St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-02-02
The Pauper's Funeral.

basement. annually yield Il noiSomc crop
of crime: for the thieves that hTk in
their foul corners are daring. desperate
men and women.
Ii affords haIntS and hiding places
for over twenty thousand thieves, beg
garS. rod%rrS, trImpS, coStcrmougcrS.
small shopkccperS, and others; and
within the gloomy radius eighty three
public houses pour their liquid fire up
on the imilammablc human mass that
Sccthcs about them.
Yet. in the midst of this mass of
wrrtchcdncss and vice, il is good to
know that eight years ago one man
(>inyle-handcd them dared to maugu-
rate Il conflict between good and evil
and like good soldiers. undauntcd hy
difficulties. he and the little band hr has
rallied rnund him still fight hraNelN ON.
upheld 10y Il measure of success.
out changing the clangor of the sun
day market. and the conflicting noises
of Grldcn-lanc. the bell of the CoStcrS'
Mission house is heard, ringing ont its
sabbath call t" the wicked. the weary.
the heavy laden. to come and learn GOd'S
way of pardon and of peace. And with
the echo of the Sunday bell ringing in
my recollection. had OCCASION. on the
hcginnn" of one week. to visit GuldrIi-
lane. Amidst the uniia%rant groves of
ragged garments. diS$onant sounds ot
>hrcWi>h tongues. drunken Gihc>. wall
ING children. wcndcd my way and is
/ | came near the door of the COStrrS
Mission house. Il touching sight met my
eyes. None t.,c less touching that ii is
common HS sorrow. only Il paupcr
funeral one solitary mourncr follow ing
I''Nith tlltcrimg Footsteps.
This m0urncI' WAS II fair haired girl OF
irttccu "r sixteen Nr;IS of age. llcr
peculilr national costume. very Srnnty
an,t thread hare told that she WIS truly
/ Il stranger in strange. land and friend
. less. hopeless. homeless. were ail too
clearly inscribed on her Young face
Following ut Il little distance. | watched
my opportunity to speak Il word of SYM
pathl To the heart of the h"rclNcd.
The cemetery WAS some distance of,
and before we reached the spot. tn,
brief burial service of the pauper had
been hurried over: but the mourmcr VA,
iii time to look once more upon the coffin
tina; hcld the silent heart that had once
beat warm for her Then the glaN,
'llSotI ~llp\''lit'l INV VII u 't'N u WI ~
and H. she watched her dead buried ont
of her sight. sh" pressed her hands "I
her breast. a> though to still the throl
hingS of her sore heart.
The last sh"Nclfll "fcalth WAS stamp.
cd upon the grave. hut still the poor
girl stood motinnlc,>. gazing at the iI,'-l
mound at her feet.
''G" home like Il good girl," said tn,
Il /. L..
lay familiarity with this form of sorrow
''G" nome. and don't take on. Frrttin
don't d" II" good. 1t don't bring 'lra,
FOLKS to life: do it. now -
Still the girl stood rs one Spcll-h"rlnd
Move ON. my girl" said the man. il
Il louder tone. and lay ing his hand "I
her shoulder as il to rouSr her. "ThcS,
here gates has t" he locked artcr YOU
50 the sooner you goes thc better for al
parties"
Now WAS my time. ''COmC with me.
said. taking her hN the hand and lead
ing her gently hut firmly away. Blu
when we stood outside the gates of tn,
cemetery. She turned to gaze Yet agair
on the spot where she had left all Sh'
had of best and dearest. and Strct"hin:
ont her arms imploringll. with an cN
rccding great and bitter cry. she called
in the language of her own land ''MnthcI
mother" and all her pcnt-up s"lrov
had its way. She wcpt umdi~turl"d
and. for the most piIt in silence. We lc
turned to oIi, of the uarroWc~t courts il
Goldcm-lanr Ipa steep, dark stair ",
climbed thrn up crazy ladder, tlI
led To an attic. The girl unlocked tn
door. and v, entered. 1t waS = Yer
rhccIlr>$ place. \ few Struggling ray
of light found their way through tn
cracked pnmcS of Il TINY window III tn
roof. and served to show the Sordi
details of the room. \ fireplace, tina
could 10y no possibility hold more tha
u small handful of fuel. hc the day eve
50 cold Il Wrctchcd ilock-hrh, Wit
Scanty covering one "r tW" coarse III
ticlc> ofcrockrrA : 4 hattrIrd iii kettle
Il small wooden chest numhcIlr.~ chnk
in the floor, Sl"piu% roof. and ceiling i'
the winds t" >iil through. hlc.rk nm.t,
nights.
The lonely ,rn;lt "i' Tia" attic. lit h
lit. told mo 4 p"Itinn OF hen hi>t"r!
hircing the fragments together. here
Is III hici outline ont i'll the tr,
open country, in Il Swedish h0mcStca,
t. the happicst Years of her life were pas
cd. But when She. liulla, WAS tourtcc
Years "f age, evil days dawmcd upon I'll
little household. The terrible Sor,
throat came. and three little sisters Wei
buried in one grave. and there was onl
IIulda and the baby boy Hams. LET
J. Then the husband and father fell in Wit
bad companions. who hl degrees cmticc
him to join them in their guilty pra,
ticrS. The work of the little farm W:
neglected. Home was neglected. ri
old innocent pursuits lost their charm
The unhappy mn was bound in Il
!, awful captivity of sin. One evening |
returned home late. Heavily and
o silence. with head bowed on his hrcaS
T. he seated himself lay the stove. ri
anxious wife spoke gentle words +" hin
but an impatient gesture was his onl
' reply. and the poor woman turned ="
rnwtully away to seek what rest 81
l. might upon her tear-Staincd pillow.
e The hours dragged ON. still she lister
cd in vain for the sound of her husband
e heavy foot on the stairs. At last 81
resolved. even at the IiSk of anger il
q him. to steal to his side and try to il
ducr linn to 90 to rest. Softly she cl
tered the kitchen-hc was not thcI
She searched the house. calling hi
L loudly by name. but all in vain. He W
p, gone Morning hroadened into da
still he did not return. The friend
ncighhorS. scattering themsclvesahroa
n. searched the country far and near, IL
gained II" tihings of the fugitive. The
after the lapse of some days, they hea
that robbery had been committed ,
il great house Il few miles of, and nmol
Othcrs sllspicinm fell on uuldn'S tnth