The Lake County star., 1877-11-01
OUT OF WORK.


It's mouse, Maria, have tried every.
where"
"But you are not going to give IL
up yet, Peter?p
"Give it UP! How can I help it ?
In four days / have been to every
book bindery In the city, and not bit
of work can 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 fol
: them?"
Il offered either to post their &c.
counts, make out bills or attend to the
counter"
Mrs. Stanwood smiled as her hus
band spoke thus.
=" What makes you smile?" ht
asked.
"To think that you would have
imagined that you would find work in
such a place. But how is Mark
Leeds?n
"He's worse off than am."
"How so?
He has nothing i'm his house to
eat"
A shuddercrept over his wile's frame
now.
Why do you tremble, wife,
Because when we shall have eaten
our breakfast tomorrow morning, we
shall have nothing"
"What ~ cried Peter StanwoOd
half starting from his chair. "Do you
mean that?n
81 do.p
But our flour?"
"All gone, l baked the last this
afternoon"
"But we have pork ~
You ate the last this nOOn."
"Thei we must starve!" grOaned
the stricken man, starting across the
room.
~ Peter StanwOod was book binder
by trade, and had been out of employ.
ment about month. He was one Ol
those who generally calculated to keep
about square with the world, and who
consider themselves particularly for
tunate 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 his house rent, was a heavy
draught upon his purse, even when
work was plenty but now there was
nothing.
Maria,n said he, stopping and
gazing his wife in the face, 1--WE
must starve. / have not single
penny i'm the world"
"But do not despair, Peter. Try
again tomorrow for work. You may
find something to do. Anything that
is honest and honorable. Shouldyou
make but shilling o day We should
not starve."
.'But our house rent?"
"Trust me for that. The landlady
shall not turn us out. If you will en-
gage something to do, will see that
we have house ROOM"
II will make one more trial." NUT
tered Peter despairingly.
"But you must go prepared to do
any thing"
"Anything reasonable, Maria"
What do you call reasonable?"
"Why, anything decent"
She felt inclined to smile, but the
matter was too serious for that and a
cloud passed over her face. She knew
her husbands disposition, and she felt
sure he would find no work. Sheknew
that he would look for some kind OF
social scale, as he had once or twice
expressed it. However, she knew 1t
would be of no use to say anything
TO him now, and so she let the matter
pass.
On the following morning the last
: bit. of food i'm the house was put on the
table. Stanwood could hardly realize
that he was penniless and without
food. For years he had been gay,
thoughtless and fortunate, making the
most of the present, forgetting the past,
Z and letting the future take care of it
self. Yet the truth was naked and
!. clear, and when he left the house he
said, "Something must be DONE"
NOsooner had her husband gone than
, Mrs. Stanwood put on her bonnet and
shawl. Her oldest child was girl
eleven years old and her youngest
I. four. She asked her next door neigh
bor IL she would take care Of her chill
dren until noon. These children were
well known to be good and, quiet, and
they were taken cheerfully. Then
Mrs. Btanwood locked up her house
and went away. She returned at noon,
bringing some dinner for her children,
and then went away again. She came
fhome in the evening before her hus-
band, carrying heavy basket on her
arm.
! tssWell, Peter" she asked, after her
husband had entered and sat down,
f"what luck ?n
= s'Nothing, nothing!" he groaned.
~ made out to get dinner with an
old chum, but could not find work"
r s'And where have you looked to.
z. day."
10, everywhere. I've been to a
hundred places, but it's the same story
In every place. It's nothing but one
eternal no, no, no. Pm sick and tired
! offt.v
.And what have you offered to
Ndo?o
~ lswhy, i haye even gone SO far
as to offer to tend liquor store down
/, street,
The wife smilei.
y l"Now. what shall we do ~ uttered
: Peter.
NOV, we will eat our supper, and
= then talk the matter over"
supper? Have you any?"
: "Plenty of it.n
ssBut you told me you had none.u
y "Neither had we this morning. but
Ihave been after work to-day and
found some"
Been after work and found some?''
ssYes.u
s ysBut how--where?p
"Why, first went to Mrs. Shows.
II knew her girl was sick, and hoped
she might have work to be done.
went TO her aud told her my story,
! and. she set me at work at once doing
her washing. She Rnv0 me food 10