The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-05-10
a crrr1l,s err l,s'51l TRAGEDY.
Aisndf Case Of Domestic Unhappincss In
- Humble Life, asy Told by the New York
"Graphic.O - ,-I-.I.

AnSad Case Of Oomeet1c UnhappincsS In
- Humble Life, N Told by tho Now York
"Graphic." =. ~..1..I.
q The great city is 'fuH Of tragedies.
Looked at with psychologist eyes capa-
BILE Of piercing .disguises, every street
would be found. draped with shadows.
Amid this compact den OF misery it ia
difficult TO disengage the attention and
fx it on single case, however peculiar
IN it's network of Happiness and misery
or however steep the descent eeonE,'
.erBut an instance of sudden wayward-
ness and want in the very building in
which the GRAPHIC is printed: prompts
us briefly to outline it's more salient
points. :" ~. - ""' E5eE.:'';
: On the fifth floor the little family
lived, the mother and her two babes, il
very humble apartments, to which they
were made to feel they were, welcome.
The father of the family was formerly
known for his excellent- habits, and he
oficiated for some time as sort Of iani.
tors assistant, but he became dissolute,
stayed out Late at night, and finally de-
serted his home altogether, and at the
time of which We are speaking had not
been seen by any: of the family fol
months. The mother had heard that he
had found q situation in one of the
grain elevators, but she knew he was nc
longer worthy Of her respect, and re.
solved 20 niaint tain herself and her Shttie
brood by her own unaided .e1erions.
She was q patient, sad eyed creature,
never complaining, but never hoping
one Of the, last in. ; the world that would
naturally be suspected Of any desperate
deed. She was always neatly but cheaply
dressed, and had q grace and dignity Of
bearing that showed she had formerly
been more happily circumstanced. No
body ever thought OF inquiring into hel
history, and she seemed incapable o1
speaking of It. # friend sought het
confdence, she appeared to say, n
gentle depreciation n No, no Let uf
not talk about that. I" She made herself
quite helpful; she brushed all over the
huildfng every, morning and made her
self q general favorite. qlr.: a. "a. Of. .,1s
AT last the little ones gotgso that they
could toddle about the building, Tommy
leading his younger sister. -, They were
not much in the way, and they soon be-
cams favorites among the workmen, who
liked to share their lunches with the IN.
fants, who opened their; wide gray eyes
at the novel world, and gazed cautiously
at the buzzing machinery. s,.,l,',-,r, )'
One day in the last winter month oc
Cured a. calamity which some OF oul
readers may remember, and that Will
not be soon forgotten. The industrious
mother fwas out earning the bread fol
the familyand the little ones were in: the
press.room watching the bright sheets
hy from the ready fingers Of our great
four-eylinder, when horror seized on
the foreman. Little Bessie was in the
machinery! How she got caught was
always mystery. Her pain was but fol
q moment. Her funeral was simple,
but her loss was sincerely mourned, and
the shocking accident left a shadow on
the establishment. ...s 4g.rew af ~.
n Tommy was even more to his mothe'
after that. She seemed to cling to him
with desperate fear, and went around
apprehensive and heavy hearted. 30 One
evening Of the very next week he; was
missed. He was sought with passionate
anxiety. A policeman had seen him In
the company Of another small chap or
the next corner. In the morning his re-
mains we're found in thu dock. l..nI,
His mother never spoke after that
She was calm. and fearless when thu
corpse was brought into her apartment
and took, no, notice of it. She went
about in, a mechanical way, eating Ian
guidly,what was placed before her, but
saving nothing and never smiling once
She was still beautiful. She dressed o.
scrupulously as ever and. had wistful
farLaway look, Dis if constantly, waiting
for somebody who never came. Onct
the janitor found her late at night in al
open window, as if about to dash her
self upon the pavement below. I:aH
]. In q week she WIS missing. Nobody
seemed to,be much surprised. Had sht
gone out in the night with the key tha'
was always within reach2 Search wa,
cautiously begun. A policeman bag
seen her walking on the roof with hel
hair floating in the wind and scarcely q
all protected from the cold. o ... /.
Her body was found nsxt morning
stark and stiff, lat, the month of sewel
on the North river. 49,. = i'
Her fate WAS hard and her lot :was
pitiful, but she was q most tender,
motherIy, faithful, and exemplary cat.
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