The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-11-09
rnE LoaFoF BREAD.


An unfortunate Lyonese, the father of
a family, was deprived of work by the
depressed state of his trade during whole
winter. 1t was with great diff
Guilty that he could get morsel of food
now and then for his famished wife and
children. Things grew worse and worse
with him, and at length on attempting
to rise one morning, for the purpose of
going out, as usual, in quest of employ
ment, he fell back in fainting condition
beside his wife, who had already been
confined to her bed by illness for two
months. hti2 t"a'-- =
The poor man felt himself i'll, and his
strength utterly gone. He had two
boys, yet in mere childhood, and one
girl about twelve or thirteen years old.
For long time the whole charge of the
household had fallen on this girl. She
had tended the sick bed of her mother,
and had watched over her little brothers
with more than parental care. Now,
when the father too was taken i'll, there
seemed not to be vestige Of hope for
the family, excepting in the exertions
which might be made by her, young as
she was.
The first thought of the poor little
girl was to seek for work proportioned to
her strength. But that the family might
not starVe in the meantime, she resolved
to go to one of the Houses of Charity,
where food was given out, she had heard,
to the poor and needy. The person to
whom she addressed herself accordingly
inscribed her name in the list of appli-
cants, and told her 10 come back again In
a day or two, when the case would have
been deliberated upon. Alasl during
this deliberation, her parents and brothers
would starvel The girl stated this, but
was informed that the formalities men,
toned were Indispensable. She came
again to the streets; and almost agonized
by the knowledge how anxiously she was
expected with bread. at home, she re-
solved to ask charity from the passengers
in the public ways.
No one needed the most unobtrusive
appeal of her outstretched hand. Her
heart was too full to permit her to speak.
Could any one have seen the torturing
anxiety that filled her breast, she must
have been pitied and relieved. As the
case stood, it is not perhaps surprising
that some rude being menaced her with
the police. She was frightened. Shiv-
ering with cold, and crying bitterly, she
fled homeward.. When she mounted the
stairs and opened the door, the first
words that she heard were the cries of
her brothers for something to eat
"Breadl bread !" She saw her father
soothing and supporting her fainting
mother, and heard him say, Breadl-
she dies for want of foodp
"I have no bread !" cried the poor girl,
with anguish in her tones.
The cry of disappointment and de-
spair which came at these words from her
father and her brothers caused her to re-
call what she had said, and conceal the
truth. az have not got it yet, she ex-
claimed, "but will have it Immediately.
have given the baker the money; he
was serving some rich people, and he
told me to wait or come back. / came
to tell you that it would soon be here" !"
After these words, without waiting for
reply, she left the house again. A
thought had entered her head; and mad
dened by the distress of those she loved
SO dearly, she had instantaneously re-
solved to put it in execution. She ran
from one street to another, till she saw a
bakers shop in which there appeared to
be no person, and then, summoning all
her determination, she entered, lifted 8
loaf, and hedl The shopkeeper saw hel
from behind his counter. He cried
loudly, ran after her, and pointed out tc
the people passing by. The girl ran on
She was pursued, and finally man seizeG
the loaf which she carried. The object
of her desire taken away, she had NJ
motive to proceed, and was seized a
once.
They conveyed her to the Office of tn
police; a crowd, as usual, having gath
cred in attendance. The poor girl threy
around her despairing glances, whicl
seemed to seek some favorable objec
from whom to ask mercy. At last. whel
, she had been brought to the court o
the police Office. and was in waiting fo
, the order to enter, she saw before her
little girl of her own age, who appeare
to look on her with a glance full of kinc
| ness and compassion. Under the impuls
: of the moment, still thinking of the col
3 dition of her family, she whispered I
, the stranger the cause of her act of thief
; "Father and mother, and my tH
/ brothers, are dying for want of bread
/ said she.
"WhereP' asked the strange girl, an,
t iously.
; She had only time to give the addre
: and add the name of her perents to tt
: communication, when she was carried j
. before the commissary of police.
: Meanwhile, the poor family at HON
, suffered all the miseries of suspens
s Fears for their children's safety wei
3 added to the other Affections of th
: parents. Atlength, they heard footstel
; ascending the stairs. An eager cry I
. hope was uttered by all the four unfo