Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-05-09
SWEEP. SWEEP !

SWEEP. SWEEP!
Il fifteen years ago to-day since the oc-
currence write of took place IN the city ol
Philadelphia.
Nv reader must accompany me 10 what
poyeIist- are In the habit of calling - the
abode of ~aualor' Now, the abode of
-.ual.r IS the reverse of pleasant. 1t Is
LaBnteI Ly yermin. and well-bred dog, or
even cat would -corn to pick upa bone there
Fancy -ickeu, at it and You do not meet
Fashion there. Death oyerhangs 1t, ready
Go lower his ~cythc. Poverty. easer-toothed
aud emacmtel. shows It's CHASTITY face, lurk-
ius IN It's corners. Sin /, there, because y
norince and want are there and among It's
shadows turks the dark, turtiye brow OF
crime.
In no room 10 the horrible tcnelnent-house
-a sort of excrc-cence that seemed to have
grown up without hands, much as an ugly
fungus might. and surrounded by other fun
Il as hideou~-wa~ there more utter despair
aud misery than in that where dwelt Mich
ae West. wooden toymaker.
lie had come To- be- that. though the son
af gentleman. Mrs. West, his adymo
er. lctt wealthy hy the father of Michael, IN
the lads layiood. had married second
time. ail died. Her viii bad made her sec
oui husband guardian oi the then sunny
faced and handsome boy, who. at the age of
tweuty-,ne, was TO receive, SO read the will,
Wo-tairl- of the property. till then in
charge Of Sertimus Greyson.
Bat with the death of his Young and
beautiful mother had commenced the sor-
Tow, of tbe sensitive and talented boy. for
Neptiml~ Grcys3n, who had succeeded in de
reiying lHciac. 5 mother rs To his true char
leter. was that meane-t and most despicahlc
of all elrth's creatures-a miSer.
Il wa~ not long before he removed the boy
from school, and on his return began the
~--y comedy, which he continued from that
time forth to perform during the remainder
ot his riScally existence.
t',all gone, my lad" began Septimus
nuey~5u. in lachrvmoSe tones. when the boy
arrived " When the lawyers came To ex-
anime into matters, they found that every
shilling was gone. I shall have enough Of
what va- mine before to keep soul and body
together, and you must be- apprcnticed to
learn % trade"
Learn trade 4 lad reared in luxury
and delicate in frame, with 4 mind that
already a,pired beyond the stars, for Mich
.'.D
h.5 '''y-'l ,lIIlgI out nis Intention;
guy que .e'ii''5 '''e pi,'ii'i'' " 'il olu
49,, '"l->" '.' -.liA'I' VINO iilu CONE rom
carving the pretty cottages, goats, chamoi-,
ana -..'A.'-, 'l.i' 'i'se ol MS country are
Ni''u' il' iii'
N1. ''''I '''l 'li'i'lel " e7' ""s ''''-e
vas -''''',' ia Ms >,i'''ii} ~ 'o,iis''
'l'y sun b, l' INN in liio liiNeI'lole louSiiS
"l''' '""el' 9'll, unue' lIe'ense oi eA-
ue"e I3'SI'y' ana hiaGe ll great merit
,.i"' A' a'i NOT require MN 10 lsiy h'aIu.
nus it'I holi'e was To keep Mlchaei uhuer
.i' eye Tor ne always feared ihat ON reach
ih- manhood the Wronged aud Wretched son
'i ihe woman he had 50 9hameiully deceived
""nli make inquiries concerning the prop
erty -eit hy her, and a day OF reckoning be
'r'ushtahout
Ihe mills oi the gods grind slowly.
lel day came when the Voice that all men
lear called % septmuS "rey-on-the voice
l death
In the meantime his mama for gold had
'ei INN deeper and deeper INTO degradation,
ana 1t was an the wretched tenement-house
whittier have led You that, haunted by
every ghasily 'isitant that stands beside the
unworthy who have made bad use oi Eod 5
gracious git ol life. Sepumus ureySon,
the lnlSer, sa~ped ont hl> breath in male
dictlon-
One wlthered hand-and yet the man 5
years were but sixty stretched itsell, as
he endea1ored 70 speak, toward thechimney,
and with mad and eager geSticulation, he
summoned Michael % his side.
Bat the effort made by him whom he had
wronged to catch the last words of his agony
was useless. The frantic gesture that point
ed at the chimney was all that he could
r.mprehend, and that he supposed to be
some whim of illness, OF the feeble flicker Of
900 exhausted intellect.
Struggling thus, hrld, hideous, and with
nothing of the loveliness Of Christian death
about him. Septmus Greyson died, and no
tear fell for him-no, not one
The body was removed in the miserable
coffin that was all Michael Westcould afford,
even when the sale of a pine table, some
rroekery and a portion Of the old mans
wearing apparel had been effected. And
now. poorer than ever. because the food he
ate must bee paid for, besides frewo0d and
clothing, Michael West sat ON the morning
when the reader first discovers him, his head
res ting on his clinehed hands, death in his
soul, and despair in his eyes.
Suddenly, as IL to make the hideous abode
silll more ike the bolQie Of Dante, d" Infer
no, a loud angry voice at the door OF his
room broke out into cursing
lt was the voice of old Nadge Holmes, the
woman who rented out the miserable lodg-
ng>, that were 50 poor defense against the
oild blast that many an immortal soul had
flown through the wide cracks in the gaping
boards. and gone to ask Of God the meaning