The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1869-05-14
Out OF Work.

| SVSA "ASASs
r. But ye9 ,' are not going to Civ
"Give up? How can I help it
Within four days I have been tt
every book bindery in the city, ane
not bit Of work can get. ="
but have you tried anything
else 2" s,.o~
"What else can tryf"
"Why, anything that you car
"Yes, I've tried other things.
have been to more than dozen ol
my friends and offered to help them
if they would hire me-"
I" And what did you mean to de-
for them 2"
II offered to post their accounts,
make out bulls, or attend at the
counter"
| Mrs. Stanwood smiled as her hus.
band thus spoke.
" What makes you smile?" be
| asked.
"To think that you should have
imagined that you could find work
in such places. But how is Mark
Leeds ,"
How so -"
"He has nothing in his house to
cat" .
It was a shudder that crept over
the wife's frame now.
"Wby do you tremblc, wife ? :"
Because when we shall have
eaten our breakfast tomorrow morn
ing We shall have nothing"
!" What !" cried Peter Stan
wood half starting from his chair
Do you mean that -
II do" r..
"But our -four -
"AA gone. l baked tho last of
it this afternoon.
But we have pork 2"
You ate the last this noon."
" Then we must starve," groan-
cd tho stricken man.
Peter Stanwood was a book bind
er by trade, and out of employment
over a month. He was one Of
those who generally calculate to
keep about square with the world,
and who consider themselves par
tieularly fortunate if they keep out
Of debt. He was now thirty years
of age, and had been married eight
years. He had three children to
provide for, besides himself and
wife, and this. together with house
rent, was heavy draught upon his
purse even when work was plenty,
but nowhere was nothing.
Maria," stopping and gazing
his wife in the face, "we must
starvc. I have not a single penny
in the world.'
But do not despair, Petor.-
Try again tomorrow for work. You
may find something to do. Any.
thing that is honest will be honora-
BILE. Should you earn but shil-
ling day, We should not starve 2"
+" But our house rent 7 3"
" Trust me for that. The land
lord shall not turn us out. If you
will engage to 6nd some work to do,
I'll see that We have house room. :"
"I'u make one more trial" ut
tcred Peter despairingly.
"But you must 60 prepared to
do anything"
Anything reasonable. Maria" !"
:" But what do you call reasona-
bic 2"
:" Why-anything decent. -
The wife felt almost inclined to
smile, but the matter was too seri-
Gus for that, and q cloud passed
over her face. She knew her has-
bands disposition, and she felt sure
that he would find no work. She
knew that he would look about for
somo sort Of work that would not
lower him in the social scale--as he
had once or twice expressed it,
However she knew it would be of
no use to say anything to him now,
and she let the matter pass.
On the following morning the
last bit Of food was put upon the
table. Stanwood could hardly re-
alize that he was penniless and
without food. For years he had
been gay, thoughtless and fortunate,
making the most Of the present, for.
getting the past, and leaving the
future to look out for itself. Yet
the truth was naked and clear /;
and when he left the house he said,
something must be done."
No sooner had the husband gone
than Mrs. Stanwood put on her
bonnet and shawl. Her eldest child
was girl seven years old, and her
youngest four. She had asked her
next door neighbor if she would
take care Of her children until noon.
Those children were known to be
good aud quiet, they we're taken
oheerfully. Then Mrs. Stanwood
locked up her house and went away.
She returned at noon, bringing some
dinner for her children, and then
went away again. She got home
in the evening before her husband.
carrying heavy basket on her arm.
"Well Peter" she asked, after
her husband had entered and sat
down. "What luck, to-day !"
" Nothing nothing I" he groan-
cd. ~ made out to squeeze . din
ner out of an old chum, but l can't