, 1885-12-11
THE E REFORM.


love money. II became the greatest
pleasure of my existence to coun up my
gains. aud to add dollar TO dollar.
The house | had furnished SO prcttily
for Marie. and which she had taken such
pride in. left to itself began to show signs
Of neglect For "A time / retained the old
housekeeper to brighten up things and
keep them tidy. but that luxury cost too
much, and / dismissed her.
Then. not liking to see the pretty things
that had been So dear TO Marie 70 to de
cay through dust aud neglect. l had them
carried up to the great garnet that er-
tended the whole length Of the house.
l did feel for a time very unhappy
when they were all banished. and / was
left with the bare boards and two or
three chairs. but consoled myself by Tho
rejection that some day ! would have
them all back again. I
l turned the once cheerful room ia
which had spent so many pleasant hours
with my wife and little one into a sort of
second Office, and thore | slept. ate my
scaniy meals and did much of my work.
1t was Il sordid. sorry life. denied my
self every comfort, almost. but that Of
fire. in the dead Of winter. That | would
have. and Of the best hickory, no matter
what II cost. Meats and delicacies /
could do without. books and comforts OF
many sorts. but a hire. that was the one
link that bound mt to the instincts of my
kind.
| grew shabby. seedY. lean and ugly.
My hair began to stand up on my head
through lack OF sufficient moisture. my
eyes grew hollow. my cheeks were sdnken.
and | looked like what / was, a miser.
To gather gold. 10 count 1t. to gloat over
lis accumulation. and That for Its own
worshipcd sake. became the ruling pas
sion Of my life.
No houses and lands and friends that
might have been bought. but gold. gold.
gold! Tor this / shaved, neglected my
kind. and denied God
| shall never forget Tuesday. the 18th
day Of anuary. Ammo Domini eighteen
hundred and %sixty.seven. That Is the
way | have written it down In my day
book.
Imagine, me coming to my solitary
house, In the lower part of the great city
Of New York. hemmed in by ware
houses
say. imagine me shivering in my thin
coat. buttoned over a pocketbook rs
plethoric as was lean. entering the IN
painted and cobwebbed front door and
walking through the large hall. solacing
myself with the thought hat | should
soon be comfortable in front Of a blazing
ire, and tnding. as l opened the door to
my own den. a great red fame upon The
hearth. and COW ering over il. the thin, al
most skeleton form Of a child.
Shall / over forget the unearthly look
Of the great dark eyes she turned upon
me. eyes thar seemed TO light up the cry
corners Of tho room. 10 my frightened ex.
cited fancy. came forward slowly she
never stirred. only continued TO gaze at
me with q strained. pitiful expression. I'M
81 she spoke. seeing | came to q pause.
-, h. the fire is so good"
What do you mean Who are your
How did you get herel" I asked %slernly.
Il crawled In through the bars. down
into the cellar. | guess l staid there all
night Oh, II was SO dark and coidl but
I'm used 10 that now. Then | found the
cellar'door. and it was open. aud so l
came here. and there was Goals on the
hearth. aud | made a FIRE.
II the child had not been pretty. 1 an
sorry TO be compelled 10 say pretty in
spite Of the CRIME, the rags. and marks Of
hard living. and perhaps brutal treatment.
or il she had come there in any other
fashion. at the door us a mendicant. or
even been sent there by my friend. !
should have expelled her on the instant.
but she had thrown herself upon my
bounty-the fire lit up the dark eyes that
somehow made me think of those of my
own little pet-she had stood her ground
without flinching-she had prepared an
agreeable surprise by making the fire. for
l was very cold. and she did not seem in
the least afraid of me.
" here do you ~belong?" l asked.
Il don I belong anywhere. -
We'll. who takes care of you? Who
do you live WITH"
Il don't live with anybody. 1 haven't
got any home, Mother died and father
died long ago, aud I'm all alone by my
self.
Her words aud manner touched ma
but avarice was tugging at my heart /
grudged this poor mite the little food she
would require
We'll. you've got warm now; / can't
keep you any longer-there is the way to
the door. " / said.
She rose up. holding the rags of her
shawl together, aud thon / saw that her
arms and chest were bare. for her dress
was a summer one, probably some Cos.
m thing that had been given her.
She looked at me p~leadlngly. and for the
life Of me | could tlink OF nothing but
the eyes Of my dead child.
II rushed over Inc as | followed her 10
the door: Fancy If this was your own
little Kitty, and my heart began 10 beat
furiously.
As l opened the door a cold wind blew
In that chilled me to the core. and the
child looked p~itifully up to me again. |
couldn't stand IT. | took her by the
shoulder. and led her back to the fire,
and, though / didn't know it, the tears
were rolling down nv cheeks. | who
hadn't wept since l laid my darlings to-
gether in their last cold bed.
The child staid that night. and was
quite ready the next morning to 20 out
and beg. but the good angel who stood at
my side the night before prompted me
again
DC you think you could do anything
10 pay for your keep l asked her.
: hi" and Der hands came together.
III clean up everything. and 10 ust
what you tell me I'm So tired OF being
cold and hungry
Then stay. " | said, my eyes snsp.c.
lousy full again. That day ] had some
thing to think Of besides gain shut no
my Oh ce earlier, pulled my hat over my
eyes, and went acrVss tue city 10 the shop
of a German Jew. and there | bought
what | thought the child needed. ready
made IL cost a good many twinges-
the soul Of the miser vas almost rent In
twain. ty the time l reached my own
door l hnd called myself n fool al least
twenty times, and fully expected 10
mud the child gone with everything she
could lay her hands on. But no, there
was the fire blazing. this hearth swept up,
the floor washed, and the room. even
with It's scant furniture. so homelike and
aitnlctive that my hesrt began to throb
with human pulses again. The girl had
washed. made herself as tidy as possible
with her scaut opportunities. ani looked
really beautiful In tho glow OF the even
ing IRE. That night she sat beside me.
dressed ia the warm and comfortable
Speaking of children being troubled
with Group, Mr.. o. b. Hayden. druggist,
Panon, Ia, says; Il have used Cham
berlain's Cough Remedy in the treatment
of Group in my family for the past three
or four years ant have invariably had sat
isfactory results from its administration.