Connecticut western news., 1875-12-10

object. No doubt her friend, Martha Jones, who accompanied her from the factory as far as Tooley street, and whose parents were comfortably off, would lend her the money, which she could repay from her next weeks earnings. We'll, she thought she would do it, and the, she thought she would not.
 ''Better go at once," suggested itselt to her mind, and that so plainly and dis tinctly that she thought it must have been whispered to her. Again the words were uttered, and, if possible, more clearly than before. Trottie was ill doubt whether she really heard a voice, or whether it was merely fancy on her part, when she felt hand taken hers. She attempted to withdraw her own, but it was impossible. Without any pressure the hand seemed simply to clasp hers, but so cold and clammy was it that she shuddered as she felt it. And then she remembered, some years before, when she had seen her little brother, as he lay in his coffin preparatory to it him first on his forehead, and then, talk ing his hand, had kissed that also, re- marking at the same time how cold and
 
 at the present moment seemed that of a dead child's about her brothers age.
 Without being able to understand in what manner it was done, Trottie found the hand leading her through darkness so profound she could distinguish noth- ing whatever. All, too, was silent around her. Still she went on, gliding swiftly, without meeting with any i'm pediment, or without the dread of do- ing so. At length there appeared to be glimmer of light, as if from gas or lamp, which increased in clearness till she began to notice that there were ob- iects near her. These in their turn be- came more and more distinct, till she found herself, the dead hand holding her still, behind the counter in large pawnbroker's shop. To her surprise, neither of the shopmen appeared to notice her and she turned round to see who it was that held her hand, but she could soc neither the hand nor her own. On looking round the shop she found it contained three small compartments, like boxes, each having an occupant, with two of whom the two shopmen were busy completing loans. In the third was 0 respectable-looking woman, who remained silent till her turn came to be attended to. She kept her head turned somewhat aside, so that her fea- lures were not visible, and this was done in such a manner as evidently to show the wish to escape observation and no one could see her, for, as before stated, the shopmen were busy with two other customers, and Trottie herself felt Cho x,o cy oc,i I,1o AL,a o,,o rrrL< stood beside her and held her hand.
 And now it came to the woman's turn to be waited upon, who had so fxedly engaged Trottie's attention.
 "What can l do for you, ma'am 2'' said one of the shopmen.
 "I want half-a-crown on those," said the woman, putting something down on the counter, but Trottie could not see what, as the shopman stood between her and the woman.
 Taking up the article she had put down, the shopman carried them Ca pair of child's shoes) under the gaslight to examine them more minutely.
 "Ah, you may examine them as much as you please" said the woman; "they are very little worn; gave six shillings for them not long ago, and the boys only worn them on Sundays"
 Eighteen pence," said the shop man.
 "Eighteen pence won't do, said the woman.
 "Take them back, then," said the shopman, throwing them on the counter.
 "Say one-and-nine, said the woman.
 "Eighteen pence or nothing" replied the shopman.
 "I'l take the money," said the woman.
 The man now proceeded to tie to- gether the shoes and make out 8 ticket, and the dead hand drew Trottie from the shop.
 How it was she could not tell, but, without hurrying or making scarcely any movement, Trottie the next moment found herself in room overhead. It was fitted up in singular manner, with racks and shelves raised round it and in the center; and these were filled with objects of a most varied description, many of them folded up in cloths, while others were open to the eye, all having labels on them, and arranged in the neatest order. There were two men also in this room-one of them an as- sistant in the house, the other visitor. They were conversing together on some common subject when 8 noise was seemed to proceed from small cup board in the corner. The assistant went and opened the door, and there, on 8 shelf, he found evidently the same pair of shoes which had been pledged by the woman below. The man having inspect ed the ticket on them, took them to 8 shelf where number of other pairs of shoes about the same size were ar ranged.
 "How I do hate having to do with these things" said the man to his com panion.
 "Why7" he asked.
 "I don't like them; they all tell the same tale, ' was his reply. "There isn't one pair of the whole of these shoes on this shelf that hasn't been taken off the feet of the child of drunken mother. |"
 "How do you know that?" asked his companion.
 "A sober woman," he replied, "may be in distress, and bitter distress, too, but she will part with everything she has sooner than pawn her children s, clothes; while the drunken mother makes no scruple on the occasion, and in ninety-nine cases out of hundred be- fore half an hour has passed since she received the money every farthing of it is gone in the gin shop. It would be very curious to trace the stories of those families whose children's shoes are on that shelf Many tale of the most heartrending description would be found connected with them, and every portion of the misery endured, the fault of drunken mother. Now as to these very shoes," he continued, "I can tell the history of the woman who { Al,