Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1882-07-19
(From London Society.l
DARBY AND JOAN,
BY GORGNON.

IL WAC q AApAy 6I1cels VI COuIG rainier.
for there was no roadway; the houses
were OF all sizes, shapes, and colors, and
all i'll the last stage of rot, merely hold
ing one another up-like a group of
drunken cripples-by leaning together.
Were one house pulled down the whole
lot would fall with crash and poison
the air with the fearful smells they hold.
A gutter ran down the center Of this
Eden, and the whole place was strewn
with Wrinkle shells, bloater heads, orange
peel. broken crockery, straw, dead
vermin, aud other refuse deposited from
time to time, so that the rain, which was
falling steadily, had collected in puddles,
through which sundry bare-footed
urchins would run, from time to time, to
the beebouse at the corner.
The third house up the court was,
perhaps, elf such a thing could possibly
he, )more broken down and gone to seed
than all the others put together; the
door was warped, cracked, and painless
and chung like grim death to the one
hinge it boosted, the stairs were in such
condition that one of the very boldest
inhabitants only could show the way up
with any degree OF safety or certainty; if
one did manage to get up, doors-in va
rlous stages OF apparent inebriety-op-
ened on to the various landings, and
gave passers-by view (and sniff of
different conditions of poverty, each
stage upwards being seven times worse
than the preceding; and yet, here, amid
vice, disease, CRIME, all that is awful and
horrible in life, hearts beat with love.
yes love, although they know 10 more of
God than Of Sankrit of the language
of our forefathers antediluvian, for be-
lieve the place was even too foul for
missionaries. The place has gone now,
large brick mansions having usurped the
spot, in which rich ladies live who are
all virtue, and love and holiness, and
nineteenth century hypocrisy. After
one would think he had got to the top, a
last flight of stairs would be found-the
tourth--steep, narrow and more rotten
than the others, leading to the topmost
room, the attic. Attic did I say it was
hardly worthy Of the name. The ceiling
sloped till it met the floor on all sides,
and, oh! such hoor-there were pools
OF water on it for carpet, let in by the
roof during every storm such as was
pouring now, and it was worm eaten and
rotten. There were no windows, what
light they had came in with the rain and
smoke and wind, no fire, no food, no fur
niture, but moaning, half-dead woman
on bundle of straw and rags in the
least cold corner of the howell.
"Oh ye ladies and danes, her bed
had no soft pillows, no warm coverlet, or
rose tinted curtains, but pain, fever,
hunger and cold to make her toss and
moan; her eyes and cheeks had so sunk
that her head looked more like the skull
of one who had been dead for years. es-
peclally in the dim hight, than of a liv-
ing creature and woman, and there she
lay moaning and writhing in pain.
One would hardly think she had ever
been pretty, and yet, forty years ago,
she had been the belle OF ali her little
circle, and made a capital marriage when
she went to church with John. What a
strong, loving man he was-how loving
now-although he is bent with age, care,
want and hunger q! How we'll they had
managed at first !! He was his masters
right hand man, till his master failed,
but he soon gained another place, but
there he had an accident, and then-oh
his master discharged him, and got
servant who could work quickly tor less
rnoney-and since that they had sunk
lower and lower III poverty, as age crept
on, and friends fell off, till now, in their
old age, she is lying moaning and starry
lngsand he
The sound Of some one coming no
stairs made the woman lift her head and
listen. Yes! it is Johns step; you can
hear be walks lame as he comes. pausing
every few steps to gain his breath, for he
IS old-no strong John is he now, but
loving Join for aye.
"John, is that you?"
eyes, lass, it's me-" (she was his lass
silly. "Aye, aud I've got things to eat,
aud things to drink, and when ye've fed
yen leave here, and we'll have a fire.
No more cold nights for ye Here, eat,
lass!' And slowly seating himself on
the floor by his wife, he lifted her up
with his arms, and placed before her
dainties for her to eat, whilst his arm
supplied the place Of the strength she
would never have again.
Eat, lass! l say. why don't ye eat?
bought them for ye! Why, they'll make
ye strong and-why don't We eat? Ye
are not too far gone, are we, lass?" And
wonder of pathos was there in his
cracked old voice. "There, eat then;
there's heaps and heaps where I got
that. met a gentleman-oh! such
kind gentiemun-and he gave me all
these, and he gave me money and.
Why don ye eat. lass? Dye think it's
poisoned? I tell We there's heaps NOR.
where that came from, and I've got heaps
OF gold; look!' land he pulled some gold
and silver from his pocket); card there's
more TO come from where that come.
It's a gold mine Eve found. Why dou't
5e cat, lass ? (almost savagely) could
not lose ye, lass!" And bis voice was
full Of tears.
"John "(her voice had sunk to the
merest whisper). what ais ye, man?
not thieve the mouey?"
What, what?" said lie, husisiIy; who
said thieve? What's the matter with
my talk? Why don't you eat, eat, eat,
eat, and I'll have doctor chap, and
we'll fatten you up; yes, by God, we
will p
On and on he ran, with a glib tongue,
the same words over aud over again,
with but little alteration except in the
order Of the sentences; his eyes except
when gazing at his wife, were peering
through the darkening air towards the
door, as though he expected to see some
one, and his ear seemed strained, as
though fearfully, yet trying to catch each
sound in the house, and all the time there
was an awful, senseless smile on his
. wrinkled face, as though he had done
something over which he inwardly
gloated.
"Why don't You eat, John -"
I've fed. All on gold; there was
heaps, and heaps, and heaps, piles; and
I'm glutted, and want all I have for
You. I could not lose you, lass! /
could not lose you, lass!'' The last sen.
fence he kept grooming to himself, as
fhnnRh he had fnru0ffan tho .noan;,,o.