The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1881-02-11
miscellaneous.
A Little Girls Errand in the Storm,
ny VIM. VI. MARINE.

ht'''e "'ri Err"ho III .he S'orm'
-
M "N' W. MAhlNE'
The snow flakes were falling blindingly
last, the payements and streets were several
inches deep, and the high wind, cold as an
lclcle, was drifting the snow so as make pc,
uestflanlsm more ulHlcult. Inc StOrm nau
commenced at the dawn otdaylight, and dur.
ing the entire day it had ragged with unab, lied
fury. Happy were they who could remain
in their comfortable homes, or their uncom-
Portable ones either, for that matter, and un.
blest were they who must 90 out and face the
blasts that awaited.
Within narrow court in the upper part
OF the town OF Il, and surrounded on
all sides by those who once had been IN mod
craze circumstances, put ny amt OF chance
had gotten beyond that, and in an upstairs
room in small frame tenement, lay upon
ped ofsickness vlctlm OF the needle. Her
only child, a little girl OF eight years, was at
hand, but what could she do to alleviate the
consuming ieveE The fire in the chimney
there was no fuel The last Loaf OF bread and
the last cracker were eaton, and no more
could be procured, for the mother and daugh-
ter were without money, ana as they were
strangers in the town, they had not the heart
TO apply TO any one OF the groceries Tor cred
II, since the refusal OF Their trst application.
me poor ASSOCIATION claimed that they, hav-
ing received their allowance, no more nj
present could be granted.
such was the situation OF things when the
mother babe her daughter go and ask OF the
community its charities.
II.
1t was eight O'Clock at night when mer-
cnantman Bundy lett his well7fllled tea-taDle
after hearty meal, and entered his parlor,
picking his teeth; after finishing he drew
from his vest case and extracting thereirom
cigar OF the very best Havana, threw INN
self in an easy chair in front ola CRATE, whose
fcd-hOt Goals Illuminated the room 10 sucn an
extent as to make objects within plainly Wis
lble lie and his comfortable surroundings
were soon, however, enveloped i'll cloud OF
smoke mat curtalned inc scene. AiIer ne
had finished he was joined by his wife and
only chlld-a lady just on the eve OF woman
hood all OF whom repaired to the front win
dow, ana shuddered at the Jury OF the storm
without.
III.
IL was hali-past ten and the revelcrs held
hlgh carousais at thc MehshaW: lhere were
men present VINO would nave Deen ashamed
TO have had their employers know OF Their
whereabouts. There were fathers who would
N''
or nelghDors Ill SUCH place. va men whose
days on earth were nearly closed, joined III
the motley crew, ana AMID the throng where
the putrld ar was oppressive, and the not
stove almost unenduraDie, they JON one an
oIher IN song ana flDald jest. " shame =
why do not men wear the mantle OF shame
upon lhelr laces when tney emerge from such
dens? But this crowd had no idea OF now
the hours Went. Cup alter cup was nanded
round to the gratlticatlon OF the Jolly bar.
keeper, VINO STOOD behina MS fortress OF
death, dealing out MS llquid llre'
suddenly all were startled ny the Wlld ac-
cents OF little apparltion
".
NO sooner had the mother nauc her uaugh-
ter go, than she obeyed, lhls was her first
GRAND of the kind. She was novice in the
art OF soliciting aims and she was OF 'imld,
sensitive nature. She quickly made her pre-
paratlons and from the room occupied ny
herself and mother, rapidly passed out OF the
mouse, winch had no olhef tenant IMAM
themselves, INTO the court ana thence INTO
the street. And now she began to experience
what terrible thing 1t is to go abroad on
such night in behalf OF charity, and yet
nerved by her mothers necessiiies-nay, anX-
ious to relieve them ana fearing that death,
which is Tar colder than the air ana snow
iiht l'cltSu Hci 'oiIl, iiSh' hi'ht ''o 'i'"''S'I
visitation before her return, she summoned
up all her resolution to the task before ler
On she wandered without apparent purpose,
in the hope that fortune might throw luck
in her arms, but meeting with no one, for at
so carly an hour the streets were deserted and
only the snow-blast was heard in its hollow
howlngs
Our little ones strength began to fail, and
her courage to give way when her attention
was attracted by the warm fire that burned
i'll Mr.. Bundy's crate, and the comfortable
appearance ofhis parlor; besides, at the win
dow 9tood that gentleman himself, on one
side of him his wife and on the other his
aughter-surely she could make her appeal
to them, so she advanced up the marble steps,
that were inclosed in n wood casing, and
tremblingly rang the door bell, Now Mr..
Bundy was not thoughtful man, or chart
table one either. He had nothing of this
worlds goods at the start, and was in the
habit of saying: | had to get along by my
own help, and let other people do the same.
He had never visited houses that were desti-
tute, and therefore had no experience in this