Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-09-29
NO. 232
rows, that might have made child's brain

Upon the ,lay on which this narrative
commences, our little matchbox maker
had actually conceived small specula-
ton OF her own, for incessant toll had rem
dered her precocious in her trading art.
She had purchased matches enough for
farthing to fill half dozen boxes, and.
quite unprompted, had sailed forth to sell
them Tor a penny each. True, she had
never studied arithmetic, but she knew
that she must fashion thirty boxes for .
half-penny, and, without making an exact
calculation, she had vague idea Of Inn
mense profit to be gained, if, by the out
lay OF farthing, she could fill six boxes
and sell them each at a penny. But, alas!
for her baby enterprise !! Half the cday
has been wasted before she sold one single
box and with the first penny gained she
had returned home, discouraged, and pru-
IDENTIFY substituted drudging certainty for
pleasant, possible gain. Many alasRer
speculator has shown less wisdom. =saaaaas
1t is scarcely possible to crush out hope
in an infants heart. The poor little pris-
oner of a garret had found something ex-
hilarating in the free air-(we cannot call
1t the fresh air)-something fascinating in
the moving sights, in lieu of the endless
match-boxes that filled, until they almost
freshing to the ear in the varied street
sounds, in place Of her mothers low
means; and, few days after her first fall
ure, when the winter sun rstreamed in
brightly through the small, uncurtained,
dingy window, again she was seized with
a strong yearning to go forth. There
were the six match-boxes ready filed;
what if she were to sell them all! all!
What If she were actually to make six
pence in one day! What a fortune!
Her mother too, had recovered little;
she had emerged from her lethargic State
sufficiently to speak, to suffer, to remem-
ber the need OF labor, to try to work and
the child had brought her bundle Of can
vas, cut ready to be made into rude bags.
of all sizes; an employment she had nc.
| cepted because it was one found beneath
her hand, and she had not courage or
strength to seek any other, scanty as was
| the remuneration for this. sia et EGG~~2 s
The poor sufferer had lost the power of
feeling glad at anything. yet she thought
it well that the child should go ont into
the sunshine; the streets were narrow,
and close, and unclean, but the sun shone,
and shone on all alike,-if the child could
but steal breathing space from toll, that
one boon she might enjoy in common with
the rest of the world that one boon
which typified Gods love shining upon the
vlest, and seeking out the darkest corners
Alas beings as joyless and comfortless as
this child might well have doubted that
Gods love would ever find them out, had
not that very love implanted the undying
| hope which sustains even weak natures,
and developes itself into all enduring faith
in strong spirits. ,,q< III
Are the hearts in London harder than
elsewhere? Are the ears more deaf to q
child's pleading voice? The little match
box-maker's fate ON the second day SEEM
ed likely to be repetition of the first
Yet was she stirred by a sense as near
akin to pleasure as she had ever yet kown,
while she watched the carriages and hors-
es, and noticed the colors of dresses, es-
pecially those of children--a passing pet
dog delighted her, and when a boy came
by with a canary bird in cage, the childs
eyes dilated with wild excitement. How
happy that boy must be! What q grand
thing to possess bird Not that she ever
dreamed Of the possibility Of. owning one
herself; she would as soon have thought
of owning that superb equipage yonder.
We hardly expect child of four winters
to reflect, to calculate; but poverty and
misery acts as forcing house for the brains
of human plants-and by-and-by as the
day advanced, and she sold nothing, the
little sales-woman began to be sorely
troubled; she thought how many boxes
she could have made if she had remained
at home! The muscles of the wizened lit
tie face twitched nervously, but she was
hardly child enough, or yet woman enough,
to shed tears literally dropped. Her little
hand was thrust out with sudden despera-
tion, us she uttered more shrilly and be-
seechingly than before, sfsss. {, ..s
Match boxes Match boxes made
'em myself!' She had not been taught the
professional match-vender's cry, - that
there were match boxes and that she had
made them, was the uppermost thought.
"You don't say SOP You didn't though.
did you? Such little midge as you ~ It
was the jovial voice of sailor that spoke,
as his ready hand was thrust into his pock-
ct. "How much, eh ?"
"A penny piece"
'Lets see,-one two, three, four five !;
there's five coppers for you. Now give Us
you five mammoth boxes" .s..
The hands of the amazed, bewildered
child trembled SO much, through sudden
and overwhelming Joy, that she could
hardly hand him the five boxes. ri
"All right; just the thing to light my
pipe; and he went merrily ON his way.
Should she go home at once with her
treasure,-a mine OF wealth,-her five
whole coppers? or should she try to sell
her remaining box? The greed of gain
was strong within her.--how could It be
otherwise 1t was the first greed she had
been taught. She remained. And now
the liminutive hand was extended more
confidently, and the unchildlike face was
strangely lighted up as it looked unfearing-
ly into the benevolent countenance Of one
who had passed in front of her.
"Matches, are. they?" asked CHEEKY
voice. 8 'aN
"Match boxes made 'em myself" re-
peated the child. but less mechanically
than before.
"YourselfP You? Why. how old are
you?" e4'
-Four" sfss ss
"And you made this neat little box?"
The gentleman-we apply the designa-
ton to him, though he would scarcely
have laid claim to il in England. for albeit