The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1859-10-05
T,HE PAUPER.

o.
letters TO tho Free Democrat. In bis
last, after speaking of the crops. and the
drouth, he sa say IT, =
While looking down from the hill on
the latter crop-now almost ruined by
the protracted droutl-a shadow fell up
on the spirits, and l found myself think
ING that it might have rained as well as
not, and saved all this dcsolation. The
babbling murmnr had not reached the
lip, however, before we were rebuked and
felt a flush burning slowly over the cheek.
A female came slowly up the walk, lift
ing her feet as if footsofe and weary,
and her Lead bowed with weak
ness and despair. She seemed walk
ing sh'dow Of laost abject poverty. Her
thin a. ! palll features were the Iaugua
ge of want. ana ,dcsolation. The hair
was grey and hung nneombcd about her
withered neck, and her hands were hui
skin and bone. Iknew her errand with
out askng- be wasa sta gg'er from an
army which, in n land Of plenty, go ham
gry for bread. She had single gar
ment, and that was so;led and rent. And
the poor creature belonged to the SIS
terhood Of cur OVID mother, That moth
er,. however. was laid as gently in her
grave as a.child to its rest, and went out
from home where none ever went cold
for raiment, or hungry for bread. -
AS the woman came opposite whore l
sat, she lifted her eyes lapgpidly, and hes
itatingls bid me good morning. She
had been weeping, and the shadow Of
soul-anguish was dark in the faded pupils.
Sic had been out for cold victuals, and
her Basket was empty, She reeIed after
she passed, and steadied herself Iys the
pickets, stopping frequently to brush tile
tears with the back of her hand. She
ssoas hungry, and the thought surged
through my brain that Christ was wear;-
ly and in sorrow walking byand that as
much as we gave unto the least of these,
we gave unto Him. And while tho tears
-ga.lrrcd like mist over the sight the
squalid shadow vanished. and ono glori-
Gus in dazzling white in the company of
the Redeener and His angels, went up
singing on the beams of gold which reach
ed from our watery lids to tho sun.
r. When the woman returned, we were
still sitting. We felt ibled-guilty.
We had friends, home. food and ramcnt:
even while our barn was gushing with
tho fulness of the earlier harvest, we had
felt like murmuring. J3 e.d "a
morning, mother s51i-.ss sn
"Who calls me mother?" she eagerly
and yet almost reproacllfuIIv asked, as
her lip quiyered and she stared unsteadi-
Iy Into my face. e- ! $ ea..a2s Z
i "You hare been mother?s ~l
"Havc been! yes have been; but they
are all dead, sir, seven of them. And
God forgive gu, the last died cold and
hungry--cold and baaggy---d'ye 4hear
THAT9 m ~ <a-5a
| She grasPed my shoulder with a
strength we did not dream she possessed,
and peered for full minute, into my face.
There was bitterness in her tone, and in
the kindHng light of her old eyes.
| 81 had husband too, and he went
drunk and died. They robbed hrn-rob-
bed rs all, and when asked for dime
where he spent his money, they jeered and
csrsed me, and pushed me .ut as an i'm
poster. Aud when Hesther died, I look
ed upon herfam;sbod face, and cursed
them-cursed the spoilers of the widow
and fatherless. And God will curse them.
never wronged them, but they have rob
bed me of al. But it will soon be over.
The dead want no bread But, sir, it is
hard walking to Heaven with famine
Notwithstanding at the heart. Do
you believe that the angels have enough
to cat, ,ha, ba ~ 3ts ehm.luo s>zga.
The laugh was wild, and the light in
her eye was wilder. ~ & @
"Come," said we chokinglv, "come, for
we are rich, We have bread enough and
to spare.---You shall eat." sas8 g. a
She hesitated moment, and then the
fierce, bitter expression passed off from
her features, and with sob and a. glad
cry, she reeled after me. And while the
hungry pauper eat, VIC looked on and
wept. AS she passed the cradle in going
out she caught our babe convulsiyely to
her bosom and bowed her face over it,
while her body swayed and shs moaned
in her grief. The little one smiled in her