Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-09-10
OUT or WORK, on THE TEST OF
A TBUE-HEARTEDE WOMAN

Peter
''Give it upl How can 1 help it
| Within four days I have been to every
book binder in the city, and not bit
of work can get. y
"But you have tried nothing else p
What else can I try2"
"Why, anything you can do"
'fYes; I've tried other things.
have been TO more than q dozen Of my
friends and offered TO help them if
they would hire me"
And what did you mean to do for
Il offered to post their accounts,
make out bills, or attend at the cOun-
Mrs. stanwoOd smiled as her hus-
band spoke thus.
what makes you smile? ?" he asked.
ITO think that you should have
| imagined that you would find work
in such places. But how is Mark
Leeds ?"
HE has nothing in his house to
eatl''
Il was a shudder that crept over the
I-Wife's frame now.
"Why do you tremble, wifs?"
Because when we have eaten our
breakfast tomorrow morning we shall
"WhatP' cried Peter StanwoOd,
half starting from his chair do You
mean that2"
''I do"
But our -four p
"All gone. / baked the last this
afternoon"
"But we have porkP
''You ate the last this noon,
"Then we must staTve I' groaned
the stricken man, starting across the
room.
Peter Stanwood was q book binder
By trade, and had been out Of employ
ment over q month. He was one of
those who generally calculate to keep
about square with the world, and who
consider themselves particularly for
tunate 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 a heavy draft
upon his purse, even when work was
plenty, but nowhere was nothing.
pMaria," be said, stopping and gaz-
ing his wife in the face, I'VE must
starve have not a penny in the
"But do not despair, Peter. Try
again tomorrow for work. You may
fnd something to do. Anything that
is honest is honorable. Should you
make but shilling day we should
not starve."
"But our house rent?"
"Trust me for that. The landlord
shall not turn us out. IF you will en-
gage to find some work to do I'll see
that we have house room"
:I'll make one more trial, uttered
Peter, despairiDgly.
"But you must 60 prepared to do
Anything reasonable, Maria"
"But what do you call reasonable,
Peter ?"
'Why-anything decent p
The wife felt almost inclined to
smile, but the matter was too serious
for that, and cloud passed over her
face. She knew her husbands dispo-
sitiou, and felt sure he would find no
work. She knew he would look for
work which would not lower him in
| the social scale, as he had once or
twice expressed il. However, she
knew it would be Of no use to say any
thing to him now, and she let the mat
ter pass.
On the following morning the last
| bit of food in the house was placed
upon the table. StanWoOd could hard
| IL realize that he was penniless and
without food. For years he had been
gay, thoughtless and fortunate, max
ing the most of the present, and leav-
ing the future to look out for itself.
Yet the truth was naked and clear,
aud 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 a
girl seven years old, and her youngest
four. She asked her first door neigh
Dor if she would take care of her chill
dren until noon, These children were
known to be good and quiet, and they
were taken cheerfully. Then Mrs.
| StanWOod locked up her house and
went away. She returned at noon,
| bringing some dinner for her children,
aud went away again. She got home
in the evening before her husband,
| carrying a basket on her arm.
well, Peter" she asked, after her
husband had entered and sat down,
what luck p
Nothing, nothing, he Rroaned. II
made out to squeeze a dinner out of an
old chum, but / can't get work"
"And where have you looked to-
day?", -. =.
hundred places, but it is the same
l every place. It is nothing but the
eternal mol no no J I'm tired an6
sick of it."
But what sort of work have yOJ
offered to do p
why / went even so far as to otfel
TO tend q liquor store down down..
The wife SMILED.
"NoW, what shall We do ?" uttered
Peter, spasmOdicslly.
why, we'll eat supper first, anC
then talk the matter over.
Supper have you got any p
Yes, plenty Of it"
But you told me you had none."
Neither had we this morning, bu
I've been after work and found some.
'tYoul been after work 2'' uttered
her husband, in surprise. But how
where ? what p
why, first l went to Mrs. Shows
knew her girl mas sick, and I hopes
she might have work to be done.
went TO her and told her my story, an,
she set me to work at once, doing he
washing. She gave me food to brinI
home to the children, and paid m
) three shillings when got through" 4"
What have you been out Washin
I for our butchers wife p said Peter
3 looking very much surprised.
"Of course l have, R1d have thereb
earned enough to keep us in foo
! through tomorrow, at any rate, so to
morrow you may come home to din
E ner."
"Blt how about Fent?"