Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1875-12-25

but you can't hclp it. And when
r she's gone, | shan't make you q
fashionable wife, but we shall be
very happy together"
. Turning from this scene, Trottie
witnessed another still more pain.
full. A girl about thirteen years OF
age was endeavOring to drag her
father from the gin shop. He re.
sisted, however, all her cndeavors,
and the poor girl cried bitterly.
And then a quarrel took place be-
tween him and sailor, and o fight
ensued. The sailor was by far the
; most powerful of the two, his ad-
versary being evidently of u weak,
dilaridoted constitution, apparently
a workman in one of the numerous
factories in the neighborhood of
Whitechapel.
In short time the sailor had so
great an advantage over his adver.
sary as to prove that the latter had
not the slightest chance against him.
He had got the wretched man
against the wall and was pommcl.
ing him in the most terrific manner,
the poor child screaming violently
and begging the bystanders to in
tcrfere or her father would be kill
ed. The genius Of the place, how
ever, was dominant at the time,
and no one offered to rendered any
assistance or to part the combat.
ants; on the contrary, they called
out for fair play, the sailors cheer
ing their companion, while those of
the workman's party advised him
to stand up and show himself a man.
at last the poor wretch fell, utterly
senseless and exhausted, on the
ground, his face covered with blood.
Some of the bystanders evidently
thought he was dead, and advised
the sailor to dceamp as rapidly rs
as possible. He took their advice
and left the place. The landlord of
the house then sent for the police,
and the poor girl remained by the
side of her father, crying in a most
pitiable manner. Here, it is true,
many offered to console her, but
even their consultations were mixed
up with the odious influence of that
locality.
"Come, cheer up, my gall" said
one man; "your father will he all
right as soon as he's got the police to
take care of him. Here. take q drop;
it'll do you good" and he placed
some gin to the girls lips, but she
pushed it away with horror.
AT last the police arrived, and
the man was placed upon stretch.
er. One of them then asked where
he lived, and the girl told him.
"What a shame!" said the police
man to the landlord, "for you to al
low the man to have got so drunk
in your house."
$50 it is," said woman, who
now seemed to exhibit some kind
feeling towards the girl, and who,
had she not been in such a locality,
might have been considered respect
able. "lts shame, for he is
Woodworking man enough, if he
had his way; but it's places like
this that tempt him in. Why, the
man spent as much money here to-
night as would feed his family half
week, and they're pretty well
starving at home."
The policeman now carried off
the man on the stretcher, and the
dead hand drew Trottie after them.
They had hardly quilted the
threshold of the house when TrOt-
tie noticed woman approaching.
The dead hand now held Trottie
stationary, and as the woman came
nearer Trottie began to recognize
her as the same she had seen in the
pawnbrOke shop. Onward she
came toward the gin shop, and just
as she was about to enter Trottie
found, to her intense horror, that
she was no other than her mother.
She implored her not to enter, but
her words seemed unheard. She
then stood before her to impede her
way, but her mother seemed to pass
through her as if she had been !
spirit, and unaware of her presence,
and then to enter the gin shop.
Trottie, in despair, attempted to ut
ter violent scream.
"Why, Trottie, W hats the matter
with you ?" said little Katie, her
bedfellow; "what ails you to night
One would think you were being |
il, g., I,