The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-07-15
A Romance of Citv Life.

ne New ork correspondent OF the 1T
Louis Republican tells the following anec
dCte Of city official, and vouches for it
truth
Ten years ago carpenter attached t
one of the theaters died, leaving wife and
little daughter to get along as best they
might. The mother struggled on, but
sickness and hard times prostrated the
mother, and, unable to provide for her child
she allowed relation in rather better cir
cumstances to take the child to California
The mother got well, and though nearly
broken-hearted at the loss of the little girl,
she had but one object in life--the accumu
lation Of money enoughito take her to the
far state that held her child. Through the
long, cold winter she pinched and denied
herself all but the necessares Of life. She
bad boarded together over sixty dollars,
and kept her body and soul together, prom
ising herself the companionship of her little
darling another winter. But one buster
ing night with her numb fingers clasping a
huge bundle of shop work that a down
town store had furnished her, she found
herself to weak to walk, and grudging the
FIVE cents, she took an avenue car. The
poor old wallet that held her treasure was
produced, and after paying her fare, de-
posted in fancied security within her pocket
again. Alas for her even that slim, mis-
cradle purse of workingwomen was an Oh
Ject of attraction to some soulless thief, for
presently, feeling for that precious possess
ion, the poor creature gasped forth she had
been robbed. The conductor probably in
colluslon with the scoundrel pickpockets
roughly bid her "shut up and practice none
Of her games to get money from passengers
on bis car
In vain the women wept and begged him
to try and get her money back, however
she thought be could accomplish that. The
conductor got mad, stopped the car and
put her off.
Wild with ber dreadful trouble, the
poor creature stood with her bundle half
fainting on a corner, when a "Well, my
friend, what's the matter with YOU ~
caused her to look up and see bright flor
id face bent sympsthzingly upon her.
She recOunted her loss, pitifully closing
her story with "And now | shall never see
my little Annie again"
Still further questioning brought forth
the object Of her toll, and the gentleman
avowed bis intention TO help her a little,
took the heart-sick woman and her big bun
die home, TO a tenement house in Eldridge
stree. There everything corroborated the
woman's story, the letters received from
her humble relative, the picture of the
mothers idol, little Annie, and the hard
working father who had left her to his for
tune the year before. The gentleman con-
WINGED OF the truth and the desert of the
woman, took out bis pocket book, and Iay~
ing six ten dollar notes on the table said {:
"lIow soon could you start for California,
my friend Y
81 would start tonight" said the poor
creature, eff | could"
"Well," returned the gentleman, "get
ready to start to morrow. I have an ac-
quaintance on board vessel leaving to-
morrow I'll see you have passage. Get
your nerves composed there's as many
dollars as that william took from you l
wish | could lay my hands on him" Say
ing this the gentleman pointed to the sixty
dollars on the table and hastily left the as
tonisbed women.
All night she questioned the evidence Of
her own senses, but early morning brought
a tall, good natured old fellow, who took
the grateful, happy widow 10 a steamer
bound for California.
She wept and begged to know the name
Of her benefactor, sending back to him her
sovl-enl' thanks