The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-02-16
The GROCER'S STORY.

were forever closed, and where there was so
little passing that spears of grass grew here
and there between the flag stones, and the
stone carbs of the iron-raled areas we're;
fringed with soft green moss. Avery quiet.
place at most times, but late upon one au-
tumn afternoon, a strange cry sounded thro
it, which awakened all its echoes, and called
curious faces to the doors and windows.
''Stop thief stop theft .','
The strong voice of a policeman uttered
the cry at first, and the shri1r treble Of two
boys at play near by took it up and repeated
it, and byand-by there was full deep @cho-
rus, like the cry eta pack of hoands-a
sound you might have knownat 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 their bundles, bakers with their baskets
on their arms, Young gentlemen Just released
from the academy close at hand, and ragged
urchins, whose school was the gutter, all
Joined in hot pursuit, and followed the miser-
able wretch with. bare, .begrimed 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
buriest of his pursuers pant for breath.
They were out of sight in a moment !; but
thief had batied them and some among the
crowd rushed back to see If their prey had
doubled on his track; and others, sulky and
indignant. at the result of their useless chase
came back muttering angriiy On swearing,
with many violent oaths, that they would
have him vet
One policeman, weli-fed fellow. with a
crimson face, made quite a hero Of himself
s. by asserting that he knew the fellow, and
would trap him before shutdown. There was
good deal of sympathy felt for the gentle
man who had lost his pocket-handkerchief,
bat none l could hear for the poor degraded
wretch who had puroined it, until placid
voice at my elbow uttered the following
words, apparently in sahoaHy:
swell, may be-wrong; but tt hope they
won't catch him.
turned in surprise, and confronted our
grocer. on whose steps | had sought shelter
from the crowd, which, at such moment,
could not be expected to think much of the
safety of woman.
Our grocer was portly man, with shin
ing bald head, fringed with a ring of white
hair like the tonsure of a Roman catholic
priest. and wearing at the moment Holland
apron and short, blue jacket.
ayes a." he went On, II really hope the
miserable, starved-looking creature viii get
off,
..Then you don't believe he picked the
gentlemans pocket ?" said l.
I'm afraid its only too certain that he did,
ma ma, said the man, shaking his head
He looked straight at me as he passed, and
he had hungry desperate eyes that looked
like theft, and murder, too, for that matter
And vet you wish him to escape, when he
has broken the laws of the land and will
Drobabiv do so again 81
..God forbid that / should help to break
the laws" said the grocer. .Good men
made them, and they are right; but there
are other, laws that / read in my Bible Sun
day nights that seem to be as binding. One
of them is, ''Do unto others as you would
that others should do unto YOU And an
other, Love thy neighbor as myself When
remember these words, l think that you
may be too hard with poor, sinful fellow
being, and not 90 beyond the limits of the
law either o- aa sE
THAT rich gentleman who had his pocket
picked will 90 home to fine dinner and a
bottle of wine, no doubt and the wretch of a
thief may have crust of bread and glass Of
burning gin, if he can sch or pawn what he
stole for enough to get them. Somehow, il
| could, wouldn't have him hunted dowr
tonight vow | wouldn't.
'Still, | don't blame those young fellows
I'd have been as furious III the chase as any
of 'em years ago; but learnt lesson once
that l have never forgotten, and l hope
never may / was young man, and poo
one then, and had hard struggle to max,
nay little shop keep my family. 1t was onl,
BY pinching and saving, and keeping sharI
lookout for every bargain, that managed i
st all.
We lived in a shabby little street, and hat
only very poor customers. A loaf of bread
quarter of a pound of butter, and TIVE
ounces of black tea was quite an order; ant
most of those that came wanted trust.
As for laying in fine fruit or vegetables,
never thought Of such a folly. Diamonds
would have been as saleahle in that part o
the city, where washerwomeu and the poor
est laboring men were the aristocraey.
Now and then when a foreign ship came
to port with load of ruined pine4apples, o.
decayed oranges, bought lot of these. and
charging next to nothing, sold them easil,
enough. Although, own, my wife used t
say thesmissrabte babies, who rolled abou
the cutters, died off faster, after every stock
of foreign fruit sold in the old shop, ant
Tn afraid that she was right. WE'LL as
told yon, struggled along as best l might
and after awhile things began to improve
and began to have visions of clean stor
ina good street, when laid down to rest a
night. .ases &+ ss .ba2..L asg#