The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-07-26
THE GROCER'S STORY.


times "a lazy, shady place, where the
green blinds were forever closed, and
where there was so little passing that
spears of grass grew here and there
between the hagstones, and the stone
curbs of the iron rallied areas were
fringed with soft green moss. A very
quiet place at most times, but late one
autumn afternoon a strange cry sound
ed through it, which awakened all it's
echoes, and called curious faces to the
doors and windows.
!" Stop theft stop theft
The strange voice of a policeman
uttered the cry at first, and the shrill
treble of two boys at play near by
took it up and repeated it, and by and
by there was full, deep chorus, like
the cry of pack of hounds sound
you might have known at any distance.
however ignorant you were of the
language, to be the cry of men who
hunted something.
Policemen with their clubs, errand
boys with bundles, bakers with bas-
kets on their arms, young gentlemen
just released from the academy close
at hand, and ragged urchins whose
school house was the gutter, all Joined
together in the hot pursuit, and fol-
lowed the miserable object with bare,
begrlmed feet and hatless head, that
fitted along before them with speed
which only fear could lend to one so
worn and wretched-a speed which
kept the crowd a long way off. and
made the burliest of his pursuers pant
for breath. It'd a- d1IA f
They were out of sight in a moment,
but In little while the cry was heard
that the thief had baffied them, and
some among the crowd rushed back
to see if their prey had doubled on
his track and others, sulky and in
dignant with the result of their use,
less chase, came back muttering an
grily or swearing, with many violent
oaths, that they would have him vet.
One policemen, a well-fed fellow with
crimson face, made quite hero of
himself by asserting that he knew the
fellow, and would trap him before
shutdown. There was a good deal of
sympathy for the gentleman who had
lost his pocket handkerchief, but none
that [ could hear for the poor, de-
graded wretch who had purloined it,
until placid voice at my elbow ut
tered the following words, apparently
In soliloquy: -
Well, | may be wrong, but some
how hope they won't catch him.
| turned in surprise, and confront
ed our grocer, on whose steps / had
sought shelter from the crowd, which,
at such a moment, could not be ex-
pected to think of the safety of a
woman.
Our grocer was a portly man, with
a shining bald head, fringed by a ring
of white hair, like the tonsure ola Ro-
man Catholic priest, and wearing at
the moment Holland apron and a
short, blue jacket.
Yes'm," he went on, II really
hope the miserable, starved-looking
creature will get off. y
Then you don't believe he picked
the gentleman pocket" said [.
u IN afraid it's only too certain
that he did, ma'am," said the man,
shaking his head. "He looked
straight at me as he passed, and he
had hungry, desperate eyes that look
ed like theft, and murder, too, for
that matter"
And yet you wish him to escape
when he has broken the laws of the
land, and will probably do 90 again 2"
God forbid that / should help to
break the laws, said the old grocer.
Good men made them, and they are
right; but there are other laws that I
read in my old Bible Sunday nights,
that seem to be as binding. One of
them is-'Do unto Others as Won
would that others, should do unto
you;' and another Love thy neigh
Dor as thyself, When I remember
these words, | think that you may be
too hard with poor, sinful fellow
being, and not go beyond the limits of
the law, either
That rich gentleman who had his
pocket picked, will go home to find a
dinner and bottle Of wine, no doubt, |
and the wretch of thief may have a
crust of bread ard glass of burning
gin, if he can sell or pawn what he
mas stole for enough to get them.
Somehow, if | could, | wouldn't have
him hunted down tonight VOW I |
au
Still, | don't blame those young
fellows: ID have been as furious in
.he chase as any of EN- years ago; but |
[ learnt a lesson once that / never
nave forgotten, and hope | never may. !
was young man, and poor one
hen, and had hard struggle to make
ny little shop keep my little family. |
t was only by pinching and saving, |
md keeping a sharp lookout for every |
bargain, that managed it all
we lived in small street, and had |
lnlY very few customers. A loaf of |