The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1869-04-30
From the Youths Companion.1
THE TOWN PAUPERS.
BY MRS. c. W. FLANDERS.
IN TWO oHApTERs.-CHAPTER I.

IN TWO CHAPTERS.-CHAPTER I.
"What makes you look SO glum, Mar
gle ? Mamma has let me come to the kit
chen to ask if you will please tell me a
story. It is so dull up stairs-everybody
reading and sewing"
81 can't tell any stories tonight" re-
turned Margie, seizing the paper and max
ing dash at the Goals. "It's an awful
night, miss; there's the wind bowling out
there in a way that always sets my teeth
chattering. There, there,-sit down,
child. What are you staring at 20
81 hope you are not sick, Margie," 1
said, going toward her, and placing my
hand upon her shoulder. care you tired?"
A bitter laugh broke from her lips.
81 wish it was tired I AMI wish it was
miss but if the day was a week long, and
it was ell Monday, couldn't work hard
enough to make me so tired that 1 would
sleep on such nj gbt as this"
cit is TERRIBLE said, ''the wind that
comes shrieking down the chimney; and
mamma says there are poor peoPle-little
children such as I-out in the cold streets.
Do you think they can live there all night,
Margie or that we could find such, if we
went to look for them 90
''Ah, ha ! wouldn't it be rare sport to
see the rich leaving their warm rooms and
soft carpets, to save the mlserables who
are dying in the sleet and ice o, child,
the good master knew what be was saying
when he cried, How hardly shall rich
man enter the kingdom of heaven !''
please don't Margie-it makes me
shiver when you look and talk in that way
''Shiver, indeed, miss 1t is very COM
Portable shivering here by the red-hot
range, clothed in rose -colored wool and en-
broidered aprons. Wait till you find your
self in the street, without friend in the
world, frozen through and through, until
every tooth and bone rattle like castanets !;
then you'll know what it is to shiver.''
"But you were never in the streets,
Margie You never was hungry and
cold 90
''I wae'n't was I? Well, you were ask
ing for story, miss, and here is one, and
much good may it do you"
Margie paused a moment, as if dread
ing to begin and as looked at her more
aIteutively, was surprised to see how old
she looked-how wrinkled and pinched
her face had become since the last time
had come to her for stories for Margie
was generally genial and talkative, and will
ling to amuse me out of her store of strange
experiences. was not old enough then
to understand what inroads few hours Of
anguish can make upon beauty.
''You see. miss, was born way up north
almost TO the Canada line. We didn't have
nice places for poor folks to go to, as you
have here in the city. We were just bid
of, like so many slaves and the man who
bid US off calculated to make the most of
US.
''There wasn't but two of us-Lucy and
I. was older than she, going on FIVE
years; SO that when father and mother
were both dead, had the care of her all
to myself. Our folks were always poor,
and if they had any relations they kept
themselves out of sight after mother was
dead. And so, as we were small, and
Lucy was delicate. nobody wanted US and
we had to be bid off with the towns poor,
who were all bid off once a year to the
lowest bidder.
81 think likely might have Jared better
if had not stuck to Lucy in the way
did but I amt sorry that did.
"There was an old farmer, with q crazy
kind of wife, who bid us all off in a lump
that year, as he had the poor for several
els before and We want idle much, I