River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-02-07
OFT Or WORk.

Its no use, Maria l have tried every
where"
But you are not coming to give it up
yet Peter!"
Give it up How can 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 elscl'
What else can | tryl'
d" Anything you can do
. Yes, 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
theml'
~ 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
agined that you would tiud work in such
a place But how is Mark Leedsl'
g He's worse off than | am
How so?'
He has nothing in his house to cat. =
4 shudder crept over his wife's frame
nov.
''Why do YOU tremble, wife?'
Because when we shall have eaten
our breakfast to morrow morning we shall
have nothing"
What" cried Peter Stanwood, half
starting from his chair. do you mean
that"
Il do"
" But our flOur2'
"All gone; l baked the last this after
nOon.'
"But we have pork2'
You ate the last this noon"
9TH nTe must starye" groaned the
stricken man. starting across the room.
Peter Stanwood was u bookhinder 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
or with his house rent, was heavy drain
upon his purSe, even when workwas plen-
"; but now there was nothing.
Maria, said he, stopping and gazing
his wife in the face, "We 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 shill-
ing dav we should not starve."
But our house IentI'
Trust TO me for that. The landlady
shall not turn us out. Ii YOU will engage
to get something to do, will see that we
have house room
Il will make one more trial, muttered
Peter, dispairingly.
But you must 80 prepared to do any
thing"
ANYTHING reasonable. Maria
what 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 te
say anything 70 him now, and SO she LEI
the matter pass.
VII ttlC tpllONitlS AAibtt AfttS INV itA'N 'A'
of food in the house was put on the table
Stanwood could hardly realize that IL
was pennlless 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 LETT
he house he said: Something must be-
done"
No sooner had her husband gone thar
Mrs Stanwood put on her bo2net anc
shawl Her Oldest child was a Girl clever
years old and her Youngest four. Sht
asked her next door neiehbor if she would
take care other children till noon. These
children were we'll known to be good anC
quiet, and they were taken cheerfully
Then MIS- Stanwood locked up her hous'
and went away She returned q. noon
bringing some dinner for her children
and then she went away again. Shl
came home in the evening before her bus
band, carrying a heavy basket oa he
arm.
well, Peter, she asked, after her hus
band had entered and sat down, " wha
luck"
Nothing, nothing" he groaned. Z"
made out to get a dinner with an oil
chum, but could not find work"
And where have you looked today
4" oh, everywhere. I've been 10 a hun
bred places, but its the same story il
every place. Its nothing hut one ererns
no, no. no. I'm sick and tired of It
And what have you offered TO do.
" Why, l have even gone so far as I
offer TO tend a liquor store down tn
street.
The wife smiled.
" Now what shall We do!" uttere,
Peter
Now we will eat our supper, anC
then talk the matter over
Supp,r3 Have you any,"
Plenty of it"