St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-10-19
Out of Work.

''But you are not going to give it up
yet, Peter 2"
"Give it up! How can help il? In
four days l have been to every book
bindery in the city. and not bit of
work can l get"
"Have you tried anything else ~
"What else can try 2"
"Anything you can do"
eyes, I've tried other things. I've
been to more than dozen of my old
friends and offered to help them"
"And what did you mean to do for
them 2"
~ offered either to post their ac-
counts, make out bills or attend to the
counter"
Mrs. Stanwood smiled as her husband
spoke thus.
"What makes you smile ?" he asked.
''TO think that you would have i'm
agined that you would find work in
such place. But how is Mark Leeds 2,
"He's worse off than am"
elbow 500"
"He has nothing in his house to eat
A shudder crept over his wife's frame
now.
"Why do you tremble, wife,"
because when we shall have eaten
our breakfast tomorrow morning, we
shall have nothing"
| ''Whatw cried Peter Stanwood, half
starting from his chair. "DO you mean
that 7"
s1 do"
'But our four?"
"All gone, baked the last this af-
| ternOOn."
"But we have pork !"
''YOu ate the last this noon"
s'Then we must starve ~ grOaned
the stricken man, starting across the
room.
| Peter StanwOod was bOOkbinder by
trade, and had been out of employ
ment about a month. He was one Of
those who generally calculate to keep
about square with the world, and who
consider themselves particularly fortu-
nate if they keep out of debt. He was
now thirty years of age, and had three
children to provide for, besides himself
and wife, and this, together with hi:
house rent, was heavy draught upor
his purse, even when work was plenty
but now there was nothing.
"Maria," said he, stopping and gazing
his wife in the face, 'We must starve
l have not a single penny in the world
''But do not despair, Peter. Try
again tomorrow for work. You ma!
find something to do. Anything that ii
honest and honorable. Should you
make but a shilling day we should MOI
starve.n
"But our house rent ~
s'Trust me for that. The landlad,
shall not turn us out. If you will en-
gage something to do, will see that W.
have house rOom."
81 will make one more trial, !" mutter
ed Peter despairingly.
''But you must go prepared to d'
anything"
"Anything reasonable, Maria"
sEWhat do you call reasonable ?'
"Why, anything decent"
She felt inclined to smile, but tn
matter was too serious for that and
cloud passed over her face.
She knew her husbands disposition
and she felt sure he would find no work
Sire knew that he would look for SOM
kind of work that would not lower hin
in the social scale, as he had once o
twice expressed it. However, she kney
it would be of no use to say anything
to him now, and so she let the matte
pass.
On the following morning the last bi
of food in the house was put on the ia
BILE. Stanwood could hardly realiz
that he was penniless and without food
For years he had been gay, thoughtles
and fortunate, making the most of th
present, forgetting the past, and lettinl
the future take care of itself. Yet th
truth was naked and clear, and whe
3 he left the house he said, "SOmethin
l must be DONE"
No sooner had her husband gone tina
3 Mrs. Stanwood put on her bonnet an
shawl. Her oldest child was girl elev
en- years old and her youngest four. Sh
asked her next door neighbor if sh
would take care of her children unit
4 noon. These children were well know
5 to be good and quiet, and they wei
taken cheerfully. Then Mrs. Stanwoo
locked up her house and went ava.
$ She returned at noon, bringing som
; dinner for her children, and then wei
away again. She came home I'D tI
: evening before her husband, CARRYING
heavy basket on her arm.
4 "WeIL, Peter" she asked, after h'
s husband had entered and sat dow
"what luck 7"
.sNothing. nothingn he groaned.
made out to get dinner with an o.
chum, but could not find work."
!. "And where haveyou looked to-day
80. everywhere. I've been to hui
II dred places, but it's the same story
l..~rx,looa Tf,s nothing hnt one etc