River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-10-03
THE PAwNBRoKEa's SHOP.


The law recognizes it Dis legitimate; bl
the police know it is well to scan the COZ
tents of the pawn-shops and keep an ey
on their customers.
In the forlorn train which pass, dali
in and out beneath three prophetic gile
balls, mingled with honest poverty an
misfortune, are criminals of every ella,
and grade of crime. Hands from whic
blood stains have been hurriedly washet
pass over to the keeping OF the paw
broker, gold watches and chains whie
will never be redeemed; thieves brin
here. tied up in dirty rags, rare heiI
looms of ole family silver; gamblers an
bunko men change here their spoil
which they haze fleecm from the unw ar
countryman, into dolllrs and cents; pick
pockets part, here, for trifle, with va
liable pocket books whose contents the
have emptied; here, toD, are gathered los
valuables of every description, for whic
an owner was never sought. OF thos
whose shadows darker the pawn.shoI
and whose lives cast adeeper shadow up
on the house which they inhabit. the vic
| TINS of intemperance form no small Pre-
portion. To the pawn shop they stagge
in their half-crazed, drunken wanderings
bearing some little ornament, the last O
many which once frightened their homes
or some cherished toy, torn from the yer,
hands of their little hegt-broken children
who can scarcely lisp The words Of fathe
or mother.
From the window oimy office on Soutl
Clark street can see pawn she p in tn
next block, and from time to time during
the Gay as | sit at my desk | catch |
glimpse of the pawnbrcker's customers
To anyone who has moi observed then
closely they may appear'but little differ
ent from the men and woinen who go il
and out of the shoe-store which is the mex
door beyond it; to me there is peculiar
ity which stamps itself Upon them.so TIA
can guess with aimosta certainty who
of the passers on the street. are to be tht
pawnbroker's customers. Let US watch
the pawn-shop togetherfrom my window
for the next customer.
1t will not be long. Oh There is one
on the oppisite side of he street; young
man who is walking slowly along, now
and then casting furtiv. chances across al
the pawn-shop, and gathering courage to
face the passers by WHO shall see him
enter it. He has evidently been some time
out of work, and is forced to seek the only
aid which protfers itself until he can find
something to do Presently there is a
hull in the travel on thestreet, taking adj
vantage of it he quicklypasses over, hold
ing down his head. and enters the shop.
Here comes another, woman with a
bundle under her shaw. She pauses in
front Of the shop, looksup and down the
street, and steps to theedge of the side
walk as if waiting for | car or bus. A
policeman passes by AMI takes his posi-
ton on the next corner. md she moves on
until more favorable opportunity pre-
sents itself. In the cowd which now
iostles along is ragged street boy of ten
or twelve years. He iljust stepping into
the shop when he cathes sight of the
blue coat on the con +, and lodging
AGAIN into the crowd lie slips from sight
into the first alsy. This singular shy
ness about entering hi shop is the pecu-
liarity which | have mticed as marking
the pawn brokers' cubmers.
Curiosity recently Id me inside of this
shop which had so Ing excited my in
terest. 1t was, undoubtedly, with SIM
liar appearance to tic Others whom
had watched from mywindow that APP
preached it, and penaps with similar
feelings l entered it o get glimpse of
its contents, under thsguise OF inq uiring
the price of a chess board displayed for
sale in the window. The pawnbroker, a
little old j 9w, witt short, curly black
hair, and very hOked nose, came at
once from small rom in the rear Of his
shop as ! entered. he chess-board was
produced and purchaed, and while twas
being wrapped up looked ABOUT me.
One of the first obiets which caught my
eve was very haneOme pocket Bible,
bound in Russia Leather. 1t was one OF
the very last things should have expect
ed TO see in a pawn-hop. 1t must have
been pawned. Yes, there was pawn
ticket beside it.
as that Bible for sle," | asked.
The pawnbroker .ook it down and
looked az the ticket.
"Yes, was forfeiteCa week ago"
There seemed to he kind of exulta-
ton in the manner d the pawnbroker as
he handed the Sacrd Book to me. 1t
may have been all ny Imagination, and
it may be that he rally did exult in the
thought that the Eentiles would even
pawn their Bible toa Jew for money.
| took the book Hd opened it. One
Of the fly-leaves had been torn out;
there was no wriing obout to tell to
whom it once belonged. The leaves
opened of themselvesto a leaf which had
been turned down. The place was the
beautiful fourteenth chapter of John.
The first three verseswere enclosed with
a pencil mark, and IN the margin was
written:
"When you are in tDuble, Ellen, readthese
precious verses"
There was no name to tel whether
these words had beer written by ten
der mother, or faithful sister, but the
loving advice had ben UNDECIDED.
Beneath a show Gaze was small plain
gold ring which I asked permission IL
examine. 1t was an engagement ring
and on it was engraved the word
f" Mizpah." Whywas this precious EN-.
bem of plighted love thus rejected and
despised2 WheIe were now the soft
whispers, and tender caresses, and prom
ised love which gave it its value2 Was
he faithless or vas she false2 But nc
answer came tC these thoughts which
crowded into my mind, and placed the
broken promise and forfeited pledge
back in its resting place. BY the side ot
the ring lay lady's gold neck-chain, anc
an empty locket. The giver might rec
ognize the gift made years ago, though
she would never see in the poor wretch
ed woman who brought it here, the rosy
checked happy companion of her girl
hoods golden days. What a load of mis-
fortune and sorrow and want must hav,
crushed the heart of that wife before sh'
could consent to part with the watch o
her lost sailor husband, whose long voy
age will never land him again on a
earthly shore. VINO can weigh the grie
of the patient, suffering, toiling mothe
before she could bear the thought o
parting with these tiny little shoes, in
to which baby feet had scarcely fount
their way9
While / was looking over these article
a young man came into the shop wit
something under his arm. He called tn
pawnbroker aside, and then pulled on
from beneath his coat violin The tw
then entered into discussion as TO it
value. To prove the worth he claime'
for it tue young man played several ia
miIiar strains, aL1 then as if overcom
at the thought of parting from it, he sud
denly stopped playing and without
word farther of argument took what wa
offered him, and after exacting prom
Use thai it would be kept safely for him
Il r.