Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-02-23
A STRANGE BATTLE.
ONR IN WHICH MANY TO-DAY ARE
ENGAGED.
a Msther,s Love Eat les Her TO Meet and
Overcome fhe Ga unit Welt.

a Msther's Love bIes Her to Meet and
Overcome Tho &Aunt Well.
Nothing but the wall OF q cnild-a
child two years old-asleep on the bed,
Ind yet it broke out 30 suddenly, and II
,ad such a long.drawn quaver in it that
he mother started up with q scream.
A stoves table, bed, two or three
chairs-a aome in xhich a weak woman
wae battling With sickness and poverty.
My asking for the bare necessities OF
life, and yet finding the battle going
against her more and more as the days
passed on. On this night there was not
u mouthful in that house to cat. A
hungry mouse could not have picked up
rust or crumb. The last bit Of bread
had been given 20 the child at dusk,
md now as It walled out the mother
clasped her hands and gasped:
IT he awakes and cries for bread
what then ?" /
Welt What then? It vas only a
quare to the river with it's cold, dark
current. She could say TO the angels
in Heaven :s"It was either that OF
starvation" and they wohld not judge
her too hAshly.a ii I
As she sat there with beating heart
and an1ionsfears, fhe Nm light making
queer shadows dance about the room, a
low, fierce growl made her heart stand
still. The door had not swung open,
and yet a gannt wolf had found its way
into the room. It stood there with
blood.shot eyes looking into hers-its
red tongue lolling from its mouth an d
hecks OF foam falling to the floor. It's
shaggy fur was stained and ~discolored :
It's yellow fangs. clashing and grinding
aspectacle to have made a hunters heart
beat like o Gagged bird. I .ta
1t was the Wolf Of Starvation-tbe
fierce brute which never tires-which is
ever on the hunt for the helpless and
weak-whieh gfowts with delight as the
walls Of despair and hunger reach its
,ars. It has scented its prey from afar,
and its fangs were sharpened TO rend
and tear and devour. =
For a moment the mothers heart
stood still and she gasped for breath.
Then, as SID resiized the horror of the
situation, shoIros9up andnrMd puts:
You haxaIko4e 70 drink the blood of
my child III fight you to the death p
She had no weapon but the thin
hands which had toiled and ached for
long yearsAno hopes but those born OF
q mothers love and affection for her Off
spring, but she sprung at the gaunt,
strong beast and the battle begun, De.
spair gave her strength-love steeled
her heart The beast retreated with
fierce growls as she sprang forward 'e
clutch him, and as che stood in the cen
tire Of the room she became q magnet
round which he circled.
Now he slowly circles to the right, hit
red eyes watching her bony fingers, a.
they nervously worked, and every hail
on his back standing up in anger. Sht
turns slowly, always looking straigh'
into his eyes-ready to clutch ct hi
throat when he springs. Now he halt
and glares at her, growing, shifting
finging the fecks Of foam to the RICH
and left and grinding those horrlbl
iangs. Now he circles to the left
cringing, ~skulking, crawling like a ser
rent-watching to find her of her guard
The child Is aroused by the patter Q
the beasts feet and the labored breath
ing Of the mother, and he sits up a silen
Witness Of the scene. 'Hisface is white
han s1ow-his eyes Re big With teup
his lseert chokesA him. 1920
beast spepgs, sHithsYer
Of rage( AdGiumph ; springs fuhA d
ms preudSnd ths valpA1rs hands oluto
his thr4sk They weave t0And fse. The
staggcrkhis way and thnk His yello,
fangs sraSe her flesh aud draw blood
and the Mam.fccks are stained crimson
The child looks on VIII : fase ieatio
born oihorror. He hears the .G5sh {
teeth % the Mws meet-he notes th
fury Of the vengeful eyes-his youn
hear seems to he stabbed at the sigh
Of the mo4her's grim despair.
such . battlei such q prize if tn
gaunt, bangry beast, succeeds-such
victoryAthe strength of a fainting. dc
spairingNnman holds ont 10 save the lii
OF her G1d.~ With a cry to Heaven 70
aid she knpall her strength for on
great d1ert and hurls the beast acrcs
h rodn-- Hats back again i'll n mr.
ment. And,noshe circles to the right
now tohehIt-now-w /,
A step on'ths hairs, The beastha{
in his firclinr, his saH work rcreoash
and As lhe steps cotne-uearer his grow
ehAng.s = WINE aed ". sl9ks s2t
door is Quart. -a.sp
within, food u aAsAet nd M
T: Tas 61N4ss:. r.