Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1860-03-30
Wise + L L A \ Y.
THE ADVERTISEMENT.
AZ INTERESTING SKETCH.


Il. are sure, for it Is most commercially
brief, and singuarly true.
4 poor widow, in the city Of Philadelphia,
was the mother Of three pretty children, or
rhans Of ship builder. who lost bis lie in
tha corvette Keusington, naval vessel.
built in Kensington for one of the South
American Republics, and launched in 1925.
The South Americans being short Of funds,
the 'Kensinrt5n, ," after years Of DELAY was
s1ld b. the Emueror of Russia, and sailed for
Cpnstradt in 1880 Some forty Of the car
renters who built the vessel, went out in her;
she had immense but symmetrical spars-
carried vast clouds Of canvass-was caught
"A Cape Henl0pen IN a squall-the spars
came laundering % the deck, and poor
Glenn. the ship-builder, WAS among the
slain
The widow was allowed but brief time
70 mourn for the departed plnchlne power
" was at her door upon her own exertlons
now devolved the care and toll Of rearing her
three children. Cynthia, the eldest, was
pretty brunette, Of thirteen the neighbors
thought Cynthia could "go out to work :"
the next oldest Ma tin, fine, sturdy, and
intelligent boy. could go to a trade and the
Youngest. Rosa. one Of the most beautiful,
hlue-eved blonde little girls Of seven years
thought, ought to be given to somebody to
raise The mother was but a feeble woman
II would be a task for her To obtain her own
living. they thought md so-kind, gener-
GUS souls-with peculiar readiness with
which disinterested friends console or advise
the unfortunate. 'the neighbOrs' became
very eloquent and argumentative. But tho
the mothers hands were weak, her heart
was strong, aud her love for her children still
stronger
1t is rather singular trait in the human
character, it appears to us. that people
possessing the ordinary attributes OF sane
Christians, should 50 readily advise others
10 attempt or do that from which they would
Instinctively recoil; the mass Of Widow
Glenn's advisers might have been far more
serviceable to her by contributing their mites
towards preserving the unity Of her little
and precious family, than thus savagely
advising its disbanding.
Newspapers, at that very day, were tar less
humorous, very expensive, and circulated to
very limited degree, indeed But the
widow took a paper, a family. weekly
journal; and while casting her eye over the
columns. at the close Of a Saturday eve,
after a severe week s toll for the bread her
little and precious ones had eaten, the
:
ment, as follows
"A HorsEKEEPKR WANrED.-An elderly
gentleman desires a middle-aged, pleasantly
disposed, tidy and industrious American
woman. 10 take charge and conduct the
domestic affairs of his household. reason
able compensation allowed. Good reference
required; the applicant 10 hare no membranes.
Apply at this Office for address, &c"
The eager smile that seemed to warm the
wan features of the widow, as she glanced
over the advertisement, was dimmed and
darkened, as the shining river of summer is
shadowed by the heavy cloud, when she
came to the chilling words " The applicant
n hare NJ membranes.
"No membranes, moaned the widow ;
shall none but God deign to smile or have
mercy or the helpless orphans? are they to
he feared and shunned and hated, because
helpless Must they perish-die. with me
alone-struggling against our woes, poverty,
wretchedness? No I know there is God;
he Is good, powerful, mercjful he will turn
the hearts Of some towards the widow and
the orphan and though basalisk-like words
words warn me to hope not, will apply
Will attempt 10 win attention, work, slave,
toll, toll toll, until my poor hands shall
wear 10 the bone, and my eyes no longer do
their ofhce-if he viii only have mercy, pity
for my poor. pool, orphans God bless them
and in melting tenderness and emotion. The
tears were the showers of hope, to the almost
marched soil Of her heart, and as the gentle
IeWs Of heaven fell to the earth, 50 fell the
widows tears in balmy freshness upon her
vision of bright something-in the future.
Il vet was early in the evening her chill
dren slept, the poor woman put on her bon
net and shawl and started at once for the
Office of the newspaper. The publisher was
lust closing the sanctum, but he gave the
information the widow required and, favor
ablv impressed with Mrs. Glenn's appearance
and manner, the publisher, Quaker, inter
rogated her on various points of her present
condition, prospects. &c, and observed, that
but for her children, he had no doubt OF the
Widows suiting the old man exactly
but thee must not be neglected, not dis
carded from honest industry, because of thy
responsibilities, which God has given thee,
said the Quaker ''lf thy lad is stout OF his
age, and good boy, will provide tor him
be NAV learn our business, and be of thy
charge, and thee may be enabled to keep thy
two female children about thee
On the following Monday, the widow sig
nifed her intention of writing few lines as
an applicant for thesituation of housekeeper,
and afterward to consult with the publisher
ID regard to her boy, Martin, and then bid
ding the courteous quaker farewell, she
sought her humble domicil with a much
lighter heart than she had lately carried
from her distressed and lonely home.
In an ancient part of the Quaker City,
facing the broad Delaware river stood ven
erable mansion but few of this class now re-
main in Philadelphia, and the one OF which
we now speak, but recently passed away, IN
the great confagration, that visited the city
in 1850. In this So substantIal and stately
brick edihce, lived one Of the wealthy and
retired ship-brokers of Quakerdom. He was
verv wealthy, very eccentric. very good
heirted, but passionate, plethorc, gouty and
seventy years of age. Mr.. Job Carson had
been so engrossed in clearing his fortune,
that. from twenty-five TO forty, he had not
hethought him of that almost indispensable
sppendage to mans comfort in this world
= wife He was the next ten years consider
ing the matter over, and then, having built
and furnished himself costly mansion,
which be peopled with servants, headed by a
maiden sister as housekeeper, Job thought
mon the whole-to which his sister gave
cdnsent-that matrimony would greatly IN
c.ease his cares, and perhaps add more noist
and confusion to his household than it might
oounterbalance or offset by probable comfort
in welded happiness so temptiugly SET
forth to old bachelors.
No" said Job at fifty. " I'll not marry
not trade of my single blessedness yet; a
least there's time enough no, III not give W
the ship 70 woman yet.
Another ten years rolled along. and th'
thing .urred up in the retired merchant
mind again-he was now sixty, and one, a
least, of the objections to entering the weddec
state renoved-for a man at sixty is scarcel,
too young to marry, surely. ----
"Ah, it's all up. quoth job Carson
I'm spoiled now, I've had my own way s
long, I could not thing of surrendering Il
petit co1's. turn n my back cn the joys, quie
and comforts of bachelor hood. I'll none o