Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-03-28
OUT OF WI RK.

OUI OE WI I'm.
"It's no use, Maria, I have tried
everywhere"
"But you are not going to give it up,
Peter?"
"Give up How can help it?
Within four days I have been to every
book bindery in the city, and not bit
of work can I get."
"But have you tried anything else p"
What else can try?"
"Why, anything that you can do"
eyes. I've tried other things. I
have peen to more than dozen of my
friends, and offered to help them if
they would hire me-"
"And what did you mean to do for
them?"
"I offered either to post their ac-
counts, make out bills, or attend to the
counter"
Mrs. Stanwood smiled as her hus-
band thus spoke.
"What makes you smile ~ he asked.
"To think that you should have i'm
agined that you would find work in
such place. But how is Mark Leeds?"
"He is worse off than am"
Chow SO ?"
"He has nothing in his house to
eat."
A shudder crept over his wife's frame
now.
"Why do you tremble, wife?"
1,on
our breakfast tomorrow morning, we
shall have nothing"
"What ?" cried Peter Stanwood, half
starting from his chair. "Do you mean
that ?"
CT do"
"But our -four ?"
"All gone. L baked the last this
afternoon.
"But we have pork?"
"You ate the last this noon."
"Then we must starve !' groaned the
stricken man, starting across the room.
Peter Stanwood was a book binder by
trade, and had now been out of en-
ployment about month. He was one
of those who generally calculated to
keep about square with the world, and
who consider themselves particularly
fortunate if they keep out of debt. He
was now thirty years of age, and had
three children to provide for. besides
himself and wife, and this together with
house rent, was heavy draught upon
his purse, even when work was plenty,
but nowhere was nothing.
Maria" said he, stopping and
gazing his wife in the face, "we must
starve. I have not single penny in
the world"
"But do not despair Peter. Try
again tomorrow for work. You may
find something to do. Anything that is
honest is honorable. Should you make
but a shilling day, we should not
starve."
"But our house rent?"
"Trust to me for that. The land
lord shall not turn us out. If you will
engage to find something to do, I will
see that we have house ROOM"
"I'll make one more trial" muttered
Peter, despairingly.
"But you must go prepared to do
anything"
"Anything reasonable, Maria"
"What do you call reasonable ?"
"Why-anything decent"
She felt inclined to smile, but the
matter was too serious for that, and a
cloud passed over her face. She knew
her husbands s disposition, and she felt
sure he would find no work. She knew
that he would look for some kind of
work, which would not lower him in the
social scale, as he had once or twice ex-
,nrocca1 ~ Homaunr ho 1,oor- u
would be of no use to say anything to
him now, and so she let the matter
pass.
On the following morning, tho last
bit of food in the house was put on the
table. Stanwood could hardly realize
that he was penniless and without food.
For years he had been gay, thoughtless,
and fortunate, making the most of the
present, forgetting the past, and letting
the future take care of itself. Yet the
truth was naked and clear; and when he
left the house, he said, something
must be DONE"
No sooner had her husband gone,
than Mrs. Stanwood put on her bonnet
and shawl. Her oldest child was a Cir
eleven years old, and her youngest four.
She asked her next door neighbor if
she would take care of her children
until noon. These children were known
to be good and quiet, and they were
taken cheerfully. Then Mrs. Stanwood
locked up her house and went away.
She returned at noon bringing some
dinner for her children, and then she
went away again. She came home in
the evening before her husband, carry
ing a heavy basket upon her arm.
"Well, Peter" she asked, after her
husband had entered and sat down,
''what luck ?"
"Nothing nothing - be groaned. "I