Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-11-24
Gi)e Ol)io 9tatesttta1r
The IittIe Heroine.
nY mas. oAnoLlnr sopLr.


valid lifted his head from the inflow and Ioolte,
pitifully over the dim room DON that IN
night had been loneeey' To the wtetohad sIee
is dear. "My poor, poor Wife--my darling ba
bies--nust then freeseland staFveY, on God
1t is tao muchw And with tears eoabino from
his eyes, the pale man buried his head In III
ecanty covering, and eroaped aloud \ 7-l1 =
1t was no wonder that he was, ont of bss,t 4,
that cold, dark December day. AZ heat he hs,
hard struggle to get food, and for the last al,
months the struggle had been almost desperate
for bis wife had been unableto aeaiat him IN IN
least, being confined 10 her bed with a allow
wasting fever.4 His little daughter Marie,
pretty child of twelve, kept the room tidy ant
herself and two little brothers ike wax. b
theaid of her mothers whispered direction
she also managed TO do up the weekly yashipt
and ironing. .E sauaNef'aI 1a 81
3"My little sunbeam, % the father proudl
called her, while the mother would say, IN low
sweet tones, sIor sppeIU , r. - ~ = y"
Zone night the Young bousekesper waited nm
I'll IL was pitch dark for her father to come bon,
to his frugal supper, and then, With fearfil fore
bodings at her heart, undresged the little boy,
and put them to bed, and tied on her cloak Az
hood to 20 and meet him. A crowd met her n
the very threshold. With a wild cry She rush
ed toward the insnimate form they carried upor
aboard II was her father. btoi,pbt N tIeu
with broken leg. 500 y no ;ii5d
A week had passed since tbis n,;sec,tu,s n,
the sale of their few pieces Of furniture. thI
wolf had been kent from the door Bnt row
nothing remained save the coarse bed on which
the distressed ones silent. No coal for tbeIitll,
CRATE; no tea for the feversEI Inns; no crnst 10,
the famished children! What should be dome
1t was question little Marie asked bergel
again and again, az they lay there watching m,
few pale sunbeams that struggled through tht
window. And she asked it oftener after sh,
had risen and dressed herself and brothers. apC
smoothed the two beds. Bread thew must hay,
that day. They were oil faint even now, and
the boys clamoriDg for their breakfast.
Suddenly bright thought came to the little
daughter. She rempnbered b,v;no soan IL
the coffeehou5e little girls. mo- taller than sba a
waiting upon the customers. Perbana tbey
would take her "If they only would, shS
murmured softly; al am handy, quick and pa
tient, and would try so hard 10 obliSe.1 nm
pretty, too, she might have added. had tbere
been spark Of vanity in her heart: for sht
was sweet child, with a brow like a snnny
snowdrift, and eyes like the sprine yioIets tha,
nestle In woodlands "I will trv' AZ iaast arG
see what can do" and after watching a mn.
ment the weary sleer of her narents s5o wh;s
pered TO the little BOYS that ebe was goino nm,
70 get some bread for them. and then hnrried
away
She did 20 to the bakers. but her pitifnI storv
failed to touch his hard heart. and there wo.s
tears on her cold cheeks az sbe turned swav
Even IL she secured place, she could hone n,
no wages till Saturday and tbara waSd CO.. 1U
weary days between tbis and that Rrssd wouId ovIi
be too late II she waited till than. What wonId
she dQ--beg7 She asked herself the ouestio on
with oniyerino lin. Never hoforo hddS al
poverty driven tbem to tbat strs;t and :. 'us'
hard, even now, with the picture Of that wretch.
ed home fresh in her vision to Mead for for chari.v
Bot ehe did L.. Again and again and ogsin sbo
said TO the passer-by, 0Pease air. nlease ma,ar,
give me penny to buy bread f6r INV aick ma.
rente," SD
But the gentlemen had their overcoats hinton,
ed to their chine, and the ladies were enyeIpped
In fure, and It was too much trouble 70 6nd
their pocket-books or purses lust 10 supply a
beggar's wants
"Go to the sous .houses," said one, al last.
more churlish than the rest, "The olty pro.
vides for such as you"
1t was a new idea to her, and as fast as feet
could carry her che went. and enter;no in
breathless haste, told her story to the attendant
matron. ,tlF
III will report the case to the committee" !"
said the woman, quietly, making a memoran. .
dunn of the name and number Of the street.
"Come to morrow morning, aud will do what
To omorrovi She vonId ba too ua.t % v,,L
40 far bv that lime and hat wonid haoo :" van
the rest 7-T' 'So0t-' y
With heavy heart she ven, homs bov,r,
no courage TO present herself as a ws;ts, 20
-. or a. - 49, = = 70 = y ,""''S' w