The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-04-12
THE DARK HOUR.

sits no use, Becky, said the little lamt
cobbler, dropping his head upon his hands
and looking as he felt, the personifcatior
of despair, 1--WE offended the Lord, some
how, and he won't let me have chance Il
keep roof over your head. know I'm
not all ought to be, and I'm punished.
Becky went across the room and patted
her husband on the back.
CHOW don't take on, Nick, don't, she
said. s'That can't be, for he as knows all
knows how good you are. Better times II
come. They're sure to; and you'll be re-
warded for all your patience yet. The
darkest hour is just before dawn"
The cobbler shook his head.
ssIve gin up hops, Becky, he said,
what with the bill Tor medicine aud rent.
It was like me to get sick just at the worst,
and no work coming in; and new shop
with the gilt sign tempting people from
our shabby basement even for the mend
ing of the old shoes. I'm crushed down.
Why you're as thin and white as a ghost.
You haven't tasted meat this week Becky.
ssNo more have you" said Becky. 'But
la. there are folks as consider meat unhul-
some. Wegetarians, Nick. they call 'em;
where I lived once l saw one."
ssDid he say bread was unhulsome too ?"
living out at service, rosy bright and hap
py. But meant to do better, did. If /
was an able-bodied man I'd work somehow
and somewhere, but it's the last or moth
ing with me. Becky, why didn't you take
Tim Rolf, the wheelwright, and send the
little cobbler about his business.
81 don't like Tim. and knew how nice
and cosy we'd be together" said Becky
Never q quarrel, Nick And how we used
to 90 to Hoboken and have lemonade in
the garden, and come home arter dark an
afternoon, and how we used to go to
church Sunday morning in clothes as good
as anyones."
used sighed Nick.
'sWhy, it cant be all up hill" said Becky.
ST haven't time to go cut gallivanting now,
but, la. I don't miss it. We're steady mar
ried folks now, you know"
ooh, Becky {" said the cobbler, ssyou
try to keep up heart, but yon know it's
come to starving"
They looked at each other, and then
Becky put her arms about her husband.
She did not weep upon his bosom she was
so big and strong and he SO small and frail
that it only seemed natural to reverse mat
tiers. She Rugged him up to her shoulder
and covered his head over with her apron,
and put her cheek down outside the bundle
thus made, and smoothed and patted him
as if he had been baby. But she cried,
too, and tho apron was wet through in no
time
1t was a bad state of things. No money,
no food, no fire, and winter at its csldest;
the children sent to school breakfastless
for the sake of the warmth and comfort of
the schoolhouse; no work to be had the
little cobbler as helpless as man could well
be, except at his trade, and Becky's wash
ing stopped, for Heaven only knew how
long. by great felon in the palm of her
right hand.
But Becky loved the queer little mortal
she had married so well that she stopped
crying first, and picked up his head and
patted it, and kissed him between the eyes
great, frightened light-blue eyes, that
seemed made for crying.
"You stay home and mind the place"
,she said. ssIm going out while Per-
haps theren be a bit of luck-who knows Z"
She put on her bonnet and shawl-such
a thin little shawl, which had been used
for an ironing cloth, and had an IRON
shaped scorch between the shoulders and
took up basket. HS
The cobbler looked at her.
Becky !" he said, hoarsely Becky I"
She knew just what he meant.
Sc The little children, Nick" it won't seem
like begging when it's for them"
Then the door shut behind her, and poor
Nick hmped after her, as though to stop
her, then paused and fairly flung himself
down upon the floor, Wishing he were
under the ground beneath it.
"God forgive the man that marries a
woman to starve her." he sobbed g Why,
if I'd known it would have come to this I'd
never have courted her. It's time l was
dead"
Perhaps, being a strange, impulsive little
fellow, there might have been tragic end
to this scene but that children came in from
school and began to crys partly at the sight
of their PROSTATE father, partly because OF
hunger, and Nick forgot himself to do what
he could for them.
He had no dinner, but he had great deal
OF love to give them, and some pieces of
red kid. Only the youngest chewed the
kid. And the fact that mother and the
basket were gone together impressed them
with hope of provisions.
Meanwhile, Becky had gone a-begging
Itwould be horrible, no doubt, she thought,
to take food from strangers but she found
there was one thing even more terrible
not to take it.
Door after door was slammed in her face.
Once dog was set at her, or she thought
SO. F,,.,fe.,s,5 * f.ss
Professional beggars had made them
selves nuisances to many people, and how
were they to know real poverty when il
asked aims? Men whom they had pitied
as paupers proved to be owners Of real
estate. Cripple and blind men whom they
had aided were found to have bound up
strong limbs and glued their eyes together
80 they were hard upon real distress and
refused it broken bread. s-'
At six that evening Becky stood at q
street corner with one crust in her basket
mo more. . s1a @
Beyond lay pawn-broker's shop, and
Becky looked at its golden balls and at hel
wedding ring. She had worn it fftten
years, and it was thin and frail, but pure
gold. Through all she had kept it unit
now. Must it gog The thought was worse
than begging. Ue
Becky took step forward, another back
Then she began to cry a little. Nick's rinl
that he put On her hand SO long ago. oh
dear, oh, dear }ek
But she grew brave again, and walked
into the shop and pawned the ring II wa
not much they gave her for It, but 1t wouk
buy supper, and perhaps Nick wouldn'
notice, and perhaps she eouldlget 1t back
That was very faint " perhaps" however
A woman was in the pawnshop as All
waited, bargaining with the proprietor owe
suit Of little girls clothing costly things
strangely out Of place in her hands. Beck
noticed this, saying to herself that the
were never fairly come by. But she ha'
forgotten all about it when, coming out Q
the bakers little voice fell on her ear
and, looking down, she saw q barefoot chil
Of four, ia wretehed rags, sobbing pitt
ppsly. s.
Becky vas soft Of heart but in poo