Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-04-02
MY PRAYER.

I'm not cock-sparrow with nest In
a waterspout, and my half-dozen young
ones tucked up warm in amongst hay,
and wool, and hair, with new suit O.
clothes growing out o. their skins-best
o. quality, best O. fit, and certain to
come again regularly every year at
moulting time. Yictuals, too, in plenty
waiting to be fetched from hundreds of
doors In the shape of crumbs.
No: I'm not cock-sparrow but,
pom my word, I've been ready some
times to envy the birds hopping about
in the cutters when I've been down, and
stood In some quiet corner off the noisy
street, listening to their chipping and
twittering. They've seemed so different
to me. and to have such al easy time of
it. No rent to pay no need to trouble
themselves about anything; only got to
take peck here and peck there, and
then find corner where the wind don't
blow, tuck your head under your warm
wing, and then go to sleep.
You see things had gone hard with me
for long time. Some people, who are
given TO talking great deal and think
ng very little, say that man has only
to be industrious to get on. If ever
there was a mistake, it's this, and for
the simple reason that for every bit of
work that wants doing there are half-a-
dozen men waiting to do it, although
it's only enough for one. I'd tried as
hard as any man could try, but it all
seemed thrown away, that trying of
mine, and it used to be quite a matter
of course for me to go home and find
The wife looking pale, and trying very
hard to make believe that there was
nothing the matter, when all the time
there had been some upset while To
been away.
Now it wa the landlord who had been
to say that We must turn out. Another
day one of the little ones-Dick that
was, little curly haired chap-had run
his head against the saucepan of water
his mother was taking off the fire, and
was scalded horribly. Only week had
gone by, and went home to find lilly
down with measles, and for the mex
month I'd only got to go home, and fine
first one and then another down, till WI
had regular sick house, and all thu
time me out of work.
They say it never rains but it pours
and so found it. We'd hardly got tn,
last one through the sickness, befor
poor Polly slipped on the stairs, fell
and that night / came home light-heart
ed and happy, as 1 hadn't been TO
months, to find my poor girl lying dow
and looking very white and drawn o
face.
"Why, Polly" says, "whit is j
now % and ran to the bedside, and GO
hold of her hand as it lay on the coun
terpane.
Nothing much, Dick, only feel
bit faint. slipped o. the stairs-bet
ter soon."
She said no more, fer all her time wa
taken up with trying to keep her poo
face from working, and contriving t
hide from me the agony she was in
1t did not need that though, for as
told you 1 took hold of her hand, whe
a horrible sickly sensation came owe
me. the room swan round, and the grea
drops of perspiration stood on my fore
head, because of the pain knew mus
be giving her, as the arm l lifted cam
ND In a strange, awkward way, maxim
me in my horror let it fall directly bac
on to the bed.
Poor Polly and she trying to hid
all her suffering from me, for her arr
was broken.
cit might have been worse. she sale
smiling, after ] had got doctor to com
and set it. at might have been worse
Dick" she said. Suppose it had bal
nened and you without work ]"
For I had been telling her of my luc
in getting taken ON ajob of road-nakint
but seeing how weak and Ill she wa
and in what trouble with pain, hadn
the heart to tell her where