Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-11-01
POOH JOE.

say be patient cbide them not,
But help them ''get a start "
POOH JOE.
Mary Lee was as decent woman
as the village could produce, but she
had brute of Il husband. Not con
tent with starving her and her child
with hunger and cold, he added in
suit to injury, and cowardly blows to
desertion and neglect Most of his
money was spent at the pubhc-house.
And those whom nature and solemn
VOWS would. prompt him to cherish,
were left to starve or beg But it
was not long, for Mary was not strong
ut best, and all this told powerfully
ON her slender frame, and brought
her to the gates Of death; happily for
her, they were also the gate of heav-
en-. But it was terrible struggle
for her to part with her darling boy,
for Joe had been the constant com
panion of all her griefs, and shared i'll
all her woes III fact, they were to
each other the only oasis that each
possesscd-all beside was sterile will
derness and, barren sand.
Their work during the day was TO
do anything to earn a crust OF bread
to keep them from starvation, and at
night to sit i'll dark, damp, dismal
room, and watch the pickering embers
in the CRATE till they died way, and
then to creep to an old straw mattress
that Law i'll the corner, and await the
coming of him whose very foat
should have had Music int a-coming
up the stairs" But oh the coming
the sad coming woes for the coming
They could bear the surly blast as it
howled around the house like hun
CRY wolf they could bear the snow
as it drifted in through the broken
windows, and wound around them
like winding sheet; they could bear
gaunt hunger that gnawed at their
hearts like II greedy bear; but the
football Of an incarnate devil, mad
dened with drink, sent thrill of hor-
ror through and through them, like
an intensified agony, and they chung
closer together, drew the thin bed
clothes tighter around them, and
awaited the fiery ordeal, But the
blacklist cloud will burst, and the
darkest night will give place to the
dawnin9 day.
But the partingl How could she go,
and leave her darling child to bear it
all himself, with no hand to shield
him, and no tender eye to watch over
him? Ali she would gladly have
cried, but could not, for life was fast
ebbing away, and the mortal struggle
was at hand. The only thought that
consoled her was that he would soon
follow; and the hollow cheek and
sunken eye that caused her so much
sorrow before, she now looked ut with
complacency and pleasure; and yet
the thought haunted her that per-
haps he might die alone, with no one
to hold his aching head or close his
sightless eyes. The struggle came at
last, and there she lay on pallet of
straw and Joe by her side He over
heard her Whispering something, and
laying his ear closer to her, Inc heard
the words, ''I coming, coming, com
ing !"
"Wherc are you going, mother?'
he said.
''To heaven, my boy"
please let me go with you.
II would take you in my arms If l
could, but God loves you, and will
send an angel for You soon" And
she cOnvulsively pressed him to her
bosom and died.
And when the husband came home,
drunk as usual, the horrible picture
presented itself to him of Il dead
mother embracing living child. The
scene sobered him, and he vowed to
do better, but alas! so much had the
demon drink got the mastery of him
that all his resolutions were like
ropes of sand. and few weeks found
him ut the inevitable alehouse; and so
thoroughly insensible did he become,
that he even sold the straw mattress
for a copper or two to buy drink.
Poor joel the old vigils were renew
ed, and then he felt what il was to
have no mother. Sometimes he was
overheard saying TO himself, Il wish
God would send the angel to take me
to heaven where mother is, for the
fire is nearly out, and Pm afraid to
stay in the dark, and it's so cold. "
Occasionally the neighbors took him
in, and ut other times he would hover
about the doors of public houses
waiting for his father
1t was fearful night. The frost
was keen and biting, the north wind
drove the drifting snow before 1t like
Il maddening fury; mothers drew the
window-blinds closer, children hud-
died together in bed and pitied man
or beast that might be out in the
blast.
Two gentlemen, going for the vii,
lage doctor, with lamps i'll their hands,
happened to shed ray OF light Cn
something like boy, sitting cover
ing against the doorstep OF an ale
house; there was the voice of noise
and revelry within, and high over al
was heard the well-known shout Of
Blackey Lee; the boy was JOel The
gentleman knew him well; a stranger
came up at the time, poked him gent
ly with the stick, and said, go home
to your mother, my lad.
"His mother is dead, sir, - said the
gentleman.
''And where is his father
That's him shouting so, and sing
ing"
s'Poor boy" said the stranger,
"well for him if he were dead, too. .
They took hold of his hand; it was
stiff and cold; they touched his face,
it was like ice; they took him-he was
dead.
He sat beside the ale-housc door,
Inc Algnt was ble3A, ana COlu, ana wiz,
His clothes were few, and this, and poor;
His feet were horn'd, his head was bare,
say, did an angel hover there
over that child:
His torn ropes Mapped before The blast
He spoke no word, nor wept, nor smiled;
The snowhakes kissed him - they passed
His hair hung Ger his halt-closcd eyes;
And still he look'd toward the skies.
The poor los. child.
We touch'd his hand, Twas cold anu chill,
lie spoke no word, nor wcpt, nor smiled;
We touch'd his cheek, twas colder It'll;
go home, 20 home" the stranger said
He'd gone, dear boy, for ne was deat.
The Grunkards child.
\ Jolly Euglishman writing III one
OF the London journals of the absurd
suggestion of somebody that at noon
on July 4, 1876, all the bells, cannons,
locomotive whistles, organs, trum-
pets, drums, and other musicsl instru-
ments i'll the United States, burst
forth III sounds of Joy and praise, has
this to say: But one thing is wanted
to make it perfect, viz: that every A
merican who, Mt the sound Of the whis-
tIaS Of IOcOnO+iva euoiues and other