Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-12-25

"Dd Pautp; ~, sara believe Alright Z"
Then the ladies clutched t1eai Ar nu"""'
Thinking the man wou.u uio'
struck by q bolt or sometnlnS,
Nv the outraged One on n'gh'
But the pauper sat for a moment
Then rose mid silence grim,
ror the others bad ceased to cnatter'
And trembled in every limb.
He looked at the guardians iadies'
Then, eyeing their lords, ne saio'
~ can eat not the food OF viilalns'
whose hands are foul and RED;
Whose victims CRY for vengeance
From their dark, unhallowed graves.
"He's drunk" said the worknouS'
master,
aOr eIse he's mad, and raves"
.Not DRINK or mad,' cried the pauper
aBut only a hunted beast,
Who. torn by the hounds, and mankled,
Declines the vuIture's feast.
Ioare not a curse for the guardians,
And won't be dragged away.
Just let me have the fit out
lie only ON Christmas day
That the black past comes to goad me-
And prey ON my burning brain;
III tell Won the rest in whisper,
Iswear won't shout again.
gep your hands of mo. curse you!
Hsar mo right out 10 tho end.
You came here to see how paupers
Tho season Of Christmas spend.
AA~ kn- ~
A they watch the captured beast.
Hear why penniless pauper
6pits on your paltry feast.
Do you think l will take your bounty,
And lot you smile, and.think
You're deinR nsblo action
With tho pariah's meat and drink
whore il my wife, you traitors!
The Door old wife v0u slew?
Yes, by tho Goo above %,
Ny Nance was killed By you!
Last winter my wife lay dying.
Starved in q filthy den;
had never been TO the parish
came TO the parish then.
Iswallowed my pride In coming.
For, ere the ruin came,
held up my head - . trader,
And bore spotlesD name.
II came 70 the parish, craving
Bread for . starving wife,
Neoaa for the woman Who loved mo
Through hfty years Of life;
A11 what do you think they told me,
hooking my awful grief
That the House was opeu to M,
But they wouldn't give out relief.'
VI alunk to the filthy alley
Twas q cold, raw Christmas eve
And the bakers shops were open,
Tonpting man TO thieve;
But clenched my fists together,
Holding my head awry,
20 came 10 her empty -hanoed,
Ani mournfully told her Why.
.Then I told her the House. vas open
She had heard Of the ways OF that,
For her bloodless cheeks went crimson
And mp in her rage she sat,
Crying, 'Bide the Christmas here, John
We've never bad Ona apart
Think I can bear the hunger
Tho other would break my heart
AL through that eve watched her,
Holding her hand In mine,
Pfaying the Lord, and weeping
Till my lips were as salt a. brine.
asked her once II she hunQered,
And she answered No.
The moon shone In ct the window
Bet In Q wreath Of snow.
Then tho room was bathsd In glory,
And ! saw In my dArlinR's eyes,
Ths far away look Of wonder
That comes when the spirit dies;
And her lips were parched and parted,
And her reason came and went,
For che raved of our homo in Devon,
Where our happiest years were spens
.And the accents long forgotten,
Came back to the tongue oncc more
For she talked like the country lassie
vooed by the Devon shore.
Thea abe rose to her feet and tremble'
And fell ON the rags and moaned,.
Ana Give me q crust--Fm famiohed-
Tor the love Of God ! she Rroaned.
.lTashed from the room like . ma
man.
And flew TO the workhouss gate,
Crying 'Feod for dying woman
And the answer came Too late
They drove mo away with curses
Then fought with 3 dog in the etrc'
And tore from the mougrsl's clutches
A crust he was trying TO eat.
Back. through the filthy by-lanee!
Back, through the tramplsd slush !
Up TO the crazy Rarres.
Wrapped 10 an awful hush.
Ny heart sank down at the threshold
And paused With . sudden thrill,
For there, in the ghassly moonlight,
Ny Nancy lay, celd and still.
Up 10 the blackened ceiling
The sunken eyes vefe cast--
] knew on thoss lips, all bloodisaa,
Ny name bad been the last;
UAe called for her absent hushand-
O God had but known -
Had called in vain, and In anguish
Had died In that deu-dlose.
sYes, there, in land Of plenty,
Lay loving woman dead.
Olslly starved and murdered
For Z loaf Of tho parish bread.
q yonder gate, at Christmas,
eraved for hunaan life.
Ioa. Who would feast % paupers,
Hast Of ny msrdsred etsf'
There, get ye gone 10 your dinners ;
Don't mind me In tho least
1eink Of the happy psupes
Eating your Ohristmas feast /;
Aed whom yoa recount their blessing
10 your smuG paroohial way.
- What you did for nae, t,0,
On last Christmas Day :"
"A 0lowN0 Towx.-The boom
voehalis has setin, and before Janu
Us6, this city will number 1000 p
Tho outside woTld 10 Just dnd
~ that there 10 something here g
~ back town. Four new stores
- 70 be in running order, and ct
Sa Aeaees ara to be started. Come :
20 to the hammers and satisfy 70
-Chehsiis Nugget.
nmore oysters, five days from
sne best ever brought 81 this IN
sssFy CASE warranted at the c,
market on Front and Sen