
d Ten years have passed. d qg,s
y The court room is crowded with spe,
10 tators, for an interesting murder cas-,
has just been concluded. The Jury hay
70 just brought in a verdict Of Guilty an
. . the young criminal stands q. ihs bs
= to receive sentence, He is scarcel
/" twenty-five, with brown wayy hair han,
= ling above bis lroubled brow aud a DEATH
!" "tpallct on every feature: |, there is 80
LOT Wild beauty abou, his boyish iace-l
Y is very young--yet from the thrsshhol
10 OF life he is doomed to 20 forth into Il
y darkness of an ignOble death