Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1861-05-24
THE LITTLE HEROINE.

"Morning againl' And the weary, was
ted invalid lifted his head from the pillow,
and looked pitifully over the din room.---
"Oh, that the night had been longer To
the wretched sleep is dear. Ny poor, poor
wife-my darling babes-must they freeze
and starve 0, God it is too muchP and
with tears gushing from his eyes, the pale
man buried his head in the scanty covering,
and groaned aloud.
1t was no wonder he was out Of heart on
that cold, dark, December day. At best,
he had hard struggle to get food and
clothes for his family and for the past six
months the struggle had been almost des-
perate, for his wife had been unable to as
sist him in the least, being confined to bed
with slow,wasting disease.
His little daughter Marie, pretty child
of twelve, kept the room tidy, and herself
and two little brothers like wax. By the
aid of her mothers whispered directions,
she also cooked the scanty meals, and even
managed to do up the weekly washing and
ironing.
q MY little sunbeam, the father fondly
called her; while the mother would say, in
her low, sweet tones, "Our angel"
One night the young housekeeper waited
till it was pitch dark for her father to come
home to his frugal supper, and then, with
fearful forebodings at her heart, undressed
the little boys and put them to bed, and
tied on her hood and cloak to go for him.
A crowd met her at the very Threshold
With wild cry, she rushed towards the
inanimate form they carried upon board.
1t was her father, brought home to them
with broken leg.
A week had passed since this misfortune.
BY the sale of their few pieces of furniture
the wolf had been kept from the door
But now, nothing remained save the coarse
bed on which the distressed ones slept. No
Goals for the little CRATE no tea for the fe-
verish lips; no crusts for the famished
children. What snould be done?
1t was question little Marie asked her
self again and again, as she lay there watch
ing the few pale sunbeams that struggled
through the windows. And she asked it
oftener after she had risen and dressed her
self and brothers, and smoothed the two
beds, Bread they must have that day
They were all faint even now, and the boys
clamoring for their breakfast. Suddenly
a bright thought came to the little daugh-
ter She remembered having seen in some
coffee houses, young girls, no taller than
she. waiting upon customers. Perhaps they
would try her. off they only would, she
murmured softly. 81 am handy, quick and
patient, and would try so hard to oblige" "
| am pretty, too, she might have added,
had there been a spark Of vanity in her
heart; for she was. "a sweet child, with a
brow like sunny snow drift, and eyes like
the spring violets that nestle in the wood
lands. II will try, at least, and see what
can do" and after watching Few mo-
ments the weary sleep of her parents, she
whispered tothe little boys that she was
going out to get some bread for them, and
hurried away.
She did 90 to the bakers, but her pitiful
story failed to touch his hard heart, and
there were tears on her cold cheeks as she
turned away. Even if she secured place,
she could hope for no wages till Saturday,
and there were four weary days between
this and that Bread would be toe late if
she waited till then. What would she do
-.'beg ?" She asked herself the question
with quivering lip. Never before had
their poverty driven them to that strait,
and it was hard, even now, with the pict-
ure of that wretched home fresh in her Wis
ion, to plead for charity. But she did it.
Again and again she said to the passers by,
"Please sir, please ma'am, give me penny
to buy bread for my sick parents.
But the gentlemen had their overcoats
buttoned to their chins, and the ladies were
enveloped in furs, and it was too much
trouble to find their pocket books or purs-
es just to supply beggar's wants.
"Go to the soup-house," " said one, at last,
more churlish than the rest. "The city
provides for such as you"
1t was a new idea to her, and fast as her
feet could carry her she went, and entering
in breathless haste, told her story to the
attendant matron.
~ will report the case to the committee, "
said the woman, quietly, making memo
street. "Come in tomorrow morning, and
will do what can for you"
Tomorrow She would be too weak to
walk SO far by that time, and what would
become of the rest2 With heavy heart
she went home, having no courage to pre-
sent herself as waiter to any of the coffee
houses she passed on her way.
"Did you get some2 cried the boys, and
gathered around her, pulling off her cloak
to see if it were hidden in her apron OF
under her arms.
"Did you get some ?" said two faint vol
ces from the bed in the corner, and the Gov
erlet was thrown off and two pairs of thin
white hands put forth
"No, no, she answered plaintively, "but
I will try again. Keep up good hope =
There will be plenty out of the oven now
Yes, plenty" she said to herself as she but
toned her cloak on tho threshold; "plenty
and I'll have some too. They shall not
starve. Men and women forsake me; God
dosen't hear me any longer; there is moth
ling left for me TO do but steal
Her face paled as she spoke, and for Q
i H.. :.