Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-10-09

The Cry Of the Human,
BY SALIiE BRIDGES.

A Young child sat lonely in a hot school
room one SuItry day in June. A difficult sum,
which, over and ever again, she had failed to
bring right, had weared her own ard her
teachers patience, until she was condemned
as punishment, to remain in continued study
while her companions enjoyed their recess in
the garden bticw. She was neither stupid
nor obstinate child the task bad needed some
necessary explana ton to render it compare,
tiyely easy, which the heat of the day and an
irritablity produced by Some outside causes
made her inStructreSS lndlSposed to beStow
or, perhaps, she forced herself TO believe that
the pupils advancement would be aided by
the unassisted working out by her own efforts
of the problems whose calculation formed part
of the educational plan. Be it as it may, she
sat below, experimenting the reStrctpd play
Of her ether lharges while, in frcnt OF an open
window above the offending scholar sobbed
herself into headache. She dared not change
her seat, and the summer Sunshine gIared in
upon her desk, aud the long rows of blurred
figures on the neglected slate opposite, and
limiting the view, stood high brick wall, be-
tween whose base and the garden fence ran
one OF those small city streets reeking with
fth and swarming with population. The gar
den was too small to extend within the range
of her vision, even IS she leaned forward to
catch one breath of hoped for breeze, and
there only footed up to her fevered senses the
cdorS of the alley mugling with the sickening
and heavy scent of some bloSsomiug plant.
She crossed her hands on the green baize
before her, aud rested the throbbing temples
Oh the palms Pain, the closeneSS of the air,
Of llv ri
physically as miserable as many a sufferer of
larger growth under more aggravated evils ;
Tor our SorrGws are proportoned to our strength
the trial of child is as sharp TO the child,
as keen in endurance, as is the agony OF a
man to mans susceptibility. Suddenly, as
She sat there with her thoughts all in whirl,
there rose, through the silence of DOoDday,
hitherto broken Gully by the tones Of her school
Fellows, q solitary human voice one of those
sounds that float continually through the sum
sner air OF large cites-a cry of the streets,
Vhe call OF some itiuerant salesman, or the bar
gains Tor the OhScourlngS Of our homes-ragS
or Ola IRON There was ia the deep and pro
ionged notes that element Of mournfuluesS aud
pathoS that we frequently cannot fail to no
tice Ia the oatcast voices that aSSal our near
iug with such coarse and Vulgar associations
a something of crushing want mingIing With
appeal an indefnable melancholy of expires
sion, as if the hidden soul was struggling tC
send up through hunger, crime aud degrade
ton, vailed petition for Brotherhood with
The higher race, that also suffer and starve ii
their hearts, unconsconsly echoing again tc
the Highest of all the prayer for help, fol
%herewithal to Sustain life, spiritual and phys
3eal--the great, the universal Cry of the
Human"
The child listened slowly there penetrated
through the throbbngs of her weary bFair
Inc dim perception of meaning in those frag
mentary tones-a dim meaning that her anaIyt
cal powers were too faint to define, but which
nevertheless, stirred an answering sentiment
u Inc tender, untarnished, and unworldly heart
There was some one more wretched thar
aerselt groping through lAe by-ways of life