The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-05-03
THE FISHERMAN's WIFE.

woman were sitting, sadly enough, III
one OF the humblest dwellings near the :
harbor of Ostend, beside table. It was {
supper time, and yet the table was bare,
and there was no fire on the hearth. A
newborn infant lay shivering in its cradle, .
which piece of sail-cloth alone pro-
tected from the sharp, north wind that
blew through a broken pane IN the WIN
dow.
The man who was one of those beings
condemned to poverty and perpetual toll
from their very birth, whether they pillow
the ocean or the earth-one of those IN
fortunates who never rest or take to their
beds, as Montague says, but to die-or in
other words. q seaman-would rise from
his seat every now and then, go to the
window to examine the state OF the
weather, and then return to his place as if
in despair.
!, The woman who was young and pretty |
still, in spite Of the whitening ef-
fects of poverty, looked anxiously from
her husband to her infant. She endeav-
Ored to smile to conceal her sufferlngs, |
and to inspire degree Of hope which she
felt not.
| Il must be off, after ALL" said the poor
seaman; :. though the wind doesn't change,
and it blows hard enough to capsize flag
ship"
''You had better wait Bit" urged the
wife.
But you haven'ta crust of bread to
eat" he returned.
II am not hungry" she said, as boldly
as she could.
But there's our infant
ho foo1 w q
might" said the mother.
At this moment loud knock was heard
at the door.
: ling.
The infant was reused out of its
sleep, and expressed its hunger by low
) vail
1T must be our landlord,' answered
her husband it is only master who
: would knock in that fashion. He has
come to remind us that our rent will be
due in three days"
And the seaman went and opened the
door.
Sure enough it was the landlord-a
landlord cut upon pattern unhappily far
too common-one of those modern feudal
lords, who have replaced the feudality of
the sword by the feudality of money,
and who are quite as pitiless towards the
serfs.
4 "Halloa. there" said he; i've come to
: see whether you are going to pay me a
: little more exactly than usual"
: "Alas! SIR" said the young mother,
: 1--WE have neither money nor work. You
see what weather it is!''
5 sThat no business of mine." remarked
$ the landlord.
but sir" said the seaman, timidly,
! "give us weeks delay, that may have
g time to go a-fshing. l should have SET
u off three days ago, but the sea has been
y too rough"
e Il can't help that" replied the immov-
able landlord. Then, seeing the wife cry
u he condescended to explain his reasons
for being thus indexible: You should
e not have waited till the foul weather came
e on. You should work in the right season
and Law by, in the year sufficient sum tt
t. pay me-"
But, SIR said the tenant " you know
IN we work as hard as ever we can, and liv,
le from hand to mouth; and the week
&c earnings are swallowed up in downright
u necessities
DC LIldl DIS IL lila ~. luuoI AdSC LII iuOIi
&c ey. or shall give you fair warning"
30 And he walked off in passion, CALM
ia the poor people od-for-nothing drunk
ards and idlers. And he went to calm hi
;. rage by drinking few glasses Of liqut
at the nearest cafe.
mt 1t would be impossible to describe tn
he scene of despair that took place in ii
,e- seamans dwelling.
ia The poor man rose, and embracin
his wife and baby, left the cottage, an
Ear having knocked at the doors of sever
neighbors he had soon recruited half
nv dozen determined fellows as poor
himself, who were half surprised at h
m. boldness, yet willing to follow his e
m ample, however fraught with dange
a provided it offered single. chance
,an success against twenty chances of deaf
The They now embark in one of tho
zen little nut shells called fishing boa
id. hired for the purpose, and about as
no nut together as their house. and lettil
hut in as much water as the latter let
me wind: and off they set, impelled by tn
in heroic sense Of duty and of the sacrednt
mt. of a debt. which must surprise many
ler banker who has failed. but which
,ers duces these poor people to risk for oth'
inc the dangers they would not have faced
their own profit.
left The poor woman had likewise left
of cottage. and watched the few planks tt
were holding her whole happiness.
nth The boat was soon out at sea- 1t y
cen lust at the moment and in the season
the those fearful equinoctial tides. when |
off sea seems to threaten to swallow up |
,ers earth. The waves were tossing about
if in fury, and dashing against ca
are other like the onset of two contending
me mics.
its But no sooner did they feel the b
within their grasp than they assailed
and stem and stern, and dashed its sides till
1ere keel began to shake and its ribs to ere
,out Then down came the the wind as if to h
The the waves, and snapped the mast and
d at away the SAIL
1t was moving sight to see this v
in fare of the elements against man,
Il. which was fortunately half concealed Fl