Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1873-12-13
A Woman at the Bottom
of It. q

*kgsSt
,EE r. o tell the TRUTH said John Hav
AVA Hand, as he threw aside the eve
IA ming paper and faced the little |
~ p group in the parlor. Il ann fast |
growing out or patience with this text
"a Woman at the Bottom of IT. 1t |
would be strange In this world. made l
up, as far as we are aware, Of nothing |
but the two sexes, IL q woman would |
not occasionally he found at the bottom |
of any thing gooi! 1t is the injustice |
of the thing that makes me angry
Now there are hundred OF ms poor fell |
lows who owe all we are, all we have,
and all we can hope to become, in this |
world or the next. to the unselfish love
of women es.s
The gentleman's face was flushed and
he spoEe very warmly and feelingly, so
much 80 that his wife, rocking her baby
to sleep in the farther corner of the |
room, Inquired:
But why should you care. John? 1t |
has always been SO, and always will be |
so. We don't think much about it now
because we have been taught to expect |
it,
But you should care, you should
f1ht for each other more than you do.
There is one chapter in=my life's history
thot have always kept locked in my
heart, but tonight / feel as If 1t were
| my duty to open it for yourinspection
and 1 do it for the love of woman-forl
the love Of one woman who made me
what am worthy TO be, the husband
of good woman II
why, joint said Mrs. Haviland,
softly approaching babe still held tfghtl
to her bosom-tyou absolutely frighten
me- s- Z b
Let's have the story said the rest of
the gronp, certain that something good
| might be anticipated, and John COM
menced, at first little timid, but gain
ing confidence as he proceeded.
when first came to New York, at
the age of twelve years, to seek my for-1
ltune,1 can call myself "A pfecocious
/ chap without danger of being accused
| Of an unusual degree of sself-apprecia-
tion. j wi as quick to learn everything,
the bad as well as the good. My ems
ployer used profane language. ! picked
up the oaths he dropped with natural
ness that surprised even myself. The
boys In the Office all chewed tobacco
This was q little the hardest, job ever
attempted, but after two long weeks of
nausea and indescribable stomach
wrenchings, came off victorious, and
jcoald get away. with my paper day
with the best of t,em.' ~
sTrue, every word Of it, continued
the speaker.
IsOne afternoon was sent with note.
from my employer to house in the np-
Iper part of the city. L hadn't anything
to read, but had plenty of tobacco, and
with that proposed to entertain myself
during. the two or three hours must
spend in the passage. For some dis
tance did not notice who were beside
Ime, but by -an1-by a lady said very soft
tfy and pleasantly HWoald you please,
little boy. be more. careful, l. am going
to party this afteFno0n, and Eshould
hate to have my. dress spoiled.
q looked into her face.r 1t was the
sweetest face I ever saw. Pale, earnest
and loving, to my boyish heart it was
the countenance Of an angel.
| what in the world die you say?' In
! iterrupted Mrs.. Havfland, hcr. bri ght
eyes filling with tears, as she saw how
the memory of that beautiful woman af-
'eesss essssa m9;s There vas YER, aitsae more /
could say. I think all did for some
time was to look. managed to dispose
Of the tobacco, however, and wiped my
mouth very carefully, all of which I
felt certain she saw asfd mentally COM
mented upon.' -
-Is .Haye you a mother, little boy r, she
next asked in the same low tone.
NO, ma'am, / answered, and I felt
my throat filing up, and 1 knew must
awallow mighty fast to keep fros sob
bfng. t4-.l.-7.-... -. 49,
you have father, then. I suppose! p
she kept on. siix .-iia r.
mo ma'am, no father.
Brother and sister p ;.a
Neither, ma'am.' .rs4. -: Il. ~
4 Then the little boy is all alone in the
world? p ..5.3... 80. :. ,.,-ss.. s
sAli alone, ma'zm.' ~ y
! 2 How long has his mother been dead p
| and the dear woman looked away from
my face, and waited till Icould speak.
Two years. sii =
4 And You loved hegf'~4x -
Dearly, was all + could say. . Z;
sShe was silent moment, and then
3sald SO sweetly-oh! I shall never for
: get it, l.,.:si ..i4 :. sssss,9e. - snsI
sAnd what do you think your sdea,
Imother would say-how do you thinh
she wo uld feel to know that her little
boy was guilty of such a disgusting
T habit as this p pointing to my cheek
where the telltale cud had vainly tried
to stand its ground. -taas5
+ 4 must leave now,' she continued
sbnt here is my card, and If you come tt
81 me most any evening, 1 shall be glad tt
see you, and perhaps we can be of Ser
Z vice to each other.'-as ! sfa ri
tShe gave me her. little gloved hand
land to my dying day shall never for
get the sensation of that moment.
could not bear to part with her; withou
% I her I felt that I could do nothing
: her I could grow to q mans estate
= man in the truest sense of the word
1t From that moment tobacco never passet
- my lips ~ b ai-l ;.7,,;a 7s.gl - =,
sAs soon as could Summon courage
kI,ok l,.I< VNou1 f<H~ -
lmembery how mysfeartsbeat % Ewafted
ia the elegant parfof for her to com
p down; and how awkward i felt as fol
lowed my guide to her private sitting
:. room. Her she got at every point of m,
!, life, and before / bade her goodbye
Is was arranged that / should spend tw
riIeyenings Of each week at her house an
3 stndy ON these occasions just what 'sh
.n thought. best. -, io .,i..ss- II. Il .c5.5
ht meeting with the mistress of his hear
any more ardently than did to thes
meetings with my friend. II - s,'.a.,
ch Il grew careful Of my personal ap
pearance, careful of my conversation
1T and strove in every way to be worthy {
Y this noble friendship. Two years passe
in this delightful manner-two year
60 that made me. My. friend not only Al
tended to my studies, striving also a
Lnc WUti6 W SOW- tuC Ti&ftt ANU VI Spll
itual seed, but she procured me a bus
ness situation with a particular friend {
hers, where / remain to this day. Nc
re body but God knows what owe tn
woman; During the last three montf
ne of those two years, L noticed that 81
n grew constantly pale and thin; 81
/; never was betrayed into speaking Of he
self. Sometimes when l would ask h,
If she felt worse than usual, she woul
reply :sy ..a.4.z -. ,,...s5
'Oh, no! am ouly a little tired, tn
,eir is all.' ..,.,. .gs a,sef ... ~ 5i'. i
(. 'One evening she kept me by her so
H much longer than was her ,custor
while she arranged lessons, and laid o
,re work enough, it seemed to me,r for Sc
- eral months. .sfasIs .nX.rrs-
eth + why SO much to-night?' p 4 inquire
conscious that my heart ached, al
vaguely suspeoting the cause.
Because, DEAR She answered, q
:" not want youto come for the hext wee
the and ann anxious that you should ha
sufficient work to anticipate, as well
o"' to keep you busy. Ithink that c.
son trust you to be a good boy, JohnP'
l. =