St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-07-17
fnr Mr Children.
The Chained Host ;


barren districts O1 the west Oh ireland
lived a very poor widow, whose sole
Inheritance from her husband were two
healthy children. girls, of the respect
i've ages of three and five. Painfully,
and by the utmost effort, she had con
trivcd to pass two years of her SOrroW-
tul wid"whood. Bad and scanty food,
obtained only 10y Labor too great for her
delicate frame. had at last thrown her
upon her bed. and death. in pity, re-
moved her from her earthly troubles.
The poverty of the whole parish was
so great that nothing could be done for
the poor orphans. All the neighbors.
with the utmost desire to help, were too
famine stricken. and heard their own
children too often cry in vain for bread
to assist others.
''If the children could only be got to
kilburn. IL village some miles distant,
said one of the neighbnrs. after the
poor mother had been buried. IA broth
er of their father lives there. and he
could not possibly refuse to take care of
them"
''But matters are us bad there lis they
are here" replied another, land fear
they will he no better off there"
at cannot he possibly worse than
here. for nothing but starvation StarcS
them in the face. If We send them to
their relation. we have done ON duty.
We cannot possibly keep them here"
So Il carrier, who WAS going L" Xii
burn. aS an act of charity. took the two
girls Lizzie WAS seven now. and Mary
WAS .ive-in his cart with him. The
timid children kept very quiet and close
together. and the carrier hardly looked
at them. Towards noon they reached
the spot where the cart would turn off.
The man lifted them ont. showed them
the road t, the left. and babe them g"
straight forward, and if they did not
turn from the high road, they would
almost. in two hours. come to the place
He then drove of. The children s"hhed
out good-by. and looked after him -
long as they could see the least spcck
of the cart. and then they both began
to cry.
Lizzie ceased her CRYING first. She
took hold of her little sisters hand, VIII"
had seated herself ON the grass. and
said
Get up, Mary We must not stay
here if We wish to get to kilhurn. We
cannot stop here on the road"
Il am 50 hungry" sohhcd Mary.
ave have had nothing to eat all day"
And again they both began to cry, toI
Lizzie was equally hungry.
The children were very weak, and
could only drag themselves slowly
along Hand in hand they tottercd
along. At last Lizzie fancied she saw
II house, and pointed toward the spot.
But il took them more than il quarter
of an hour before they reached the
farmhouse. for such it proved to he.
With heSitating steps they entered the
yard, for they had never begged before
in spite of their former misery. But at
this moment they could think of moth
ing else but their terrible hunger. When
Il few steps from the house. they heard
the farmer violently scoldimg one of his
men. Then he went into the house,
tiercell closed the door after him, 50
as to make the windows rattle. con
tinuing his abuse all the time. The
children, terrified, stood still mt the
door until the voice had ceased. Then
Lizzie opened the door, and both chill
drcn entered. The farmer sat in an
armchair by the fire.
"Wcll, what do you want p he harsh
ly asked the children, who were too
frightened to utter word and to tell
their story.
Cant you speak ?" he asked more
roughly.
Lizzie at last took courage, and said
gently: ''Oh, if you would he so good
us to give lis the least little bit to eat -
Il small piece of bread or Il few pota
toes"
II thought So" shouted the farmer ::
81 was sure ynu were nothing but beg
garS, although You do not seem to be
long to this ncighborhood. We have
plenty of those here. and do not want
them to come from other parts. We
have not bread for ourselves in thcS,
hard times. lou will get nothing here.
Be off. this moment ~
The children, both terribly fright
cned, began to cry bitterly.
''That will not do you any good.
continued the man: that kind of whin-
ing is nothing new to me, and won't
move me. Let Your parents feed YOU
but they. II" doubt. prefer idling rather
than getting their living 10y honest
labor
"Our parents are both dead" said
Lizzie.
IL thought So" replied the farmer.
''Whcncver children are sent ont Ia
beg. their father and mother are always
dead. or at least their father. This is -
mere excuse for hcggirg. BE off, this
minute.
1--WE have not eaten II mOrScl the
whole day" pleaded Lizzie. I'VE are
50 tired that we cannot move ii step
If You would but give lis the least hit
to eat, We are 50 hungry"
Il have told you would not Beg
CARS get nothing here"
The farmer got up with tlneatenin"
look. Lizzie quickly opened the dool
and drew her sister with her. The
children again stood in the faImyard.
but knew not what to do. Suddenly
little Mary drew her hand from her
sisters clasp, and went to the other
side of the yard there was Il fierce dog
chained his dinner stood before him in
Il wooden basin and began t" eat with
the dog. Lizzie went nearer and SAW
that in the basin there WAS some liquol
IN which Il few pieces of bread and
some boiled potatoes were floating
She. likewise. could not resist she had
hut one feeling, that of the most gnaw-
ing hunger she took some of the bread
and potatoes and ate them grccdily.
The dog. not accustomed to such
guests, looked at the children full OF
establishment he drew back. then sat
down and left them his dinner. of which
he had eaten bur very little. At this
moment the farmer stepped into the
yard he wished to see whether the
children had really left. and then he
saw this singular scene. The dog WAS
noted for his ticrccuess. and feared alike