Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-12-19

ne Ie1C Anna TO pick them up. Before sn
: had succeeded In doing SO he was out c.
sight, with the lady pressed close to hi
side. Anna ran to the nearest bakers am
bought loaf of bread. You can't sta
here to eat it, girl, said the bakeress, am
she reluctantly left the well-warmed shop
turned the corner. in the avenue, and sa
down on stoop. The bread was hot, ano
after filing her mouth, she plunged both
hands into the middle of the smoking loaf,
and pressed it to her freezing bosom.
Come, young woman, said policeman,
taking her by the shoulder, these are fine
tragedy airs. Don't you know you mustn't
sit here?
The wretched girl rose and tottered away,
completely overcome. Surely she had
reached the depth of degradation-she had
been moved on by policeman.
The gentleman and lady reappeared.-
There's that girl hanging about here yet,
Anna heard him say.
0! father, replied the young lady, she is
eating loaf Of bread that she bought with
the change you gave her. ''.-
Well, let her go home and eat it properly,
then. She's not starving now, certainly, he
said.
Home!
The plate, glass door of their house had
only just closed after them, when Anna es-
pied upon the pavement a lady's watch,
dropped, doubtless, by the bright, rich girl
who had just disappeared. She raised it
and held it for a moment in her hand
Within that small, enameled thing was hid
food, warmth, clothing, shelter. What
wonder ifher eyes fingered upon it, and her
brain grew dizzy with temptation. Let us
not attempt to estimate that conflict, we
who have never shivered homeless and
hopeless outside of rich mans door. Anna
had taken step to restore the watch, when
out hustled the tall gentleman IA
Here, police, police, my daughter has lost
her watch, stolen, | think, likely, by girl
who-Oh! here she is, behind this post.
The watch was in Annals hands. Very
fortunate, said Mr.. Miller.
But how hardened as well as adroit you
must be, to steal from one who stopped to
give you kind word!
Believe me, implored Anna, did not steal
it, The lady dropped it..
Nonsense! 1t would have shivered in q
thousand pieces. You'd do much better to
confess it.
lseen her around, not a quarter of an hour
ago, and told her to be off, but she knowed
what she wanted to be at too well for that.
o. be merciful shrieked Anna, wildly
/ am innocent. l can get no work. i am
starving. ] am perishing with cold. You
will not even let me warm myself by any
of your fires. ,...-.
Nonsense, said Mr.. Miller.
Come along without any fuss, young wo-
man, said the officer.
|. Anna looked from one harsh brow to an
other. All light of hope went out of her
heart. Her hands and her head dropped,
and the officer half carried her to the sta
tion-house. She tainted away when she
arrived there, and they laid her on one of
t those beds which never get cold occupied
G as they are by such continual succession
. of dirty, noisOme outcasts. There she, the
: child of a clergyman, educated, refined,
A spent the day and night along with the vi
v cious, the debased, the intoxicated. The
/. next morning she was marched into the
r police court with the crowd of wretehes.
r What is your name, asked the magistrate.
: She could not give the honorable name of
1 her dead father. Mary Jones, blush for
, the falsehood dying her cheeks. d
It 1t is astonishing what number of Mary
Il Joneses we see here, said the judge. Well,
v Mary, what have you to say to this charge?
$ found the watch on the sidewalk, sir,
!, answered Anna, almost inaudibly.
r Found it? o! that's the old story.
t But her words were corroborated by two
$ boys, who had seen her take something
s from the pavement, and Mr.. Miller declined
j to prosecute the charge, so the conclusion
IL y
:. a matter of Indifference to her, so utterly
t broken down was she. They helped her to
Y leave the court and Mr.. Miller followed
i her. Fastening upon her wan face look
a of pity, he said, My poor girl should like
d to do something for you. What is it that
It you want? s.5 p-. ..a
+ l want to be kept from losing the next
world as have lost this.
It Here, go to my house and ask for my
n daughter, said he, giving her card.
h Margaret, said Miss Miller, to her cham.
d ber maid, after she had read the words or
n the card, and heard of some of Annals
h hardships, couldn't you find q room for thii
g girl in some lodging house? There mus
e Re many such houses for poor people,
), think. rsa
i dare say, mem, returned Margaret, bu
s Pm not used to going about them places
1t mem. 20. ,-HiaAl t'i VT tla .... ..
gl Haven't you sister who keeps house
v asked the young lady, couldn'tshe take he
E, for a little while? tra .s7ar
d The chamber maid tossed her head. y
,fl don't think she would, mem. She lives yer,
respectable, does my sister. l,'i i!a . L.I
h L don't know what to do, said Miss Mil
ID Ter, perplexed. a..r.r- 4r.,
yol But when Anna next spoke her word
B. were wild and incoherent. Her suffering
et for the past few days had been too muc
y for her mind and body, and she, was nov
1t fairly delirious. -. M '".
IN When Mr.. Miller came home, he sent fo
ID a carriage, and had her taken to the hospita
le There, two days after she died. Peterson
g Magazine. - '1't 3. t''H.''- I1ebnG -.