San Andreas independent., 1858-05-01
Voices of the Street.

sSASSo Va e4AS 0eANOus
Passing, alone and silently, up and down
the crowded streets of these great cities,
how many sentences and parts of senten-
ces one hears which strike upon the heart
as well as upon the ear. And when from
all the din and uproar of the confused
street, one has gone into his house and
sat down where all is still, how often some
of those broken or but partially under
stood, sentences come back and ring like
bells, some joyous, some mournful, in his
memory.
Where am going?" came half un-
consciously from the lips of woman near
US, in one of our evening walks. She
turned as she said so, and more rapidly
set off in another direction. How many,
many miseries and deaths of honor. would
be escaped if this question, q Where am
[ going?" were oftener and more ear
nestly asked by those who have started
wrong.
q lie deserves it. Let him take the
consequences Of his toHy." The speaker
was an iron-faced man, with knitted
brows. Plainly he was sore displeased.
But what if that hard sentence, which
came like spikes and hail from between
his fine teeth, and handsome, (and doubt
less) oft kissed lips, were to be caught as
by spirits, and reserved to be reissued at
the last day against himself? Could he
bear the consequences of all the folly he
has committed ? If not, had he not bet
ter try to be merciful?
L think I can get HER; bat If not,
there's another girl I'm SURE Of" A
dashing youngster, with wholesome pos
sum skin stuck on TO the lower part of his
face. Here were true love and juvenile
modesty, which need no further comment
But I tell you, I've liked him less
and less erer since ICE acere married. =
A lady whose robes nearly covered her
companion from sight, made this inter-
estlng confession in a tone SO loud that
it was impossible not to hear, and hear
ing such words naturally moved curiosity
sufficient to occasion look at the speaker
The look resulted in a marvel as to what
manner of man ever could have screwed
his courage up to the point of her.
They took him home DRUNK p
Took phom home son ? husband?
father? Took him home drunk ?"
Oh, blessed be the sonless, the husband
less, the fatherless, in comparison with
those to whom beings SO dear are ever ta-
ken home drunk -
II shall die ifyou leave me; can
not bear it," Into a handsome but
troubled and perplexed face, looked up
one, far, far younger and more easily
read, from which agony had wrung every
drop of rosy blood 1t was but passing
glance we had of those two faces, but
transient look of those two forms, but we
shall knor them again, if we meet them
not until we all stand in eternity. In
stantly their case grew plain before US
We had known others like it. He, with
a show of love, or, at most, with little
"a oery little-of "the real material"
had won all her woman's heart; and now
he had told her he was going-no matter
where, but where she could see him no
more. And she, poor child that clung
to him rs to her last hope of heaven,
thought that the parting would kill her
But she mistook-it would only kill the
hope and courage out of her, and make
her dull and old before her time. People
don't dc so easy, except -chen they want
to. If some eriefs did kill, they would
not be one-half as dreadful as they are.
"I shall die if you leave me l cannot
bear it." If that cry of pain keeps ech-
Ding in has ears and memory to whom it
was uttered, as it does in those of the
stranger that overheard it, he can never
forget her from whose pale lips the words
came huskily forth, while her eloquent
eyes besought more powerfully than her
tongue had power to do, for mercy
sweet mercy.
4" Mothers a fool then III do as I
ike" We turned quickly at the sound,
expecting to see some wretched, ragged
girls, who were in need of an invitation
to the ragged school, or to some place
where they might be taught not to be
heather. 1t passes belief, but it is true,
those evil words came from the ruby lips
of fair round checked, and richly dressed
young lady! She walked gracefully,
and she smiled sweetly; but through her
pure white flesh there seemed to us to be
visible an inward blucaess, as of putre-
trefaction, which, like the spotted death
Of the plague, works outwards from within,
until its victim falls, black with mortii-
cation, corpse. Over the beautiful
face passed quick hideousness that
caused shudder through our frame as
we passed on. +" Mother !" Chat sacred
name ga .fool!" Oh sacriligious
lips of thankless child sin thus no
more.