St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1860-06-28

:. Il !}J.. .iJ=&.. T|GF' -,5:y,- -I!5"f. "a. !
sb9uh. 40 .:s.,j5...l!al J.. ls,t5r.sl,.J ia1yij ~
sorrow was full enough, his stomach was
empty, as he looked wistfully at the display
on the tea-table. ri, ~..,.....f.;.o.. ...r,,.
Are you Sapdy's brother? ?'' ?' ','> '.@
o'"'Ay sir" and dthe floodgates Of his heart
again opened. .)n zno:3,yo313 wi ), ".4H
ri .Whero do You, livey Are your father
and mother aliye?'''' ~, ..,..g,, ,s.. ..an
- ~, 1--WE bide in Blackfriars'. Wynd in the
Cogate. My mithers dead, and fathers
ava; and we !bide whiles wi our guide
mither," sobbing bitterly. 3n~,y1' l. . III
I;""Where did this accident happen" p
-, ."Near the college, SIR: nT,..". -. .:
'" Calling cab, We were speedily set down
at Blackfriars' Wynd. I had never penc-
trated the wretchedness Of these ancient
clbses by day, and here I entered one by
night, and almost alone. Preceded by my
little guide, entered dark, wide, wind
stair, until, climbing many flights Of stairs
in total darkness, he opened door, whence
alight maintained a feeble, unequal strug-
gle with the thick, close-smelling, heavy
gloom My courage nearly gave way as
the spectacle of that room burst upon me.
In an apartment, certainly spacious in
extent, but scarcely made visible by one
guttcring candle stuck in bottle, were an
ovcrcrowded mass of wrctched beings Sleep
ing on miserable beds spread out upon the
floor, or squatted or reclining upon the
cold, unfinished boards. ',|.,'
, Stepping over PROSTATE nquarrelling
drunkard, l found little Sandy on bed of
carpenters shavinggs on the floor. Hc was
still in his rags, and torn and scanty GOV.
erlet had been thrown over him. Poor lad!
he was so changed. His sharp, pallid face
was c'ammy and cold-bcads OF the sweat
Of agony standing on his brow--his bruised
and mangle3 body lay motionless and still,
except when sobs and moaning heaved his
fluttering breast. A b]oated woman in
maadlin drunkenness (thc dead or ban.
ished fathers second wife, and not hi'
mother) now and then bathed his lips with
whiskcy-and-watcr, while she applied to
her own bottle Of spirits to drown the
grief she hiccoughed and assumed. A
doctor from the Royal In6rmary had called
and left some medicine to soothe the poo,
lads agony (for his case was hopeless, even
though he had been taken first, as he ought
to have been, to the Infrmary in the neigh.
borhood,) but his tipsy nurse had forgot
ten to administer it. applied it, and had
him placed on less miserable bed of straw
and feeling a woman, and occupant of tho
room, to attend him during the nj ght,
gave what directions I could, and left th'
degraded, squalid home. s>"
Next morning was again in Blackfri
ars' Wynd. Its close, pestilential air, ant
towering, antique, dilapidatcd mansion
(the abodes of the pcerage in far-of times
now struck my senses. Above a doorwa,
was carved upon the stone, "Except y
Lord do build ye house ye builders buil'
in vain."
I said the room was spacious: it was al
most noble in its proportions. The wall
Of pannelled oak sadly marred a massiv
marble mantlepiece Of cunning carving
ruthlessly broken and dis6gured; ename]
led tiles around the fireplace, once repre-
senting some Bible story, now sore despoi
ed and cracked and the ceiling, festoone
with antique fruits and flowers, shared j
the general vandal wreck. With the e.
ception Of broken chair, furniture the,
was none in that sitting den. Its occ,
pants, said the surgeon, whom found :
the sufferers bed, were chiefly Of our city
pests, and the poor lads stepmother-wf
had taken him from the ragged school tn
she might drink Of his pitifal earnings
! was as sunk in infamy as any there.
b For the patient. medical skill "
naught, for he was sinking fast. The sol
/ looking from his light blue eyes, was slo'
ly :obbing out, his pallid cheeks were SUI
:, and thin, but consciousness returned, al
his lamp was Pickering up before it sui
l. forever. As I took his feeble hand,
;. flicker of recognition seemed to glea
Il across his face. - :, :":: Al. ,..| -.
b II got the change and was comm - y
J, "My poor boy, you were very honest:
d Have you any wish-any thing, poor chil
:. / can do for you? I promise to"
l. "Reuby, Pm sure I'm deein', wha "
It take care o you moo J.:
n Little Reuben was instantly in fit
Is crying, and threw himself prostrate on t
" bed, 20 Sandy! Sandy! Sandy! so
bed his little heart ~ = ,-'-'''<.. o.
;" "Iwill see to your little brother" >
2i1"Thank you, sir! Dinna-dinna lea
ID me, Rcu-Reu-by. I'm com-comi
At comin'-' ..,.. >....... .:..,.-. .....;, s,..
"Whist! whist ~ cried little Reub, lot
bt ing Up, and turning round to implore so1
i silence in the room. That moment
cslm, faded smile, that seemed to hs
ut alighted as a momentary visitant upon
!; face, slowly passed away, the eyes beca
y, blank and glazed, and his little life imp
i, ceptibly rippled out. =, (. .-..r, j..
e, The honest boy lies in the Canong
no churchyard, not far from the gravestt
IS put up by Burns to the memory of Fer
lie son, his brother poet, and L have lii
~ n 4