Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-03
T.
OCT of Wo,k.

Its no use, Maria. have tried every
where
sBut you are not coming to give it up
yet, Peter?''
"Give it up! How can help il? In
four days have been to every book
bindery in the city, and not a bit OF work
can get"
"Have you tried anything else?'
"What else can try2"
"Anything you can do.
Eyes, I've tried other things. I've been
to more than dozen places OF my friends
and offered to help them
"And what did you mean to do for
them?7
II offered either to post their accounts.
make out bills or attend to their counter .
Mrs. Stanwood smiled as her husband
spoke thus.
What makes you smile?' he asked.
"To think that you would have i'm
agincd that you would find work in such
a place. But how is Mark Leeds9"
"He's worse off than I am
elbow so2"
Gle has nothing in his house to eat
A shudder crept over his wife's frame
nov.
"Why do you tremble, wife,"
Because when we shall have eaten
our breakfast tomorrow morning we shall
have nothing"
"Whatr' cried Peter Stanwood, half
starting from his chair. DO you mean
that?'
~ do
" But our hour!"
;'All gone; l baked the last this after
noon."
"But we have pork!"
"You ate the last this noon"
ssThen we must starve' groaned the
stricken man, starting across the room.
Peter Stanwood was bookbinder by
trade, and had been out of employment
about month. He was one ofthose who
generally calculate to keep about square
with the world, and who consider them
selves particularly fortunate if they keep
out OF debt. He was now forty years Of
age, and had three children to provide tor,
besides, himself and wife, and this, togeth-
er with his house rent, was a heavy drain
upon his purse, even when workwas plen-
ty; but now there was nothing.
''Maria, y said he, stopping and gazing
his wife in the face, tive must starve. |
have not a single penny in the world"
''But do not despair, Peter. Try again
tomorrow for work. You may find some
thing to do--anything that is honest and
honorable. Should you make but a shill-
ing day we should not starve.'
''But our house rent?'
''Trust to me for that. The landlady
shall not turn us out. II you will engage
to get something to do, 1 will see that we
have house ROOM"
Il will make one more trial" muttered
Peter, dispairingly.
"But you'must go prepared to do any
thing
Anything reasonable, Maria"
tsWhat do you call reasonable?"
"Why, anything decent"
She felt inclined to smile, but the mat
ter was too serious for that, and a cloud
passed over her face She knew her hus-
bands disposition, and she felt sure he
would find no work. She knew that he
would look for some kind Of work that
would not lower him in the social scale as
he had once or twice expressed it. How
ever, she knew it 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 in 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
unfortunate, making the most OF the pres
ent, forgetting the past and letting the
future take care of itself. Yet the truth
was naked and clear. And when he left
the house he said: Something must be
DONE"
No sooner had her husband gone than
Mrs. Stanwood put on her bonnet and
shawl. Her Oldest child was a girl eleven
years old and her youngest four. She
asked her next door neighbor if she would
take care of her children till noon. These
children were well-known to be good and
quiet, and they were taken cheerfully.
Then Mrs. Stanwood locked up her house
and went away She returned a. noon.
bringing some dinner for her children,
and then she went away again. She
came home in the evening before her hus-
band, carrying heavy basket on her
arm.
"Well, Peter, she asked, after her hus-
band had entered and sat down, :" what
luck!"
:: Nothing, nothingn he groancd. 81
made out to get dinner with an old
chum, but could not find work"
" And where have you looked to-day?'
" Oh, everywhere. I've been to a hun
dred places, but it's the same story in
every place. It's nothing but one eternal
no, no, no. I'm sick and tired of It.
''And what have you offered to do?'
Why, have even gone so far as tc
offer to tend a liquor store down tho
street.
The wife smiled.
6 Now what shall we do.'' uttered
Peter.
Now we will eat our supper, and
then talk the matter over"
Supper? Have you any?'
Plenty Of it,
''But you told me you had none"
'Neither had we this morning, but
have been after work to-day and foun6
some"
"'Been after work and found some'?'
eyes"
s'But how. where?"
"Why first went to Mrs. Shows.
knew her girl was sick, and hoped sht
+ have 1,,orl- 1,o dam rro,4 III