Maryland free press., 1867-04-11
THE GROCER'S STORY.

IAOS1I II . . 1sOR4
.nurs was quiet street at most times-a lazy
ssay place, where the green blinds were forev
sdosed and where there was so little passing
al sncars of grass grew here and there between
a. aac stones, and the stone curbs of the iron
-lpa areas were fringed with soft green moss.
\ I've very quiet place almost times, but late upor
"a autumn afternoon. strange cry sounded
s,onch It, which awakened all its echoes, and
.n.5 curious faces to the doors and windows.
IStop thief" stop theft
Tho strong voice ofa policeman uttered the cry
.,s-ct and the shrill treble of two bows at play
~, by took it up. and repeated it, and by-aRd.
= tbcre wls full, deep chorus, like the cry ofa
.,L al hounds n sound you might have known
4 ,ny distance, however ignorant you were OF
i, language, to be the cry 0: men who hunted
sa.tbing.
siy ybnndles, bakers with their baskets on their
'ms Young gentleman just released from the
.sasmy close at hand, and ragged urchins,
nose school was the gutter, all joined in hot
'",.n;t and followed the miserable wretch with
m. begriued feet and hatless head, that fitted
.,nr bofore them with speed which only fear
s .,as lend to one so worn and wretched-a speed
ss;cb kent the crowd long way off, and made
4
,fbey we're out of sight in moment, but in a
e,ls while the cry was heard that the thief had
sMed them and some amongst the crowd rush.
4 hack TO see If their prey had doubled on his
r,tk asd others, sulky and indignantat the re-
plt Of their useless chase, came back mutteriug
rpily or swearing, with many violent oaths,
lst they would have him yet.
0nc policeman, well fed fellow, with crim-
y, hce, made quite hero of himself by assert
" Hat he knew the fellow, and would trap
M before sundown. There was good deal OF
rspathy felt for the gentleman who had losth
sxst handkerchief but none could hear for
4, poor degraded wretch who had purloined it,
rl placid voice at nv elbow uttered the fol-
hging words, apparently in solloquy:
"well, 7 may be wrong; but l hope they won
zkh him.
turned in surprise. and confronted our gro
", on whose steps | had sought shelter from the
stwd, which, at such a moment, could not be
useeted to think much Of the safety off wo-
IN.
Our grocer was portly man, with shinin g
ND head fl.inged with n ring of white hair,
ii. tho tensur. of Roman Catholic priest, and
vasing at tle iAoment Holland apron and a
bort blue jacket.
ssHYss' nj, - he vent on, az really hope the mis-
s,us, starved looking creature will get off,"
sThen Won dou't believe he picked the gentle
a,ns pocket" saidI.
Tm afraid it's only too certain that he did,
aam," said the mtn, shaking his head. He
ssted straight at me as he passed, and he had
tnrry, Desperate eye that looked like theft and
rsrder too, for that matter"
Gsna ret YOU wish him to escape, when he hns
koseR the laws of the land, and probably will
5so again?"
aGod forbid that ] should help TO break the
xs" said the old grocer. "Good men made
Gsm, and they are right, but there are other
.xs which read in my bible, Sunday nights
Dat seem to be as binding. One OF them Is DO
MO others as you would have others to do unto
run And another, Glove thy n"ighhor as ih,-
dr." When remember these words, tninS
Dat you may be ;eo hard with poor Sin'ni iel-
s.being, aud not go beyond the limits oil the
u, either"
THAT rich gentleman who had his pocket
liked will 60 home to fine dinner and bot
4 of win. no doubt, and the wretch of thie'
nv have crust of bread and glass OF burning
IA. if he cnn sell or pawn what he stole Tor
sOugh 10 get thom. Somehow if could, ]
mld not have him hunted down to night vow
Isouldnt." ,
,iSiill, | don't blame those young fellows; I'd
sva been MS fierce in the chase rs any OF them,
w,e age. but learnt lesson once that l new
4 have forgotten, and hope never may. / was
,ysunp man and poor one, and had a hard
srurrle to make my little shop keep my family.
/ was only by pinching and saving and keep
ig sharp lookout for every bargain that man
we'd it all.
1--WE lived in q shabby little street and had on
i verv poor customers. A loaf of bread, quar-
h Of pound of butter, and two ounce OF black
IA was quite an order and most OF those that
sme wanted trust. q ,
"As for laying in fine fruit or vegetables !
nver thought of such folly. Diamonds wouio
lave been as saleable in that part OF tne c.y,
Hhere washcrwomeu and the poorest laporing
nen we're the aristocracy.
mNow and then. when foreign ship came to
Ort with q load of ruined pineapples or decayed
oranges, bought lot of these, and charging
lert 10 nothing, sold them easily enough. AL
hopgh, | own, my wife used to say the misera.
tie babes who rolled about the cutters, died OIL
htcr after every stock of foreign fruit sold In
Ae old shop, and I'm afrail she was right. Wei
81 told you, | struggled along rs best might:
nd after a while things begatn to improve, ana
began to have vision ofa clean store IN O
good street, whea laid down at night.
'So one day, when had been to the marketi
brought down hnIfa dozen hams and hung
them up about the door, more for show han any
hing else. for ham was good holiday dinner
Ia those regions and not an everyday affair
an tell you.-They went of slowly, rs thoueh u
they would. Now and then some one wouic
tome in for pound, and once sold hall OF th'
smallest one TO woman who wanted II LOT hc'
sunday dinner. She was to pay me LOT II Oh
aonday morning, but she never did, for on sun
day night her husband killed her with run
bottle, and they took her body past my shoi
With its poor head all beaten out of shape an'
bloody.
''And so the hams hung there through tn
iummsr and through the fall, and quite on int
ihe winter,
ut was lust AS the December night began st
grow long, and dark and cold, that noticed
young policeman on our beat, young hana
some looking fellow, with very bright eyes, pu
with such thin cheeks and hands. although II
seemed to be powerfully built and made 10
rather stout man that could not help watcn
'ns him and wondering whether he had been II
%not. The first time that | noticed him wa
soout sunset, and he passed npd repassed M
Window dozen times, looking all the um
Straight at those hams, which dangled from til
lame of the awning. "a hope he means to ou
one )" ] said 10 my wife, as we sat together owe
The tea table; i'and shouldn't wonder 1t he ala
lor he seems TO haze taken quite lancy
"'But the evening passed, and though | SAY
&n every now and then on the other SIDE OIL III