Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-12-19
A True story of the Hard Times.

.r-r If country clergyman's daughter Is at
,.a all lOveable, she is generally the pet of the
-. parish, Anna Irwin was pre-eminently so.
ri Old and young looked upon her with affec-
4. Lg.. tion as Sunday after Sunday she glided, in
her timid graceful beauty into the rectory
pew, and her father might be pardoned if,
even from the chancel, his eyes sought her
loved form, and his ear, the soft tones other
voice.. For sixteen years she read and stud
led, sang and laughed, surrounded by fond
admiring hearts. But there came a change,
day when DIR. Irwin preached his last
sermon, and laid his head down in the old
~ churchyard Anna went away to New
. York. 1t is needless to trace the progress
;u of changes, misfortunes, bywhich she sank,
.u in four or five years, from music teacher
to taking in sewing and then working at
..@ hat binding when the hard times Of this
.J last fall fell upon the country, even this
humble resource failed her. She could find
nothing to do, and she had no money. Ruin
had overtaken her few friends in the city.
,bEggrl Weeks passed. She sold and pawned most
a. ge of her clothing, and all other articles of any
value. She was obliged to leave her small
but respectable apartment and sleep on a
lHiaT rag mattress in a fireless bare garrett glad
of the privilege. One fearfully cold night
,,r last week crept to that comfOrtless pallet
ris foot-sore from whole days walk in search
q ia'1l of employment For five days she had not
r; -;, tasted food. She had only scant, worn
% arh rug for covering For hours her teeth
5,Ii.3l chartered and her limbs ached. She cured
herself into every imaginable position in
the vain effort to obtain moments warmth
dno .ud of any portion of her frame. And then she
-''fI thought of her home, where each night she
had wrapped herself in thick, soft blankets,
and lain in warm dreamless rest till morn
~. ing dawned. She thought of her fathers
goodnight kiss and blessing. She slept at
last, for she was utterly exhausted, waking
iI' to suffering every five minutes, tortured by
"' hideous nightmares Of food turnihgto stone,
rr ofi ice in her grasp by grinning faces; and
never for one instant losing the pain OF
. n.. ..... cold. f..1',o,.9
In the morning she saw girl, who with
laapg her old mother, had slept, IL sleep it could
be called in the same room, preparing tc
- go ont begging for cold yctuals. Two lit
tie girls who lived in the opposite garrei
.E also issued forth, and Anna, despairingly
i7a.. out after them. She soon found herself in
.6i y, street where every surrounding showed
wealth and luxury. She thought, of the
,.It3 more respectable mode of begging, to ring
,.5, at the front door and, asking for one of the
2,a family, tell her story, But herpride shranl
TfE4, from that even more than rom fitting dowr
the back steps. And this at length She did
ERi5J 7 haven't anything, said the servant who
g li2I. is ,d answered her knock. ~ Rf iiA9
II la5mm, i Won't you let me, warm myself by Til
Z di,e ~ fireP whispered Anna. i'5Nlj tte min,
H9 is'at p guess not, said the servant The lad,
m m,jia pi don't like such people about the kitchen
ls la and shut the door in her face. lh7ou 'l'.'
1fi o 900 She would have lain down and died OF
'e i' the cold door stone-willingly. After tw
arr or three gasps, she tlimbled up the steps
4 sis rolled her frost bitten fingers inp her thi
aFpq92 D De Bage cape, and went on down throug
o', ,4,l the broad avenue, bitter thoughts of ma
ai huh is and Of God-may he forgive her-shriekin
7ma's osol in her. heart. The long rows of cost
gt & - houses were to her like Notifications reare
a5lr ipa by hard triumphant selfshness, to keep he
.ssslU and such as her from sharing in commo
30 comforts, defendedby cruel unerring weal
-9roH 0ns. o! what pittiless tyrants seemed hi
man law, human society! Her feet wei
.ad-.@ numb, but they, carried her ON over theic,
l ' NO cold paveInents like one In dream sensib
70 aoiis only TO the biting tooth of cold, and Il
% sJldi raging Of the hunger pangs. Down abros
l9s7is sto0p little below her, came 4 vornp lad
io,1, 5,3 muffied in filrs to her ROSY cheeks TSl
Iao59 paused suddenly, with look of compa
nd7 A3,l o sion 1qlui in ll 81 afsi iasn l'7s
as 59' a, I Youseem very poor. Can't do somethi,
rqmgi5as = am hungry. / am cold, said Anna.
ot ba,ia y Cold !! should think you would be. sa
yOIanIa the young lady shuddering.
-,,-r For PHYS sake, Harriet, struck in a ge
aJIAA tleman, who had opened the door and cal
stairaor out Immediately after her, don't stand a
sf,zA inr talk with that girls I You'll catch yo
Y ,,oI death. Here, I'll give her these, and do v
come along,. You'll have, to walk fast
,Hu !. Il keep warm this bitter morning.
asTogTbh tsOsss