West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1883-12-21

the morrow. hHu money and a wife
and children. l was warmly Glad aud
in the best Of health. The bitter cold
was nothing to me. and those 40 home
bad every comfort
halted whit crowd before a Grand
show-window, and there. so near that
could have pulled her rags, was one
OF my victims. She was "A woman OF
iity. gaunt, pinchcd, rag red, and great
black eyes which hNl the look of some
hunted animal. saw all this at
glance and turned away. What was il
20 me whether she wore silk or rags?
Why should | care whether she was
penniless or had plenty2 Was it my
business TO ask whether she had food
and fire whether she was wife or
widow whether children waited for
her I'm some wrctched room, or whether
she lived alone and had money boarded
up.
You wouldn't have asked Not one
man in ten thousand would have cared.
What Is one poor old woman more or
less TO the crowds who surged up and
| down the busy streets OF a busy city
was going home with presents for
all with bright anticipatons - with
gratitude i'm my heart that | had some
one to love. when that woman met me
face to face. Snowllakos were fallinr
on the old shawl covering her head, and
the face which hunger had pinched was
pinchcd again with the cold. Her
great, fear-hauntcd eyes looked square
ly into mine rs she held out her hand.
She did not speak. That bare arm
the skeleton iingers-the rags We're
enough
Then | committed foul crime. Ibid
N" strike her, nor brush her aside. nor
curse her. | read her poverty and her
suffering in single glance, and |
turned away and passed on. She was
beggar Perhaps she was drunkard
as well. How did know that She had
not been released from the work-housc
that very aflernoonp If she was old and
poor and friendlc,s her place was in the
poor-hOuse
looked back over my shoulder and
there she stood. hand outstretched tow
ards me as if she were PRAYING TO God
to soften my heart and bring me back.
and had faith that he would answer her
prayer,
But did not halt; | felt stab. but
L conquered IL, and said to my accusing
conscience: BE still. YOU might rive
every dollar you possess to the poor.
and you would receive no thanks! .
That night when all the little stock
ings had been filed, and wife and had
expressed our gratitude for the blessings
OF life and the good health which had
been ours for years. | slept to dream. |
dreamed of the gaunt woman who had
asked for aims. | dreamed Of a hovcl
IN which there was neither food nor
hre nor lamp. | dreamed that | fol-
lowed her home and heard means and
sobs and prayers as | listened mt the
door, tried to open it but it
would not yield. | tried 10 cry out that
/ had come to help her. but the words
would not come. | wanted TO give her
| money, and tell her that | had mis-
Judged her and would help to mako it n
happy Christmas by sending food and
fuel, but while | struggled to speak a
form stole past me into the wretched
abode and whispered
- 1t is too late!
When the morning dawned I could
not rest. ! hurried out and walked the
streets, scanning every face and figure.
and hoping against hope that | would
| meet my victim l could not find her
! Then L left the streets and iourneVcd
through alleys where 1 had seen the
pale faces of the poor peering through
shattered panes. BY and by | came to
n time-beaten, desolate-looking Lovel
half buried under the snow. Frost COW
cred the panes and snow had driftcd
over the doorstep. / looked for smoke
from the chimney, but none came forth.
| listened for sounds Of human voices.
| but listened in vain.
Then l felt myself criminal and
! trcmbled as If the law had laid its hand
upon me. l would have run away. but
some strange power prevented and
urged me nearer. / knocked at the
| door No answer. / tapped on the
window. All was silent
Then l opened the door and stepped
in. | had committed murder and like
other murderers had been drawn back
TO the scene by some strange fascina-
ton. In chair-the only one i'm the
hovcl-sat the woman who had held out
her hand TO me. Her face was held i'm
her hands, and she seemed to have
shriveled up. On the bed on the RAGS
and straw covered with RAGS and
locked in each others arms, were the
Children girl of nine and boy Of
twelve. On the wall near by were two
stockings and ragged and worn.
but hung there for Santa Claus
The stockings were empty. touched
tho woman and called. "Good-morn-
ing" but she did not move.
bent over the children and shouted.
MERRY Christmas but they did not
awake.
They were dead In my dream had
seen specter pass me and enter. IL
was the Specter of death. Hunger and
cold and sickness and despair had in
vitcd him i'm.
And ] where is my defensep
could have given, and / did not. One
single coin would have given them
bread that night The hundredth part
Of the contents Of my purse would have
lighted and warmed and fed them and
placed tokens OF % mother s. love i'm the
ragged stockings.
Iuat was my crime. n accuses me
by day and comes 10 me i'm my dreams
/ by night / give and give. but that
voice is ever whispering. "It is too
late"'
She Knew Him by Ills Broken Toe.
/ There came TO Boston last week q
gentleman from California, who was
FFI. d.