The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-01-23
THE STORY OF TWO SINGERS

shores of America. The passengers had
landed. The wealthy had been taken
to their hotels or their friends homes in
carriages. The poor folk, who still had
some certain destination and some one
to greet and meet, had been led away
under friendly guidance, after many
embraces and much gesticulation, or
had taken cars and omnibusses for the
purpose of reaching their homes and
the welcome that awaited them. Some,
poor and forlorn, were wandering vague
ly about the Battery-the prey of emf
grant boarding -houseke eepers-and one,
poorest and most foflorn of all, sat upon
q bench under a great tree and wept
silently. She was woman. She was
young and of the peasant class. Her
husband had died upon the voyage.
She had not friend in America, and
some thief had stolen her purse from
under her pillow, as she slept between
her little children in her berth in the
steerage.
She bad only great bag, with a few
shabby garments, and these two chill
dren, and pair Of earrings, which she
might, perhaps, sell for little bread
in all the world. As she stared out
upon the water, which had swept away
the body Of her dead husband, and
which still covered it, she was very
miserable.
eff it had been the Lords will that
also should be buried in the sea-" she
sobbed. ~ and my children" And
she bent her head upon her hands; her
eyes were blinded with tears; she saw
nothing of what was going on Just then.
Mother |" cried the eldest child
Mother, look. The bad boy has car
ried off our bag"
The poor creature started to her feet.
She stared wildly about her. A boy was
running away at full speed with the bag
Of clothes ON his back. Uttering a
scream, she began to rnn at full speed.
People stared al her, but did not know
why she ran, or understand that the in
terpretation of her cry was "stop thief. +"
The boy outran her very soon her
breath failed her. She saw him turning
q corner of the street, and regardless of
the wagons, cars and carriages in her
path, dashed across the road. There
was cry-a crash policeman strode
out upon the crossing and stopped the
vehicles, and the body of the Italian
woman was lifted from the ground her
black hair fell over her shoulders, her
eyes we're fixed, her face pallid, and the
yellow kerchief about her head soaked
in blood. No one knew anything about
her. They carried her to the hospital A.;
thence TO the morgue. Afterward she
was buried where they bury paupers.
When their mother ran after the thief,
the little girls sat where she had left
them, for awhile; each was playing with
something. To amuse them their
mother had given them her earrings
two hoops of gold.
They had their own little ears pierced,
but as yet there were only threads in
them. Their father had promised that,
when he made his fortune, they should
have gold earrings like their mothers.
But their father was buried in the sea,
and their mother was poor. 1t did not
seem likely they should ever have any
of those nice things that they had been
promised when they came to America.
However, children are light hearted, and
they were on land again and not stuffed
into the steerage of the crowded ship;
and they had no doubt that their mother
would catch the boy with the bag. They
played with the earrings and stared at
THO pcucSbilauS hHu az bllc carriages,
with no anxieties about their mother,
until they grew hungry. Then the
youngest began to cry.
Mother stays long while, said the
eldest. ''Let us go and look for her,
and tell her we want supper" And
away they went, hand in hand, each
ciutching her earring.
The eldest was handsome girl of
eight the youngest little six-year-old
beauty, wonderful to contemplate. They
spoke only Italian. of course, As they
wandered on looking for their mother,
aud growing more and more frightened
at every step, there came marching up
broadway military procession. The
busles blared. the drums beat, the ban.
ners waved, crowd of hangers, on
tramped over the sidewalk. Rough
men and boys took no heed of the little
girls, and they were at last separated.
The eldest was helplessly pushed for
ward by the crowd the little one. who
had clang to the railings Of restau.
rant, was left behind.
When the procession and the crowa
hsd passed, shs still ~. there, wssp,ns