The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1878-02-07
OFT OF WORK.

Its no use, Narla. have tried every
where"
but you arc 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 lit Of work
can GET"
Have you tried anything clse:''
"What else can l try?"
"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
them9'
II offered either to post their accounts.
make out bills or attend to their counter -
Mrs. Stanwood smiled rs her husband
spoke thus.
What makes you slNile:' he asked.
ITO think that you would have I'M
agincd that you would fud work in such
place. But how is Mark Leeds?'
He's worse off than am
"How so?'
He has nothing in his house to cat"
A shu(lder crept over his wife's frame
"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?"
II d."
But our tlour2'
"All gone; I baked the last this after
noon."
"But we have pork?"
"You ate the last this noon"
"Th"n We must starvc" 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 of those 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 for,
besides, himself and wife, and this, togeth-
CT with his house rent, was heavy drain
upon his purse, even when workwas plen-
ty; but now there was nothing.
"Maria," said he, stopping and gazing
his wife in the face, 1--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 day we should not starvc."
"But our house rcnt!''
Trust to me for that. The landlady
shall not turn US out. 1t you will engage
to get something to do, will sec that W.
have house room"
II will make one more trial. muttercd
Peter, dispairingly.
but you must 60 prepared to do any
thing"
''Anything reasonable, Maria
what do you call rcasonable?"
"Why, anything decent"
She felt inclined to smile, but the mat
ter was too serious for that, and 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 lie
was penniless and without food. For
years nc 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
he house he said: ''Somcthing must DC
DONE"
No sooner had her husband gone than
Mrs. stanwood put on her boanct and
shawl. Her oldest child was 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 wcll-known to be good and
quiet, and they were taken c6ccrfully
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 a heavy basket on her
arm.
"Well, Peter, she asked, after her hus.
band had entered and sat down, {" what
luckf"