The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1870-02-02


vice with NE. There WINS wine in it.
poured it out-no sacrilegc--and gave
to her. she would not touch it until
her husband had first drank great part
Of it: '~.
Then, seeing him triae revived by
| the wine, sat by him on tho floor,
having given trifflc to his wife to buy
bread, und directed her to send for q
doctor. When she was gone, said.--.
"My poor fellow, open your heart to
me ; tell me what bitter strait brought
you TO regret, thatyo hadn't strength
left to become murderer. Was it only
faminc?" ~
emo"
He was very wcak--past food or
medical help. This murderous attack on
his wife had been tho last mad effort Of
fevcr and dolirium, the flickcring up Of
the dying flame before it expires.
"What then? Tell me, that may
know how to help you"
drew his terrible story from him in
short questionings and answers, as he
could bear it. Hc withheld the por.
,ions relative to his own greater priva--
tons. These 1 afterwards gathered
from his wife,
He had been out of work ten months,
along with many hundred others, and
there was no work in lis trade obtaina>
bic anywhere. lie gave up his little
house first. That was great pain. His
wife was above his own station, aud had
taken such pride iu it, and made even
out Of his poor things a house fit for
gentleman, he said. The little savings
from his weekly wages soon went, and
when he moved into two rooms tho fur
niture began to go. They remained
in two rooms until it was gone for food
but the mattress. Then they moved
here, and nothing was left but u few gar
mcnts to pawn. All this time he sought
work, tried to get only an hours emplny
as porter, messenger, any thing az long
as it was work but the lower down the
scale the ficrccr men fight for their own,
hunger makes them so keen. Hundreds
were struggling for tho like employ
The strong and the clamorous succeeded
while the earthbroken were tramplcd
down in the crowd Now and then he
did get few pennies in the day for
holding a horse or something Of the kind
Aud IN taking this home to his wife and
his daughter Nelly, he always made
them believe he had spent part of what
he earned on food for himself, and would
seldom touch their bread. Then he
felt the end was coming. Ho could no
more 20 out. Aud there was no food,
and 90 more clolhcs left to pawn to OBJ
tain any. His ouly shirt had long gone,
aud his wife aud child were SO destitute
as ouly to have rags enough between
them to cover dccently the one who
went out to fetch anything.
All that morning he had been lying
in kind Of stupor which he had
thonght was the cn,l. But, awakening,
he missed his daughter, aud asked for
her. His wife prevaricated, then burst
out crying, then owned what she had
done, how she hal SIN. her out on the
streets as last resource to ger money to
buy bread to save her tnther's life, mo
ncy not to be begged nor stolen.
"Oh, not that !" the man had groancd,
in bitter agony, "not that, mother ~
Better we all die than that. D God,
how could you, the mother that bare her,
and not have KILLED her rathorl" Then
in wild frenzy of horror and anger,
thinking his strength had returned TO
him, he had lcapcd up aud fallen OH his
wife with the piece Of iron, thinking it
better they all had died than that but
found himself too weak.
"No, sir" lie said to me, don't tell
me about God, or his book only fetch
me my child, my little Ncly,-it may
MOI be too latc,-that may see her be-
lore die aud know that it is not too
late"
lie was right I left him kncoling at
his wife's side. although it was last
effort, got medical advice and triao IF
food, and, promising to return, set off OH
my crrand. I got a woman from the
house 10 accompany inc to identify the
girl, and found policeman to direct us
in our inquiries. We visited every
house In the ncishborhood, aud every
den where there was chanc, Of poor,
ragged girl being fouud; but without
success. We thon took each stree. and
alley within circuit of three miles, and
wandered about till evening wancd into
night, till night waxcd to midnight, and
the pale moon stared out in a sickiy
halo through quick ly-driftiIg. gusty
clouds, and stars cleaned far off in the
depth behind the clouds. Farlhcr yet
We traversed, and the, night grew on,
till passing alone deserted street we
came to great and fnc building dedi-
Gated 10 Foreign Missions, glorious
monument Of the benevolent intorc. t we
take in tho welfare Of the heather who
dwell where Afric's sunny fountains run
down her golden souds. There, crouchcd
Oh tho steps, numbed with the cold,
and asleep from sheer exhaustion, was
the poor child VIC sought. Thank Cod
it was not too late, her wan and
frightened looks, aud the poor rags that
clad her, were her surcst protection from
evil. We fed her first, there in tho
street, for had bought a little bread
before the shops closed, and put 10 my
pocket with q small flask Of brandy. She
ate ravcnously and when she had taken
as much as We deemed prudent to allow
. l. l. =. ~ ~. l..