The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1871-12-02

Iii Ill ltttl
She had kept the shoes. lie had i'll
sisted upon that. Out into the street
one of her companions cried
: IIellow. shoes! and up went
hiag's clenehed fiSt Is. Out came. an
oath and then another, and then she
seemed to shrink away from herself
and all ut once her EVE caugi.t sight of
that strip of blue Sky and her face
redeemed. Willie. perhaps for the first
time iii lier life, she felt that it WAS
wrong To swear, wicked to feel ls she
did
She went slowly home. Home! O.,
the moeSe,'y, the exceeding bitterness
OF that word when it means want, and
misery. and woe, a lld rags, and sq;ial-
lor. and SIM
Her mother saw the shoes. her
bIeared eyes frightened. An aunt
lived with the mother. Lived. did |
say? She dragged on Il miserable,
sicl>ening eNistence, sometimes beg
Siag, sometimes starving.
As for Mag. the two women knew
not what to make other conduct. She
had brought them 4 little loaf Of bread
but could not eat herself.
=" What ails the young one?" her
mother said, at last. Somewhere in
tiit botIoliI Oi .iItl1 SOuI tlleFS MAS Il
| remnant OF the woman left.
Il wisnI was dead" said Mag,
suilenly and that WAS all she said.
One morning She looked for her
| shoes. They Were gone. But cursing
and swearing were not the remedy
now for evils. as they had been before.
Something restrained her; that feeble.
/ nicl1ering Of conscience that tie good
'nan's tender words had lighteued. fee
bic ldeeel, but yet distinctly felt
OAe morning with her basket half
/ filll OF cod scraps, she met linn on
| Broadway. Forward She started, her
face flaming with sudden beauty.
He did not at first notice her, and an
agony took possession of her spirit.
such as nothing but the forgotten out
cast can feel. but suddenly some
plying, watchful. unseen angel, touch
ed him on the arm, and ne turned.
Why. this is Mag, think" lie
said. going up 10 her. lie had that
girls heart IN his hand.
"Ncs. sir.'' she replied, the coming
tears changing To smiles.
Why, Mag. O, the shoes are
gone : tod YOU. sir, she falteie
ed.
'.Ycs. yes; I'm not blaming You
my dear .. if Mag could have gone
down on her knees to him right there
on the gay and crowded street,
:. Wen hope for better times, = lit
said graycly. :. What if | should SEE
your motlies?'
''Oh, sir. and her mouth began tx
work. she's gone very low, Lat it
since father died only since fathe
died.
And how long is that 20
= Five years, sir, or may be more,
was the trembling answer.
Mag could think of nothing else ii
day but that he had met her aat
had spoken to her. Oh. that one littl
tender word What fruit it was t,
bear,
Mag went home. Death had beer
! there before her. Tie poor, wretchet
woman. 10 whom she had been s.
bright and beautiful a thing. had flilel
into a drunken covulsion. No, or
was near to help, and there she ha
died-gone forever.
20 Mag sobbed her aunt, broke
and frightened at the sight, lets yo
and | Ee better than we have been
| conldn't die so. -
! Mag no longer had her mother t
) keep. Poor child, was it possible fo
, her to mourn much What had ell
to renembeE. besides blows, and oaths
and cruelty?
She never rested till she had foun
her friend-s.le never rested till she ha
! found heaven for herself and he
. aunt.
VIII you believe me when l tell yo
that to-day Mag is beautiful, aye,
refined young ladyI?-that she is teacl
, ing school In a Western village, an
that all tlsis spirtng from one word {
: tenderness, one little word of four lei
! ers, Which Inc. who had the Iie:lve
: shut up in his heart, spoke in an in
q pulse Of tender pity?