The weekly Ottumwa courier., 1858-12-09

THURSDAY, \ Y .DlE(
A ThrilliNg and True story Of
g Poverty and Temptation.
&C. L. B.,"the Secretary Of the Children's
Aid Society in New York, communicates to
the New York papers, the following painfully
interesting story ;........s,... e,ssr & .sstssE,T
/, Some two years ago young English girl, Of
perhaps fifteen years, with refined manners,
and a'pretty, though pale face, presented her
self at our Office, and nervously asked for some
plac elm a family in the country. She told the
usualstory Of. poverty, and we only observed
that her hands were very thin and bony. and
her cheeks hollow, aud that on being assigned
to ansxcellent home bv Mr.. Marcy, he. eyes
filled with sudden tears Of thankfulness. Some
thing was given her to eat, which she received
quietly, and on the next day went to the place.
Lately ona revisit to the city, " learusH
the particulars Of her history. SEE had been
in England in good circumstances, as her man
'ner and language showed, and had come over
after the Death Of her father and the wasting
sof his property,-to seek her fortune as do so
many others, in America. She sought at once
TO learn some trads, and to earn living for
herself, but without friends, and with the crow
ded COMPETITION Of the CITY,, she could ,fad no
opening. In the same way at the intelligence
Offices, after wasting many days, she discover
ed no chance for herself. Each day her means
were being exhausted, and she was. at length
forced to pawn all the ornaments and relics
Fof better times. She was reduced 6n ally to
living in a small attic room of tenament house,
sleeping on some straw IN one corner. Hour
after hour through the weary day her tile
feet were traversing the streets, as she followed
advertisements and looked for work.
Atlast she reached the Joint in which every
available means had been sacrificed, every PEN
ny spent and hunger stared her in the face :, :
Shedescribes her feelings then most touching
w. One day she could get through quite
comfortably without anything to eat the sec-
ond she says, she crouched herself in. her bed
-and, do you know. sir, what found the
best to stop the hunger? "Why, drans ,,a-
ter, and then Iprayed, and somehow always
fel, better aad stronger after it 20 The tn ird
day, when it seemed as if she could not hold
out much longer, she. would 90 family down
stairs 10 woman she knew in one of the lower
rooms, and this woman would offer her some-
thing to eat, which she would take carelessly,
no one ever saspectins that the p Or won an
was being saved from starvation. In this mode
of life she grew so weak she could scarcely
walk, and as thin, she says. as any sxeleton.-
She was attacked, too, with terrible heac ach es,
| and some days, she IS sure, she was deliriols,
for she now Remembers how she seemed
sometimes to see angels and spirits in the little
room, bringing her food!
| Once or twice she determined to beg, though
she felt as if she woald rather die; aud she
went into store, and sail, gaspingly, .:she
was hungry The people were very kind,
and sat herin chair an gave her food, and
once, she recolects, acup Of tea.
| ~ Then, she lay oh her heap of straw, think.
ing oflthe, dear old English home and the com
fort there, the ,nother, aad the days that were
gone, she wonld sometimes say, What have
| I done to deserve this? Why should God pic K
me out 10 make me safer so? Why should
be deserted ?',it 3sRGs8 aaE ~ GsstE
\ zone day she had goneidown.intp the lower
room, and sat there weak and desparing, when
a gentleman entered, whom she describes as
very grand end wealthy in, bis appearance
He spoke to her kindly; said he haa watched
her goin and out, and said she must be in
misfoltune; that he bad 80 much admired her
yes, loved her. She answered, gaspug with
weakness. g Way do YOU come here to insult
me because am poor?
\ Then, ass she describes It, he replied that he
! did not mean to insult her, that he truly loved
her--and in various phrases he offered to sher
to live in a splendid home with him, but not as
his wife.
| The poor girl crouched down with her head
| in her hands, confesses that for moment the
thought crossed her mind. WHAT she should
do this? No one will know it. Here is com
fort and home--aa escape at length; and on
the other side, along, weary struggle and star
lyation. But in the midst Of ,this-she almost
tociclvcoN was -Icdl--LucLe ,Scelxeu TO come
up before her figure OF her mother-she saw
the face and the warning gesture almost as dis
tinctly as she saw any one. She seemed to cali
her saway-.aDd then she thought OF allshe had
ever told her OF Heaven. and OF God, and she
started up and said, with sobs and gasps-one
may be sure eloquently, for she tells the story
now with eyes flowing with tears and with
tones that thrill the heart:i , g ,SsssN
| 81 know am poor-I have nothing-I have
no home aud no friends--I am starving; but if
you should give me all the money OF New York
heaped ten times over, / would not do this
thing 4 Why do you come here to tempt me
and insult me because am poor 2 (" ana she
almost fsA downgasping, but she says she saw
the man start back w ith face gastly, pale say
Ing, "My God! What q sin YOU have saved
mefrom 70
That day she heard accidentally Of the So-
ciety to help children, and resolved to 60 there
and try FOR a last chance. II she failed there