The mountain Democrat., 1864-09-17

! Cuy beHs We WN V$AeecS y N4SaNNAAk1ys NV ANA
the children have -
Stay said. Shut the door, and tell
me all about it. am anxious about you
and if can do anything -
oh no, dear sir, cried the poor old
wretch, trembling with fear, in addition
to her usual palsy. Don't notice me, sir,
II you please; pray don't. r. they were
to know that had been crying or talking
to you, they'd - Here she paused,
and looked nervously at the door.
What wnrld they doy' asked.
They'd beat me, sir She often does,
f ffrget anything; arid he, oh he's aW
tul swearing and AinginR pewter pots at
me. was i'll once ior weeks from blow
he gave me-
why on earth do thev i'll treat ,ou .
] asked. You dn all the work, while
they idle There must be some other rea
son
Sir said the old woman. with SOM
! pride in heI voice cracked. je0ky, aud
feeble us it was-'I was once worth more
than a thousand pOnndS-I mean Vhen
my husband died. and before she was mar.
'ried. set them. up, and they know it,
and keep me here. and hate and i'll treat
M in cons, ,Qurnce.'
why do you stay ? asked; but a mo
ment after | was conscious Of the folly
of my question, as the old woman an
Nwered:
Where coull | 60 to, >irP'
The simplicity aud despair in this re
| spouse convincing me that I should do no
good BY personally int rfering in the do
meStic MISUNDERSTANDING, | refrained
/ from further questioning, and waited for
some issue to this course of i'll treatment,
when | might, though an outsider, be
justified in stepping in as a check. 1t
soon came. In the Christmas week the
poor old mother took to her bed, thor
! oughly conquered by the hard weather
and the increasing work. Every day !
| heard angry voices and curses through
the thin wainScoting which separated my
bedroom from the wretched old creatures
Sleeping den A feeble >Queaking was all
that rough usage. neglect, or cxe,ration
elected. My blood used to blaze within
me at the cowardice and the low triumph
of that drunken and disreputable pair,
who junketed while their mother was
gasping for breath, or calling for common
assistance. did once forget my position;
AID attempted 10 eKpostulate with the
daughter, my landlady, who came into my
room, attended by rumpled.haired child
with dirty face (Which was pretty like
! ness Of her muther's). on the morning Of
the twenty fourth Of December.
Btdizencd was the landlady, and rib
boned all over. Evidently she was bound
upon a merry making with friends that
Christmas eve and was so struck with
the heartleSSntss Of daughter, who
owed her fortunes, sue As they we're, To
the poor woman starving and neglected in
the next room, leaving parent, dying,
| perhaps, in the care Of Onlv child Of five
/ years old, that | mildly reflected upon the
remarks which the neighbOrs might make
on the occasion. was speedily silenced
by that indrscribabe manner which a
| low.bred woman always can assume to
those whom she considers as interfering
in her concerns; and on her departure her
! husband, his tyes still daZed and luster
less from last nights excess, merely put
his head inside my door and gave me a
look but that glance decided me against
intcIl luring any further. was doomed to
a ch, erlcSS Christmas eve-al0ne, in a
wretchcd lodging, with no oth,r occu-
pants than bed ridden old woman and n
miSerahe child. had taken q rather
more expensive dinner than usual that
evening, IN honor Of the day; and when ]
returned, fading my fir" rather low. !
I nIlnI -, hn l,ttI,, Ohtll vr-hn ,N,oA
supposed, in her granny'> room. to come
and show me where the coalcellar vas.
A >hIill Yes, sir answered me, aud |
xal'rd for m, little guide She was a
long time coming; ard NaS getting wear
d and cold, hen he .rd strange hob
bling outside nv door, and, to my horror
and amaz, ment, the old mother staggered
in with coal >cuttl. in her hand, the iit
tie child grasIing her thin dress tightly
and smiling the while. ...--,
Gracious Heavens" gasp d l.; 'how'>
tins Why are you here? What in
Iuced YOU to get up aud d" this? |
would have gone without fire a hundTed
times rather than you should haV. run
his risk
The old woman smiled as St lied Il e
coal Souttle out OF her palsIcd hands.
Its nothing. sir-nothing I'd do 1t for
you, Sir-for ynn; hut not for them-no
not for them. God bless you, sir GOod
night, and "a merry Christmas to you.
Come, Nancy, darlIg.' 50.
F"l Gods sakr!' cried, go back to
bed !; you'll kill yout>ca in this bitt r
cold. Gu back. b,>ccch yon.'
I'm going, sir, said the shivcring
creature but ATE you uIe YOU want no
thing fetched, or anythngT
In Hr.v, n> uaIn,, nor | cried again
Do go back to bed; you'll kill yourself
No. muttered the poor old wretch, a.
! watched her r. treating to her den. |
shall not have killed myself And so
murmuring she hohhed out Of sight.
My terrnrs were increasing. Ipoked
the fire. but could get no addition To my
spirits by watching the friendly blaze
At last worn out, and at a late hour,
determined upon going to bed, and try ing
to overcome the sad forebodingS which
had come upon me by sleep. lay long
time awake, but at length | went off into
deep slumber. How long ! remained
unconscious | do not know but trouble
some dreams affected my sleep, increas
ing in horror till they eliminated in my
starting up in my bed with a loud cry
ringing in my ears. Believing it to be
the effect of disordered fancy, | was
preparing to sleep again, when my blood
ran icily through my veins at the repeti
tion of the former cry. 1t was chld's
voice. Yes; and IN the next room. l
listened, and heard struggling, and then
the pattering of naked feet upon the
boarding of the adjacent chamber. ]
was frozen with fear. Suddenly heard
the child cry out in panic of fear
Granny. granny don'tl Send il awaV!