Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1871-06-02
Romance of Real Life.

len years ago carpenter attached t
one of the theatres died, leaving wifi
and little daughter to get along as bes
they might. Tae mother struggled on
but sickness and hard times prostratec
the mother, and, unable to provide fo
her child, she allowed relation in rath
er better circumstances to take the chilc
to California. The mother got well anc
though nearly brokea-hearted at the los.
OF her little girl, she had but one Object
in life-the accumulation of money
enough to take her to .he far state thai
held her child. Through the long cold
winter she pinched and denied herself
all but the necessaries of ife. She had
boarded together over sixty dollars, and
kept her soul and body together, promis
ing herself the mpanionship of her lit,
tie darling anotherwinter. Butone blus-
tering night, with her numb fingers clasp
ing huge bundle of shop-work that a
down town store had furnished her, she
found herself too weak to walk, and
grudging the five cents, she took an av-
enue car. The poor old wallet that held
her treasure was produced, and after
paying her fare, deposited in fancied Sc
curity within her pocket again. Alas for
her, even that slim, miserable purse Of a
working woman was an object of attac-
tion to some soulless thief, for presently,
feeling for that precious possession, the
poor creature gasped forth she had been
robbed. The conductor probably in col
fusion with the scoundrel pickpocket,
roughly bid her "shut up and practice
none of her games to get money from
passengers on this car" In vain the wo-
man wept and begged him to try and get
her money back. however she thought he
could accomplish that. The conductor
got mad, and stopped the car and put
the woman of. Wild with her dreadful
trouble, the poor creature stood with her
bundle, half fainting on corner, when a
"Well, my friend, what's the matter with
you p caused her to look up and see a
bright forid face bent sympathizingly
upon her. She recounted her loss, pitt
fully 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
avowing his intention to help her a little,
took the heart-sick woman and her big
bundle home, to tenement house in El-
bridge street. There everything corrob-
Grated the woman's story, the letters re-
ceived from the humble relative the pict
ure of the mothers idol, little Annie.
and the hard working father who had
left her to misfortune the year before.
The gentleman convinced of the truth
and desert Of the woman, took out his
pocket-book and laying six ten-dollar
notes on the table said:
{" How soon could you start for Cali
fornia, my friend ?"
al would start to night if l COULD"
said the poor creature.
"Weil, returned the gentleman, "get
ready to start tomorrow. | 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 villain took from
you; | wish 1 could lay my hands on |
him. Saying this the gentleman point
ed to the $50 on the table and hastily |
left the astonished woman.
All night she questioned the evidence
of her own senses, but early morning |
brought tall, good natured fellow, who
took the grateful happy widow to a
steamer bound for California. She wept
and begged to know the name of her
benefactor, sending back to him her
soul-feIt thanks.
"My names Marks" said the factotum
of charity, "apd you can pray for the
best hearted man in New YORK, and |
that's my boss"
Away went the man, away went the
vessel, away went the widow.
In due time she reached California,
and her little Annie. In due time a
gell-to-do citizen of the Pacific slope
married the widow, and last summer,
with the frst-born and several later borns
ihe family visited New York. Upon
Broadway the lady saw a face that had
ived in her memory those many event
ul years. She turned and followed the
gentleman up the street, and as one af-
er another she saw the passers-by salute
Ter benefactor, sudden thought struck
Ter. She stopped man who had bowed
o the unknown, steaming along. "Who
; that gentleman ?" she hurriedly asked,
md the answer was, Joseph Bowling,
Judge Of the Special Sessions"
The statistics nrove that n Handsome