The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1859-12-31
A True Story Of the Hard Times.
FROM pErERsoS's MAGAZINE.

.
parish. Anna Irwin was pre- eminently so.
Old and young looked upon her with affec-
ton, as Sunday after Sunday she glided, in
her timid, graceful beauty, into the rectory
pew, and her father might be pardoned if,
even from the chancel, his eye sought her
loved form, and his ear the soft tones of her
voice. For sixteen years she read and stud
led, sang and laughed, surrounding by fond.
admiring hearts. But there came change
"a day when DR.. Irwin preached his last
sermon, and laid his head down in the old
churchyard. Anna went away to New
York. It is needless to trace the progress
of the changes and misfortunes by which
she sank, in four or FIVE years, from mu
sic-teacher to taking in sewing, and then
working at hat-binding. When the hard
times of this last fall fell upon the country,
even this humble resource failed her. She
could find nothing to do, and she had no
money. Ruin had overtaken her few friends
in the city. Weeks passed. She sold and
pawned most of her clothing, and all other
articles of any value. She was obliged to
leave her small but respectable apartment,
and sleep on rag mattrass in freless,
bare garrett, glad of the privilege. One fear
fully cold night, she crept to that comfort
less pallet, foot-sore from whole days
fruitless walking in search of employment.
For five days she scarcely tasted food. She
had only scant worn rug for covering.
For hours her teeth chartered, and her
limbs ached. She curled herself into every
imaginable position in the vain effort to OBJ
tain a moments warmth of any portion of
her frame. And then she thought of her
home, where each night she had wrapped
herself in thick, soft blankets, and lain IN
warm, dreamless rest, till morning dawn
She thought of her fathers goodn kiss
and blessing. She slept at last, for she was
utterly exhausted. waking to suffering every
FIVE minutes, tortured by hideous night
mares of food turning to stone, ice in Der
grasp, by grinning faces and never for one
Instant losing the pain of cold.
In the morning she saw girl, who, with
her old mother, had slept, if sleep it could
be called, in the same room, preparing to go
out begging for cold victuals. Two little
girls who lived in the opposite garret, also
issued forth, and Anna, despairingly, and
nearly wild with hunger and cold, went out
after them. She soon found herself in a
street where every surrounding showed
wealth and luxury. She thought of the
more respectable mode of begging, to ring
at the front door, and asking for one of the
family, tell her story. But her pride shrank
from that even more than fitting down the
back steps. And this at length she did.
81 haven't anything" said the servant,
who answered her knock.
Wont you let me warm myself by the
FIRE? 90 whispered Anna.
81 guess not" said the girl. "'The la
dy don't like such people about the kitrh-
en-" and shut the door in her face.
She would have laid down and died on
the cold door-stone, willingly. After two
or three gasps, she stumbled up the steps,
rolled her frost bitten fingers in her thin de
Bage cape, and went on down through the
broad Avenue, bitter thoughts of man and
of God may He forgive her !-shrieking
in her heart. The long rows. of costly
houses were to her like Notifications reared
by hard, triumphant sel6shness, to keep her
and such as her from sharing in common
comforts, defended by cruel, unerring weap
ons. o. what pitiless tyrants seemed hui
man law, human society Her feet were
numb, but they carried her on over the ice
cold pavements like one in dream-sensi-
BILE only to the biting tooth of cold and the
raving of the hunger pangs.
Down broad stoop. little before her,
came young lady, mufied in furs to her
rosy cheeks. She paused suddenly with a
poor can't do something for you ?''
81 am hungry and cold,'' said Anna.
"Cold l should think you would be-"
said the lady, shuddering.
''For PHYS sake, Harriet" struck in a
gentleman, who had opened the door and
came out Immediately after her, "don't
stand to talk with that girl. You'll catch
your death. Here, I'll give her these, and
do you come along. You'll have to walk
fast to keep warm, this bitter morning.
He held out two three-cent pieces. They
slipped from his thickly -gloved fingers, and
he left Anna to pick them up. Before she
had succeeded in doing so he was out of
sight, with the young lady pressed close to
his side. Anna ran to the nearest bakers
and bought loaf of bread. ''You can't
stay here to eat it, girl" said the bakeress,
and she reluctantly left the well-warmed
shop. turned the corner in the Avenue, and
sat down on stoop. The bread was hot,
and after filling her mouth, she plunged
both hands into the middle of the smoking
loaf. and pressed it to her freezing bosom.
Come. young woman" said police
man, taking her by the shoulder, "these are
fine tragedy airs. Don't you know you
mustn't sit here 90
The wretched girl rose and tottered away,
completely overcome. Surely she had
reached the depth of degradation she had
been moved on by policeman
The gentleman and the young lady reap
peared. There's that girl hanging about
here yet" Anna heard him say.
90! father" replied the young lady,
'.she is eating loaf of bread that she
bought with the change you gave her.
Well, let her 60 home and eat it properly,
then. She's not starving now, certainly"
he said.
"Home''