Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-02-26
OUT OF WORK.
Nsthins 70 Ds..Ns Wsrk, 10 Msney and ~
Hope.

|
Hepe.
A city exchange tells sadly touching
story OF life among the working people.
One picture 10 draws Ia but an instance
OF thousands that IL could tell. The
man, an industrious and hard working
mechanic when he can get anything to
J do, Ia out OF work. Day after day he
has searched for something whereby he
could earn bread for his family. The
wife was sanguine, too; or II she was
not quite no hopeful a. he she had the
art OF concealing what she really feared
and felt, and a. she got the frugal sup
per ready her countenance wor brave
smile. She also trusted to the savings
laid away 10 snugly in the bank. They
had not yet been touched, for the family
had been living on little money ~ yet
undeposited, and before IL would be
time to draw upon the bank account
John would be in another situation and
doing well. But the days dragged them
selves into weeks, and the weeks drag
ged themselves into months, and poor
Johns experiences took the shape of the
old story Of hope deferred, that hope
deferred which maketh the heart sick.
One morning, when he rose from the
breakfast table US usual to begin the
days quest, his heart seemed to rise in
his mouth. A choking sensation stifled
his voice, and, hiding his face, he hur-
ried from the room without word.
His children dimly perceived that some
thing was wrong and looked at their
mother for an explanation. But she
dare not look at them in return. She
pretended TO busy herself owe various
work in order that she might be spared
questioning and commune with her own
thoughts. And what were those
thoughtsf All night long she and her
husband had lain awake, haunted by
specter whose name was starvation, but
Of whose presence they breathed not
syllable TO each other. In that dread
vision of the night they saw their little
hoard of savings slowly but surely melt
ing away, without prospect Of replenish-
ment. They saw their little ones crying
for food when there was no food to give
them; stung with the bitter cold because
there was no fire or fitting garments to
protect them. And what they saw pic
tured in their own little family they saw
reduplicated in thousands of cases all
over the great city-men and women
imploring for work SO that they might
live and not go down, pushed down and
back by the cruel hands of the relentless
times, while dying children chung to
their skirts and looked up to them with
eyes hollow with famine.
One evening John came home later
than usual. Directly he opened the
door his wife saw that something terri
BILE had happened. His face was ashen-
hued, and he seemed to have grown old
since morning. His hands shook like
aspen leaves, and as he fell of heap
into the nearest chair his eyes were full
of look, half idiocy, half madness. His
wife came up to him, but he did not
heed her. She shook his arms, but he
sat looking before him as though made
of stone. Frenzied with terror she sunk
on the floor in front of him, and took his
paralyzed hands and chafed them in her
own. Then, beneath that genial touch,
which brought back to him memories
of their counting days, he melted sud-
denly, and amid the shower of tears that |
streamed from his hitherto dry eyes, he
calculated: The bank has broke"
At these fearful words, which an
nounced the ruin Of all their hopes,
she remained for a moment speechless.
Then all the courage of the woman
80 often to the courage of the
man-arose within her and she crushed
back the misery which came surging into
her heart, and strove to utter words of
consolation. But argue as she would
two solemn facts emained-they had no
money and John was out of situation.
The failure of the savings bank had
robbed them of their little all; every
avenue which seemed to promise en-
pigment had been tried in vain, and
now winter was at the door, and after
the few articles of value they possessed
had found their way to the pawnshop all
that remained before them and their
little ones was beggary or starvation.
Reader, this is no fancy picture. Hun
dreds of men as honest and deserving as
the man we have described are at this
in New York city without the
comforts and necessities OF life. And
when we leave the strong and robust
men, with families dependent upon
them, and wend our way to the widows
and lone women and weak girls the
spectacle becomes still more heartrend-
ing.
Look at this thinly attired girl. The
day is freezing and sleety, yet she wears
a fimsy summer dress, because she has
no other. That ragged shawl is scarce
" protection, and the closeness with
which her attire clings around her slen-
Ter figure proves that she is ill provided
with thick, warm underclothing. OBJ
serve that her eyes have an unnatural
brightness, her cheeks hectic flush,
md that she suffers with hacking cough
This ghost of what childhood should be
would willingly work ten hours a day
could she find work to do. Until the
asst few months she was employed in
mill, and by constant toll, which aggra-
7ated her disease, made enough to sup
port an invalid mother and a dissolute
'ather. Now she is rapidly treading the
.oad to notwithstanding it amid the snow
md sleet, treading it meekly, while the {
.ich and strong loll grumblingly in silk t
ined carriages treading it with the F.,
,almness which comes from an unmeas-
1reable despair, fed by familiarity with I
;errible hardships that no pen can de- ,
scribe. Yet, should you hear her speak,
t is not her disease that she would be
but merely that the times are
lard and she is out of situation. {
Yes, yes No more heartless lie was
,ver uttered than that which declares that
. all penniless people are imposters. "
Jresus, who has made his millions, but
Who was penniless once himself, knows {
better in his heart every time he utters
he cruel falsehood. But if any one
wishes to have Ill intelligent idea Of how
much undeserved suffering there is this
winter among the poor of New York let
lin spend an hour or two every day in
yoing among them. That he will find
mere imposition and depravity we are
lot prepared to deny, but he will find
IS much OF more among the same popu.