The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-03-02
A HOTEL STORY.

There arc eyes filled with shadows left by
long weeping which the brightest sunshine
san never smile away; there are hearts 50
bowed by misery that they can never lift again
rejoicing, though every morning breaks over
The world with songs andcvcry night is some
where glad with dances. 1t cannot be too hard
10 hear what some OF our kind are compelled
daily 10 bear; the favored will deem them
selves no less happy for what they hear, and
the sorrowing will find in it the only eilectual
balm the world owns that of sympathy. What
Is needed will not be fancy to embcllish the
story but the skill Of the novelist to fifty set
forth the passages Of real life in tins city, life
with lis woes and icvcrs, its ortieals and sus-
pcnsc, Its passions and its rewards
OF all evils inflicted ON man, nothing so
brings down the heart rs poverty, and through
Tins trial many are passing now, unsuSpcctcd
# you would ask, "Whcrc are the poor?" one
who knew the city would tell you there was
not far TO 90 to find them. They swarm like
locusts ON the East side, and river streets, but
they are also in good houses in large hotels,
IN decent cottages this morning, with Il roof
but without bread, without fire in the winter
weather, without the sheet Of paper to write to
Trend or the postage stamp TO carry the letter
II written. In fair surroundings, with plenty
and luxury on the other side of the thin wall
between their chambers, these untortunates
undergo the horrors and privatons of a siege.
The clothes wear out, and there is nothing to
replace them; shoe leather gives way, and
there Is neither pence nor nccdlcful of thread
10 unskiliully mend il.
There may he readers of this page who can
verify the incidents of the following story of
New ork life, which wish were not so true
as i is
Nype ~ nt ,f, l..
hotels up town, which afford place for every
sort and condition, from the Texas spcculator
with his lank wife, who have the state suite. To
tho reduced gentcel widow with the pretty
daughter, who wash their own handkcrchicis
in their room, and slip lunches into the house
in handbags, to avoid taking more than one
meal day at table, and the visitor from the
country who finds an "insidc room" at "A dol
lar day or half that quite as much as he can
afford Ofcoursc, the "transentSn were anusc.
Inent for the regular boardcrs, and the clerk
used sometimes, very disCrcctly, 10 entertain
the dOwggcrs with accounts of little things
'hat came in his sphere. never saw any one
With so large an assortment of jewely as that
grave young man used to sport; hunting pins,
seal rings, fresh studs every day, at least he
never wore the same two days at a time ON any
occasion, and the fancy of his scarf rings was
with the staid, unmoyed demeanor he was
Obliged 70 wear as became position Of so
much confidence, but Mrs Judge Dcanc, one
II the shrcwdcst and quickest women alive,
whispered 10 mc her suspicion that the orna-
ments were taken for debt, aud were relics of
esparins boarders. When Mr. Gregory came
-p one evening for his fifteen minutes. airing
new seal ring of unusually fine design,
openly hazarded the guess, rather audacious, !
own, that it was gage, less Of love than hun
ger, or tlot some lively young fellow had rails
I'd the money to get home on il.
you oughtto see the stock of valuablcs I've
got on hanc now. Enough TO start jewelers.
shOp--tWeiye watches and thirteen chains, and
four cluster diamond rings and brooches. silver
mounted rcyOlvers, and cashmere shawl. I've
lent money on different times, OF not exactly
lent it, but bought EN-. on the chance Of the
owners sending for them, or gettingmy money