Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-01-08

little guide, entered dark, wide, wind.
ing stair, untilI lIclimbing many flights Of
stairs in total darkness, he opened door,
whence a light maintained feeble, un.
equal struggle with the thick, close smell.
ing heavy gloom My courage nearly gave
way as the spectacle Iof that room burst
upon me- In an apartment certainly
spacious In extent, but scarcely made visi-
BILE by one guttering candle stuck In bot.
tie, were an overcrowded mass of wretch
cd beings, sleeping on miserable beds
spread out on the floor, or souatted OF re-
chning upon the cold, unfurnished boards
stepping over PROSTATE quarreling
drunkard, 1 found little Sandy on bed of
carpenters shavings on the floor He was
still In his rags, and a torn scanty coverlet
had been thrown over him. Poor lad he
was 50 changed. His sharp, pallid face
was clammy and cold-beads of the sweat
OF agony standing on his brow-his
bruised and mangled body lay motionless
and still, except when sobs and moaning
heaved his dutterirg breast. A bloated
woman, in maudlin drunkenness (the dead
or banished fathers second wife, and not
his mother), now and then bathed his lips
with whisky and water, while she applied
to her own bottle of spirits to drown
the grief she hiccoughed and assumed. A
doctor from the Royal Infirmary had
called and left some medicine to soothe
the poor lads agony (for his case was
hopeless, even though he had been taken
at f1rst), but mis- tipsy nurse had forgotten
to administer IL. l applied IL, and had
him placed upon a less miserable bed of
straw and feeling a woman, an occupant
of the room, to attend him during the
night, gave what directions / could, and
left the degraded, squalid home.
Next morning | was again in Black
friar's Wynd Its close, pestilential air,
and towering, antique, dilapidated man
sions (the abode Of the peerage in far-of
times,) now struck my senses. Above a
doorway was carved upon the stone
Except ye Lord do build ye house, ye
builders build in vain"
| said the room was spacious; 1t was al
most noble in its proportions. The walls
Of paneled oak, sadly marred; massive
marble mantel-piece of cunning carving,
ruthlessly broken and disfgured enam-
eled tiles around the fireplace, once rep
resenting some Bible story, now sorely
despoied and cracked and the ceiling
festooned with antique fruit and flowers,
shared in the general Vandal wreck. With
the exception of broken chair, furniture
there was none in that sitting den. Its
occupants, said the surgeon, whom found
at the sufferers bed, were chiefly of our
cities pests, and the poor lads stepmother
who had taken him from the Ragged
School, that she might drink of his pitt.
full earnings-wasa as sunk in infamy as any
there.
For the patient, medical skill was
nought, for he was sinking fast. The soul
looking from his light blue eye was slowly
ebbing out, his pallid cheeks were sunk
and thin, but consciousness returned, and
| his lamp was Pickering up before it. sunk
forever AS l took his feeble hand, 0
flicker of recognition seemed to CLEAN
across his face.
"I got the change, and was comin'--'
"My poor boy, you we're very hottest
Have you any wish-anything, poor child
l can do for you? Ipromise 1 to"
"Reuby, I'm sure Pm deein'; wha will
take care of you noo?"
Little Reuben was instantly in fit Of
crying, and himself PROSTATE on the bed.
"Oh, Sandy Sandy! Sandy" sobbed
his little heart.
al will see to your little brother"
"Thank you, sir Dinna-dinna leave
me, Reu-Reu-by. Pm -comin'-
comin'---"
"Whist whist !" cried little Reub, look.
ing up and turning round to implore
some silence in the room. That moment,
the calm, faded smile, that seemed to have
alighted as momentary visitant upon
his face, slowly passed away, the eye be.
came blank and glazed, and his little life
imperceptibly rippled out
The honest boy lies in Canongate
churchyard, not far from the grave-stone
put up by Burns to the memory of Fer.
| guson, his brother poet and l have sent
little Reuben to DR., Guthrie's Ragged
School, and receive excellent accounts OF
him and from him.