The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1879-01-30
THE STORY OF TWO SINGERS.

An italian vessel had reached the
shores Of Americs. The passengers had
landed. The wealthy had been taker
to their hotels or their friends homes ir
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 gesticulstion, OF
had taken cars and omnibusses for the
purpose of reaching their homes and
the welcome that waited them. Some,
poor and forlorn, were wandering vague
" about the Bsttery-the prey of emf.
grant boarding housekeepers-snd one,
poorest and most foIlorn of al, sat upon
o bench under 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 a friend in America, and
some thief had stolen her purse from
under her pillow, as she slept between
her little chi!6ren in her berth in the
steerage. -... ..-......, ..-. ..
She bad only great bag. with a few
shabby garments, and these two chill
dren, and q 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. SCI 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 I" 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- q
scream, she began to run at full speed.
People stared at 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
a corner of the street, and regardless Of
the wagons, cars and carriages in her
path, dashed across the road. There
was a 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 were 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 ;
thence TO the mergue. 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. It did MOI
seem likely they should ever have eny
of those nice things that they had beer
promised when they came to America
However, children are light hearted, ant
they were on land again and not stuffet
into the steerage of the crowded ship
and they had no doubt that their mothe
would catch the boy with the bag. The,
played with the earrings and stared a
the pedestrians and at the carriages
with no anxieties about their mother
until they grew hungry. Then tn
youngest began to cry.
Mother stays long while, said tn
eldest. "Let us go and look for her
and tell her We want supper" An
away they went, hand in hand, eac
clutching her earring.
The eldest was handsome girl
eight the youngest little six-year-ol
beauty, wonderful to contemplate. The
spoke only Italian, of couIse. AS the
wandered on looking for their mother
and growing more ana more frightene
at every step, there came marching q
Broadway a military procession: III
bu gles biared, the drums beat, the bar
ners w,ved, a crowd of hangers.o
tramped over the sidewalk. Roug
men and boys took no heed OF the lit!
girls, and they were at last separated
The eldest was helplessly pushed fol
ward by the crowd; the little one, VIII
had clrng to the ratings OF restal
rant, was left behind.
"When the procession and the crow
had passed, she still sat there, weepln