Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-02-12
THE MISER'S REFORM


ing wife and child while / was still
young man broke me down For time
didn't care whether lived or died, but
still kept on with my business. and
presently l found myself beginning to
lore money. Ii became the greatest
pleasure of my existence 10 count up my
gains and TO add dollar 10 dollar.
The house | had furnished so prettily
for Marie. and which she had taken such
pride in, left to itself began to show signs
Of neglect For 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 go TO de
cay through dust and neglect, had them
carried up TO the great garnet that ex-
tended the whole length of the house.
! did feel for a time very unhappy
when they were all banished, and | was
left with the bare boards aud two or
three chairs but consoled myself by the
re ection that some day | would have
them all back again
turned the once cheerful room in
which had spent 40 many pleasant hours
with my wife and little one into sort of
second Office and there | slept ate my
scanty meals and did much Of my work.
Ii was sordid sorry life. denied my
self every comfort. almost. but that of
fire, in the dead of winter. That | would
have. and Of the lest hickory. no matter
what it cost Meats and delicacies |
could do without, books and comforts Of
many Sorts but FIRE. that was the one
| link that bound me to the instincts of my
kind
grew shabby, seedy, lean and ugly.
NY hair began to stand up on my head
/ through lack Of sufficient moisture. my
eyes grew hollow my cheeks were sdnkes.
and looked like what | was, a miser
To gather gold. 10 count it. to gloat over
its accumulation and that for its own
/ worshiped sake, became the ruling pas
sion of my life
Not houses and lands and friends that
might have bee d bought. but gold. gold.
gold For this | shaved, neglected my
kind. and denisd God
shall never forget Tuesday. the 18th
( day Of anuary, Auno 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 as
I pletboric as | was lean, entering the un
I painted and cobwebbed front door and
] walking through the large hall. solacing
( myself with the thought that should
/ soon be comfortable In front of blazing
/ fire. and finding. as ] opened the door TO
my own den. great red fame upon the
4 hearth and covering over il. the thin, al
most skeleton form Of a child
! Shall ever forget the unearthiy look
/ of the great dark eyes she turned upon
me. eyes that seemed TO light up the very
! corners of the room. to my frightened ex'
cited fancy. came forward slowly; she
never stirred. only continued to gaze at
me with a strained. pitiful expression, an
til she spoke, seeing came TO a pause.
q h, the fire is so good"
What do you mean? Who are your
! How did you get here1" / asked sterniy.
Il crawled in through the bars. down
/ into the cellar. / guess | staid there all
night Oh, it was so dark and coidl But
| I'm used 10 that now. Then found the
cellar door. and it was open, and so
came here, and there was Goals on the
hearth. and made fire.
If the child had not been pretty. am
sorry to be compelled IL say pretty in
/ spite of the CRIME the rags. and marks of
hard living. and perhaps brutal treatment.
or if she had come there in any other
! fashion, at the door as 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 tiinching-she had prepared al
| agreeable surprise by making the fire. for
| ] was very cold, an6 she did not seem in
the least afraid Of me,
-W here do you belong?" ] asked
Il don't belong anywhere
| We'll, who takes care Of you? Who
do you live with"
Il don't live. with anybody. / haven't
got any home. Mother died and father
died long ago. and I'm all alone by my
4 self
Her words and manner touched me,
but avarice was tugging at my heart
! grudged this poor mite the little food she
! would require
Well. you've got warm now; | csn't
keep you any longer-there is the way to
the door. " said
She rose up, holding the rags of her
shawl together. and then l saw that her
arms and chest were bare. for her dress
was summer one. probably some gos-
samer thing that had been given her
she looked at me pleadingly. and for the
life of me coul think OF nothing but
the eyes OF my dead child
1t rushed over me as | followed her TO
the door Fancy if this was your own
little Kitty, and my heart began to beat
furiously.
As opened the door cold wind blew
In that chilled me to the core, and the
child looked pltltully up to me again.
couldn't stand 1t took her by the
shoulder. and led her back to the 1re,
and, though l didn't know II the tears
were rolling down my cheeks ] who
hadn't wept since laid my darlings to-
gether 10 their last cold bed
The child staid that night, and was
quite ready the next morning TO go out
and beg but the good angel who stood at
! m siIa tho niuht hpfora rrOmntai rn,a