Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-04-28
THE GAZETTE.
CEDAR FALLS, APRIL 28, 1871.
CHARLIE THE MATCH BOY.
A Temperance Sketch.
BY HALEY MAY.

l
city. my attention was attracted to q
small boy, Of some ten or twelve
years, with basket Of matches,
which he was selling by the bunch.
AS / drew near him, his pltiful
face and diminutive form won at
once my sympathy, and stopped to
purchase few bunches of his
matches, thinking might learn
something of the boy who thus in
terested me.
"What is your name, little fellow"
asked as paid him for the matches.
"Charlie Lamont" he replied.
"Do you live in the citysen
"Yes sir" said he, something like
tear shining i'm his honest blue eye.
"And how do you spend the mon
ey you make from the sale of your
matches2"
IL give 1t to my mother, sir, but
cannot keep her from suffering and
want" answered the quivering lips.
Have you no father?"
ayes, sir, but" and here the lit
tie fellow hesitated.
Ah7 now / read the whole sad
story. That pale face, those patched
garments, that hungry look of the
eyes-if / may so express it--all told
of the home of the poor boy yes,
told palmer than words the whole
story which the boy shrank from re-
vealing.
NY father is a dr,nkard"
Feeling more than ordinary inter.
est in this boy, SO different from
most of his class, 1 took the address
of his home, which found to be In
one of our most squalid streets; and
pressing some money into his hand,
hurried away as the little fellows
"God bless you, sir!" fell, blessed
benediction, upon my ear.
The next day was the Sabbath, and
after the afternoon service, thought
of my little friend the match-boy,
and wended my way to his home.
AS / passed through the street,
where poverty and wretchedness
seemed 10 reign, saw even here
nuch to remind me that IL was Sun.
day, aud to make me realize that this
day comes with its blessings to even
such places as these.
Thus rejecting that this day came
blessing laden to all, arrived at the
number given me by my little friend
1t was in an old ruinous building,
whose neglected, dilapidated condi-
tion, and filthy entrance, at once be.
tokened it the abode Of squalid pov.
erty and misery.
Down stairs, sir" answered boy
of whom i asked direction to those
wished to find. And down stairs
went-down ricketty, dirty stairs. tt
q door at the opposite end, from
which came the sound of soft. low
voice apparently reading. Aud as
stood a moment, the words, Though
He slay me, yet will trust in Him
fell gently upon my ear.
In answer to my rap, the door wa.
hesitating opened by Charles him
self. He at once recognized me, and
a flush Of shame overspread his face,
as he ushered me into the room-his
home every part of which bespoke q
drunkard's home.
1T was damp, dark cellar, moth.
ing more, into which Gods blessed
sunlight never came, light only by q
q window over the door, through
which a meagie light from what
seemed to me dark hall as i entered
coming from the daylight without
In the room were two wooden chairs
a little box which served as stool
and black bottle--looking 20 me
like black demon--a bundle oI
straw In the corner, which served as
a bed, and upon which now lay Q
form which looked hardly human
but which Iquiekly / OWNED to be
the drunken father of whom Charlie
shrank from speaking of the day be,
fore. In another corner, In a rock.
ing chair--the only article approach.
ing comfort in the room-sat wo.
man, sad, pale and care worn, whose
attenuated features and suuken eyes,
betokened misery and want. In hel
hand she held an open bible, from
which she had been reading to her
boy when | raped. Ahl here, too,
the Sabbath comes with its bless gs,
thought /, as marked the look oil
loving trust, in that pale care-worn
face.
The graceful ease with which she
welcomed me, convinced me that
she had not always lived amid scenes
like these. After some conversation,
during which l related to her my
meeting with her boy the day pre-.
vious, and told her of the deep inter.
est he had awakened in me, offer
ed, as delicately as possible--for
saw that hers was sensitive nature
that shrank from speaking Of its
sorrows and trials--to render them
all the assistance in my power If she
with her ron, would leave that
wretched man, who was no longer o
husban i, father nor provider.
NO." said she, lifting her fearful
eyes to me, this cannot do. !
promised to love and cling to him
while lived, and will do 1t. And
besides, sir, he was not always thus
He was one Of the kindest, truest
noblest, and best of husbands and fa.
theirs, beloved and respected by all. -
And. sir, ii was not by the lew and
vile that be was led into temptation
but, sad as Is the truth, by those
high In authority. Yes, 1t was at the
public dinners of our City Father.
that he acquired love for drink. :
He ut first refused the glass repeat
edly offered him, but at length yield
ed, which has since been his ruin
Never had woman better HUSBAND
than /, until his dreadful fall. Hav,
ing once given himself up TO drink
he lost all self control, business ant
home were neglected! From oul
beautiful home we were obliged I,
go-going down and down until w,
IL