, 1885-06-14
TRAGEDY


th~OrOughfares, ana many people pass
my door daily with whom I have no nc
quaintaEoe.
These persons are not exactly those
who are called day laborers, but te,ong
TO that great class Of working people
who aro employed in laboratories and
factories, in telegraph and telephone Of
fees, and in anu about rail wa stations
and the like. Among them all was one
man whom for many months ] noticed
special T. Ii was not that his face was in
any way remarkable for beauty or at
tractiveness. Indeed had it not been
for the expression it might well have
been called n very ordinary one-but
there wa something in the steady eyes
and in the sweetness and strength about
the mouth which ! found very interest
ing
When | first saw him he was already
vcrging upon middle age, but his step
WIS still sprightly, and his honest eyes
looked out brayely and cheerfully from
4 friendly couutenance.
There was occasionally in his co npany
a young woman, who evidently came
out TO meet him. This happened often
est in spring and summer evenings
when the days here are at their longest
and finest. | used often then to watch
for them. for il was nlensant 10 SEQ the
shining Of the mans conntenanee and
the shy smile with which the girl
would turn To listen Ia him
needed to be no ~clairyoyant TO dis
Germ how matters stood between them
nor to guess that each had chosen wisely
and well. AS the days slipped onward
| perceived hy changes in thoir monner
that nv younp people had been mar
ried. Tho gir7 came now almost daily
to meet the man. She no lonper held
herself shyly aloof. but leaned oneniv
upon his arm as she walked beside him
They were always talking eagerly and
c~oniidentiallv together- and / eonI1 wall
fancy the little domestic "details She was
giving him. or Imagine tho story of hnsi-
ness worries or Successes which he
poured INTO the enr which listened an
sympathetically.
After a fine il seemed to mo that the
world was GOING bardIv w Nh my vonnS
people. her dress. which Ind aIwav - bse5
Main and unobstfusive NOW ornw more
and more simnls. and / missed tho bitsof
| ribJon or dainty adornment- which had
heretofore made II trash and i,rntv
NV friends foce too grey ~ have any.
ions Limos about il noticed bow lie
! raw hat did duty until late in The an.
tumn. and how s6inin1 and threadbare
WAS his clothing win ali tho seams
showing White ahout them II nained
me. too as the weather grow severe n
observe how scantily he was nrotectad
from the winds of winter and how be
stroye with comforter and mittens IN
supply the place of the much .neednd
ereat-coat. Bnt the shabbier rr,,w nv
friends exterior the more nohle and
beautiful became his eountenanee. and
the very soul of patience and conraee
seemed TO Iook ouf M me from bis earn
est ewes.
i or a time | lost SIGHT of tho vopno
woman. but at last one dav h came
walking slowly and dragging with some
c. ort. a baby carriage Tehfnd her
was shocked 10 see the hanoe 4 few
weeks had wrought in her anfeorance
Her ewes were shining So rrlliantlv
such n vivid hectic spot burned mon
either check and the iourh was so bol.
low ana frequ Mt that felt nv heart
sink within me. II NAV seem Strnnge
that made no ofrort To know nersons
ally these people in whom was 81
deeply interested. but class DISTINCTION,
are The most impassablo Of barriers
here in ropubhean 4merica I
knew that they desired no helm or
charity. but would have escnted bit.
terly any advance which they might
have construed into oteious interior.
ence or even offensive patronage on NV
part. So wa, forced 10 content nv
self with watching and uityinq them
from afar The poor baby was always
so frail and delicated "A creature win
seemingly so loose a hold on lie. that |
was not surprised when very soon the
young mother came walking alone and
desolate and drawing no baby earriare
behind her. Her dress vas a cheap
black print, and the man when he met
her had on his shabby hat a scrap OF
rusty black Grape 10y way of mourning.
After this they showed even more
plainly the pinch of overtv and | could
well fancy how their little hoard had
dwindled with the xrense of the
baby illness, death and funeral. The
poor Young mother began to shrink and
dwindle rapidly also, and seemed al.
most TO vanish away like the snow in
spring time. She came very seldom now
to meet her husband, and when she did
so leaned heavily upon his arm and
walked slowly and YEARLY, and the face
was drawn and white which had so
lately been wreathed with smiles and
dimples.
And very soon she came no more to
meet him. | still saw him almost daily.
but he had suddenly grown old and
STOPPING. His youth seemed to have
dropped away from him like a garment.
His hair grew gray and scanf, almost
in a night season, and his face which
had long been so pathetic. now appeared
to me almost sublime in It's pain and
patience. No Youthful comeliness could
have seemed TO me half so touching or
beautiful as that worn face with its