The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-05-01


there in my diary bu, the records OF my SUI
ccssise failures and The tokens Of dcsra
anil evil apPrehensions During this te
" months had tri,d two petty causes bclor
justice Of the peace, and drawn up le'
: papers, the whole avails Of which woul
no, exceed thirty dollars, NV rent was i
arrears my watch and a great part OF M
valuable library had been disposed Of to aI
pensc my more annoying creditors. Their
was little LEFT Of me except my own hoggar
person.
During this ten months ! had visi,e'
M four times. the last two ut consi,l
cradle intervals, aud the Eur that my ap
pcarnncc nj my last visit had uniavorbl,
impressed her friends, haunted me con
tinually, and completed the climax Of IN,
lnisery. My mind was tossing with unpre
ce,ienied violence from these accumulate,
sources OF embarrassment and my failin;
strength, when the door opened and beg
gar entered and presented himself for aims
Ny whole nature was too intensely suscept
lille at this time to allow mo To repel him
though had often done so before. threw
him my last quarter and rs he retired
from the room burst into flood Of tears
All day ! wep, with involuntary persisiency,
Ia parting with my last quarter ! deprived
myself Of the means for procuring food foI
the day as l took all my meals at the bak.
cry. Bm hal no desire for food, and
that night retired on an empty stomach.
! soon slept from extreme wcarincss, and
dreamed ofbeing hungry, and seeing tn
lie set with fine things.
In the morning my stomach began to rs
sert its rights: felt elastic and in remark.
able spirits. was astounded at my own
buoyancy. Il was brish, morning in
August; threw open the window, and a
fresh breeze blow hack my hair and seem.
ell to whisper hope and proInisc in its every
breath. .Slarve to death" lciaculated will,
a roar Of laughter. Il will dcn,olish more
than one csiidr rindow iirs,' ! started into
the street hungry rs bear. Had ! the
face to prcscn, myself ut the eating. saloon
without money! Could borrow Of any
one! A few moments reflection brough,
on the horrors Of the day previous, ami
went to INV office without breakfast
was seated with my Zee, upon my desk
and book open before me, thinking
whether to make n sacrifice OF my feelings
and t'y to borrow money; or whether under
the stimulus Of hunger, tn scour the city tor
business, or try my kill at novelette, for
the newspaper, when my door opened and
tho bcgyar again presented himself. felt
insultcd and incenscd at this, suppos'ng
that he wished TO lay me under another tax,
but in moment observed that his head
was streaming with blood! This beggar
was iamiliarly callcn Old Giles by those
who knew him, and rs no !, to play an i'm.
portant part in the sequel, shall bc some
what minute in my description. lie al.
vnnccd without speaking, and when within
a short distance from me. raised his hat.
observed that a large piece OF scalp was
gone from the top Of his head. laying bare
the pcricranium from the crmn to the fore
head. Ills head being nearly flat. il ap'
pcarcd as though il might have been struck
of by n blow with sharp edged bludgeon
The ahras,irc was about three inches wild,
hy six IN length. The wound was obii's'
Gated. and presented hiieGus aspect. Al;
ter my assuring the old man that pitic,
him, but had no money, he WIS not slow ia
telling me the circumstances Of the in
Jury. The story purportcd that he had
} been knocked down and run over the night
previous while turning Dcming's corner Il
may shy here that the names used are al
! fictitious, us would not be justified at lhi'
early date in using the real ones) by n twc
horse coach, which ran across the corner
pavement AMI tore away part OF Dcming''
yarl.icnce that he knew nothing alter
being struck till he found himself on the
side walk, AMI Jasper, the bikcrs hoy, try
Ing 10 raise him up: that hc recognized
the coach to he Meals, and the driver TO be
young Neal; that he was hurt in five place.
the head chest, stomach, thigh or groin, ex
tending down into the thigh, and the ieet
, Strange that y"u were not killed. though
L; but he, in answer to my question. sai'
he was not mach hurt My curiosity a
length became so excited tha, called in
physician, DR.. Ray, rnd we made an exam
ina,ion. The chest br,isc was about ,hrr,
inches below the coll " hone. elongated, ey
tending from ol,, shoulder TO the other. L