Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1874-02-03
Whole No. $50.

nothink to eat for long time, and
it was goin' on awful. Then, when
l got some grub, thought if put
il down on the table, and set 1t
afore me with my mouth open,
per'aps the tiger d see it, and come
up and fetch it. / was almost
frightened out O. my life as wait
ed for it !; for never seed it, sir,
and l don't know what it's like.
But it wouldn't come it knows it's
book, the tiger does / waited
till ! was Il a. faint that / could
'ardly move, and ] was forced to
send the grub down to it.
never tried that move agin, sir"
told her was sorry to here
that she had been unfortunate late
ly. She nodded her head with an
air of weary resignation.
at can't be 'elped, sir, I s'ppose.
A good many societies as sprung
up, and they're agin me, think.
o, yes, sir, we know all about 'em.
1t warn't very long ago that / was
walkin' long way from 'ome, with
some matches in my 'and thort
I'll try my luck where nobody
knowed ME. A gentleman stopped
and spoke to me. You're beggin','
he said. / didn't deny it, but l
didn't say nothin' for fear O. the
peelers. It's no use your comm
ere he said we've got a society
in this neighborhood, and we don't
give nothink to the poor. Go and
work Then he went on to tell
meas if / cared to 'eer i'm! but
he was one as liked to 'eer ITSELF
talk-that it was sich to me as was
the cause of every thing that's bad.
Well, sir, that made me open my
eyes, and l couldn't 'elp arising i'm
, if it was bad for me to try and git
bit O bread for my baby; but he
got into sich passion that l was
, glad to git away from i'm. Anoth-
Ell gentleman persuaded me to 60
to orfice where they looked arteI
r the likes O. me. went. and when
they 'eerd me out, they'd make
: inquiries, and it come to the old
a thing that I've 'eerd over and over
2 and over agin. They said they'd
t do something for me if I'd leave
Tom but when they spoke agin
(: i'm l stood up for i'm, and they
: got angry, and said was no good.
a Then another party as / went to
, said they'd take my child-whicll
l 'ad no business to ave, they said
if | liked, and that they'd give me
ten shilling's to set me up in a
stock of somethink to sell for my
livin'. Part with my child :" ex-
claimed Blade-o'-Grass, snatching
the little one to her lap, and look
ing around with fierce fear, as if
enimies were present ready to tear
her treasure from her. "Sell my
cart for ten shillings {! You're a
parson, sir, and l put it TO you.
What do you say to partin' mother
and child |"
What could say! Twas dumb.
"Then sir" continued Blade
o'-Grass, driving her hard nails
home, "if / was one o. them un-
natural mothers as don't care for
their children, and took the OFFER
'ow about the ten shillin's to set me
up in a stock O somethin' to sell
What do the peelers say to a gal as
tries to sell anythin' in the streets /?
Why, there amt inch O. flagstone
as she's got right to set 'er foot
on And as for the kerb, as don't
belong properly to nobody, and's
not wanted for them as walks or
them as rides, why, gal daren't
stand on it to save 'er life ! And
that's the way it goes, sir; that's
the way it goes But / beg your
pardon, sir. I'm wanderin' away
from what l come for, and I'm
a-takin' up your time"
$50 on, my poor girl" said
''let me know what / can do for
you"
at ain't for me, sir; it's for my
baby"
"What can do for her, the poor
little thing" | asked, pinching the
child's cheek, who showed no pleas
ure, however at my caress there
dwelt in her face an expression Of
mournfulness which was native to
her, and which nothing could re-
move. "What can / do for her 7"
"Pray for 'er !" implored Blade
o. Grass, with all her soul in her