The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1864-03-02
4 Trus story of the Hard Times

IF . country clergyman's daughter is at II
loyeable, she is generally the pet of the parish.
Anna irwin WINS pre-eminently 30. Old an
yonng looked upon her with affection as Sur day
Efte- Sunday she slidedI. 10, her tipid. grace
ful beauty into the recfory pew. aud her fath-
ef might be pardoned If, even from the chan
eel, his eyes sought her loved form, and his
EAR the soft tones of her voice For sixteen
years she read aud studied, sang and laughed
surrounded by. fouds admiripg hearts. But
there came change, day when Dr. Irwin
preached his last sermon, and laid his head
down in the old churehyard. Anna went
away to New Yo.k 1t is needless to trace
the progress of changes. misfortunes, by which
she sank, in four or five years, from music
teacher to taking in sewing, and then working
At hat binding, When the hard times of this
last fall fell upon the country, even this hun
BILE resource failed her She could fnd moth
ing TO do, and she had no money. Ruin had
overtaken her few friends in the city Weeks
passed. She sold and pawhed most of her
clothing, and all other articles of any value
She wss obliged to leave her small but re-
spectacle apartment, and sleep on rng mat
trtss in q freless bare garret, glad cf the priv.
ilege. One fearfnlly cold night last week she
crept TO that comfortiess pallet, foot-sore from
a whole days walk in search of employment.
For FIVE days she had not tasted food. She
Dau OnlE n AcdDL. WOID rug IOT covering. rOT
hours her teeth chattered and her limbs ached.
She curled herself into every Imaginable po-
sition in the vain effort to obtain a moments
warmth Of any portion Of her frame And
then che thought of her home. where each
night che lad wtal ped herself in thick, soft
blankets, and lain in warw dreamless rest till
morning dawped. She thought OF her faith
crs goodnight kiss and blessing. She slept
at last, for she was utterly exhausted, waking
TO suffering every Eve minutes, tortured by
hideous Nightmares of food turning to stone.
ice in her grasp by grinning faces; and never
for one instant losing the pain of cold
In the morning she saw girl who with
her old mother, had slept, if sleep it could be
called, in the same room, preparing to go ou,
begging for cold vietuals- Two little girls
who lived in the opposite garnet ALSO issued
forth, and 6una, desPairingfy and nearly wild
with hunger and cold, went out after them
She soon found herseIf in street where every
surrounding showed wealth and luxury. She
thought of the more respectable mode Of beg.
seing, to ring at the front door and, asking for
one of the family, tell her story. But her
pride sbrank from that event more than from
length she did.
l haven't anything, said the servant who
answered her knock.
Won't you let me warm myself by the FIRE
whispered Anna.
guess not, said the servant. The lady
don't like such people about the kitchen, and
shut the door in her face.
She would have lain down and died the
cold door stone-wilIingly. After two or
three erasps, she tumbled up the steps, rolled
her frost bitten fingers in her thin De Bage
cape, and went on down through the broad
avenue, bitter though hts of man and of Cod
msy be foreive her-shrieking in her heart
The long rovs of costly houses were to her
like fortifeat:ons reared by hard triumphant
selfshness, 10 keep her and suoh ~ heF ftom
sharing in common comfoFts, defended by cry
sl unsrTine vespaas Oh phst pittiless ty-
rants seemed human law. human Society -
Her feet were numb. put they carried her on
over the ice-cold pavements like one in a
dream, sensible only to the biting tooth of
cold. and the raging of the hunger pangs.-
Down broad sfoop, little below her. camo
a yourg lady, nufaed IN furs to her rosy
cheeks. She paused suddenly, with a look Of
compassion
You seem very poor Can't do something
for ycu7 ts-1
am hungry I am cold, said Anna. Z
Cold Ishould think you Would be, said
the young lady shudderibg.
EEo piE's ssts, Hsnisl sstssstsss ~ essiE