Smyrna times., 1885-04-15
The Dark Hour.

DISQUALIFICATION Vi NAtS lJtlIs NO VI
Tended the Lord, somehow, and he
won't let me have q chance to keep a
home over your heads. know I'm not
all ought to be, and I'm punished.
Becky went across the room and
patted her husband on the back.
"Now don't take on Nick, don't she
said. THAT can't he, for He as knows
all knows how good YOU are. Better
times Il come They're sure to; and
you'll be rewarded for all your patience
yet. The darkest hour is just before
day.
III cobbler shook his head.
"Tve gin up hope, Becky, he said,
"what with the rent and bill for medi-
cine. It was like me to get sick just at
the worst, and no work coming in; and
the new shop with gilt sign tempting
folks from our shabby basement even
for the mending Of their Old shoes.
Pm crushed down Why, you are as
thin and white as a ghost You haven't
tasted meat t.i' wee :, Becky"
"No more have you, said Becky.
"But In, why there is folks thinks meat
uuhulsome Wegetarians, Nick, they
call en- where l iyed out once l saw
one.
"Did he say bread was unhulsome
too?' asked Nicl. "Oh, gal, 1 wish
I'd left We living out at service, rosy,
bright and happy but meant to do
better I did If was an able-bodied
man I'd work somehow and somewhere,
but it's the last or nothing with me.
Becky, why didn't you take Tim Rolf,
the wh.clwright, and send the little
limping cobber about his business ?"
81 don't like Tim, said Becky, land
Ijust knew how nice and cosey we'd be
together Never quarrel, Nick. And
how we used to go to Hobohken and
have lemonade in the garden, and come
home artcr dark an afternoon, and how
we used to go to church Sunday morn
ing in clothes as good as any ones.
Used, sighed poor Nick.
"Why, it can't be all up hill, said
Becky. 4 haven't time to go out gal
livanting now, but la I don't miss it.
We're steady married folks now, you
know"
"Oh, Becky !" said the cobbler, "yor
try to keep up heart, but you know it's
come to starving.
They looked at each other, and ther
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 t,
reverse matters She hugged him VI
to her shoulder and covered his heaC
over with her apron, and put her cheel
down outside the bundle thus made
and smoothed and patted him as if h,
had been baby. But she cried, too
and the apron was wet through in n
, time.
It was a bad state of things. N
money, no food, no fire, and winter q
its coldest the children sent to schoc
brealIfastless for the sake of the warmt
and comfort of the schoolhouse u
work to be had the little cobbler a
helpless as man could well be, exceL
= at his trade, and Becky's washin
stopped, for Heaven only knew no
long, by great felon in the palm {
her right hand.
But Becky loved the queer little mo
A tai she had married so well that sI
stopped crying first, and picked up h
= head and patted it, and kissed him b
tween the eyes great, frightened ligh
blue eyes, that seemed made for crying
"You stay home and mind the place
:, she said. I'm going out a while. Pc
haps there1l be bit of luck-wl
knows ?"
N She put on her bonnet and shawl J.
such thin little shawl, which had bee
used for an ironing Goth, and had {
> iron-shaped scorch between the shou
nj ders-and took up basket.
ct The cObbler looked at her.
lp Becky he said, hoarsel
Is Becky"
She knew just what he meant.
t. "The little children, Nick" it wol
.sn ei seem like begging when it's for then
nd Then the door shut behind her, a.
poor Nick limped after her, as thou
NJ to stop her, then paused and fairly flu
himself down upon the floor, wishil
he were under the ground beneath
"God forgive the man that MARI
a woman to starve her" he sObb,
7, "Why, if I'd known it would have col
nd nd to this I'd never have courted her.
fer time I was dead.
gItTe Perhaps, being IL strange, impuls
little fellow, there might have been
tragic end to this scene but that childl
came in from school and began to C
partly at the sight of their prostr
father, partly because of hunger, a
Nick forgot himself to do what he COT
for them.
He had no dinner, but he had a gr'
Co. deal of love to give them, and so
~ pieces of red kid. Only the young
chewed the kid. And the fact &
4 "mother and the basket we're gone
AO' gether impressed them with hope
provisions.
. Meanwhile, Becky had gone alb
ging. 1t would be horrible, no dou
she thought, to take food fl
strangers but she found there was
Y thing even more terrible-not to take
US Door after door was slammed in
face. Once dog was set at her, or
az thought so.
Professional beggars had made tn
selves nuisances to many peol
and how were they to know ]
er' poverty when it asked almsP \
J ths is whom they had pitied as paupers pro
4. to be owners of real estate. CripI
and blind men whom they had al
were found to have bound up str
limbs and glued their eyes together
they were hard upon real distress