The New era. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1865-1871, 1865-11-23

sorry. I wish you had given her the
money" said Annie Bostwick.
This was met with an almost harsh
rebuke from the father, who denounced
rather imperatively, both Mrs. Wild
and her daughter.
"Why don't they go to work like 9TH
or poor people, and make an honest liv-
ing?" he said. 9 Begging is immoral,
no matter who engages in it; and I, for
one, shall give no encouragement to the
vice.
Annie looked hurt by% this response,
and shrunk back into silence.
" It was aha sham ALA speculation"
went on Mr.. BostWick. 81 hav'nt lived
fifty years in the world without learning
how to detect false coin. Twenty dol
lars! | wonder how many she's called
on today how many twenty dollar
bills she has received"
No one answered. After muttering
to himself for awhile, the annoyed gem
tleman, who really believed all that his
denunciations implied, dropped down
into an uncomfortable silence.
There is another side to all this. Let
US see what it will unfold. Mr.. Bost-
wick may be right in his Judgment Of
the ease; but we will not accept that
Judgment until we have examined for
ourselves.
Only three short blocks distant from
Mr.. Bostwiek's comfortable, or as we
might say, luxurious home, lived Mrs.
Wild, the widow of Howard Wild. At
the time Of her husbands death, twelve
months before, she and her children
were dwelling in equal comfort with
the family Of Mr.. Bostwicl1. Misfortune
came With SORROW. Death took from
them sustenance as we'll as love. The
home in which they lived had too costly
furnishing to be spared. Creditors, Gag
err to get their own, seized upon and
sold everything not secured by law; and
When the wreck and dispersion ended,
only a few necessary articles Of house
hold goods remained; and with these,
Mrs. Wild shrunk away, stunned, fright
ened, shivering i'll the face OF a dark and
dreary future, and sought shelter for
herself and children in a small house,
the rent Of which was moderate.
f..s.le ways and means to yet bread
these came next into consideration. The
extremity was close, and had to be met
by earlier action. What could Mrs.
! Wild do: Alas! In girlhooa her edu-
cational advantages had been limited.
She was not competent to teach. In the
needle-hand lay all her resources. There
were four children, of whom Mary was
the oldest; and she was still at school
when the storm broke suddenly over
them. Very soon after her fathers
death Mary began to comprehend the
new relation III which she stood to the
world, and to have faint glimpses Of the
new duties devolving upon her.
81 must do something" she said.
"But what :'
There came the p rplexing question.
The willing heart and ready hand never
long remain idle. Mary was not skilled
money nor did she feel competent to
teach in any department.. She had been
for years at school but like too many
girls, she had merely skipped along the
surface Of things, and was profound in
nothing.
s" If had dreamed of a time like this, y
she said tearfully, one day, several
months after her fathers death, and
when absolute want began to look her
sorrowing mother in the face, show diff
ferent my life might have been. | had
such good opportunities. l might have
been so well educated. Might have been
competent to teach in almost any de-
partment."
She laid her head against her moth
er's and sobbed.
| " Ii the piano had not peeil takeH,
! Mary said mournfully, a little while af-
forwards, /" might try to get a few mu-
sic scholars. But, without an instru-
ment, can do nothing"
"Don't they hire pianos?' asked a
younger sister, who had been a silent
4 and almost unohserved listener.
No answer was given to the sugges-
ton, but it dropped like word Of hope,
into the mind of Mary, and her thought
dwelt upon it.
81 will hire piano and then take
music scholars" she said to herself, not
long afterwards.
Acting upon this resolution, She called
at store where she had bought music,
and asked if an instrument could be OBJ
tanned in the way desired. From the
music seller she received the address OF
q man who kept pianos to hire. The
rent charged for Il passable instrument
was ten dollars q quarter; and rs Mary
was a stranger, payment in advance, OF
security was demanded.
The next thing was to see il scholars
could be found. Mary was no hesita'
. ting, half-hearted girl. She saw before
her only one way in which she could
| bol,, hor rnothnr and in that Wov If Tho