The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1864-03-10
Janic'S Last Payment.


"What are we going 70 do, jamie p
Jane Hurst put back the chi'd's brown
curls and kissed her broad white fore
head.
'.sis,ct'l take care OF little No no. =
she said soothing'y.
She did not see il Nv she could do il,
God knows; !nt she was strong and
young-bhly eighteen years old. Those
eighteen years had been full Of health
and comfort, and Youths hope. II
, seemed like drcam-her past life
ahcn she found herself paren,lcss and
poor, with little Nell to take care OF.
Her parents had died within week of
each other; her father by rail road
accident, her mother from the fleets ct
grief Creditors claimed the old house
and its familiar furniture. jamie and
Nell were thrust ont into the world.
jamie had Just ten dollars and her
wardrobe. She went 10 boarding
house in Boston. There alone in Their,
room, the sisters clung to each other,
Nell looking Up into JAMES brown eyes,
jamie slowly smoothing back the child's
cnrs, and gazing abscntly through the
window into the busy street.
How was she 10 take care Of herself
and little Mono, as her father had cal
led the youngest What work could
she do? She had never worked at all
only to help her mother about the house
sometimes. She could sew, but sewing
for living is sure starvation. She
might teach school, but she had no in
fiuence to get her school. She did
not understand music or any trade.
What could poor jamie do? 1t was a
rainy fall day. The rain lrirpel upon
the great mnrky city, and splashed
against the windows Of Jani4's room
1t was almost twilight. She sat down
IN great rocking chair, and took Nell
in her arms.
Whatever happened the child must be
slilded and protected. Nell must be
tel well clothed and send to school
The blight Of property aud care musr
not fall upon her yonng life. jamie
would stand between her and all sor-
row. The gi,''s face had matnrel
rapidly in week, she fel, SO grave and
responsible.
After supper she pu, Nell to bed, and
sat down by the window, folding her
aims on the sill, and looking down into
the street. The sleek carriage horses
trottcd by, the job teams ratified over
the paycmcn.s the om,ihusrs ratified
on with their own peculiar clat,er. On
the sidewalks in the lights from the
shop windows, the pedestrians hurried
swiftly by, jos,ling each other, turning
off here and there. So many people
and ot friend for jamie among them
all
Her head ached, racking her brain
for i clue TO some kind OF labor. TO
morrow work must be tound, for she
had only money enough to pay fort
nights board, and she must be earning
some or she and Nell would starve.
Her thoughts took up every kind Of
labor she had ever heard Of women
doing. Suddenly type setting flashed
on her mind she went to bed With
gleam Of hope in her heart; sobbcd
thro' her prayer as she thought Of her
mother, and at last fell asleep.
She dressed Nell and took her "a
school the next morning; ther she wen,
down town to find the printing offices.
1t astonished her to find how often she
could be disappointed. 1t seemed as
if all the publishers of Boston were in
league against her. She began to feel
shadowy and lost in the down town
rush, and rs there was no place for her
in the wide wide world it was all
taken up by others. But rccessity is
in the s,ronges, thing III life; She per
severed because she could not stop.
She went INTO B-otiicc at last.
with kind Of dreary hopclessncss, an.
ticipating disappointment, she asked
tor the editor, and was shown into his
sanctum. It was large room there
were some gentlemen gathered in one
corner, and non, Of them noticed her.
She sat down on sofa near the door.
She had begun to task of finding
work with trcmulous dread, but the
mornings experience had stccled her
into kind Of numb i,nmobili,y. 1t
even deadcned her anxiety. She wal
ted with kind Of slolil patience for