West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-03-22
A NIGHTS LODGINGS.


She seemed to have lost her identity.
She could not have told how she came
IN that sinuous, serpent line, creeping
through the driving storm to reptiles
sheltering stone. When she started she
didn't know she would fall in a company
like this.
No matter. Who was she, anyway
Only moving vertebra in the disor-
derly. column dragging its wretched
length To Oak Street Station-house. An
ugly beldame nudged her, with leering
glance:
"what you goin' this way for. We
gooset Better lodgin's for face like
yours, girl.
She shrank little, drawing her head
covering more closely over her face. The
Pelting storp was excuse enough for chat.
There was kind of protection I'm the
old home shawl that she would not have
exchanged for the smart hat which went
for last nights lodgings. In view Of the
tattered, tawdry finery OF some of her
companions, she was not sorry that the
cocks plumes from the old farmyard
were not dropping over her disgrace.
What bleared, bruti II wrecks Of hu
manity we're these on either side OF the
way Better to have found a bed i'm the
river-in the river alone. But, then.
there would have been the terrors of the
Judgment after such watery sleep.
She remembered still, with shudder.
the pi ture painted on her childish i'm
agination of the dreadful Day OF judy
ment
Yet, oh, heaven how like the damned
these creatures looked but there was no
smell of fire aud birthstone like that
which ParsOn Adams had blown from
his warning trumpet in the village
church at home.
At the gate she glanced up Mt the long
line OF men filing in-blear-eyed, vi.
cious-looking, yet not, after all, so repe!-
lent as the women. She even marked
one, with face close-muiiled from the
storm like her own, who bore an air Of
rough respectability. To her benumbed
fancy-though she could have given cx.
preston to no conscious thought of this
kind-he was like one Of the dead russ ct
leaves that she had seen driven on The
wild winter wind.
But the press Of the crowd bore her
within the station, and, sinking in n
dark corner, she waited stolidly the dis
position to be made of her by heauthor-
tiles in charge.
Groans, laments, profaue and vulgar
CALCULATIONS smote her dull ears. but She
had thought of tile beyond her own
misery.
"Evenin', miss. See ye when We was
comm in, an' I've got leaf to speak to
ye."
The voice was hoarse and gruff as with
cold, and she did not see the speaker
clearly in her dim corner, but She
thought this the man she had noticed Mt
the gate.
Somehow 4 seems T. me yer in the
wrong place. 'Tain't no nights lodgin'
fer likely young gal sech as take YOU
TO be. What dye come here fer9'
Because" She turned away from
the intruder as If she would have dis
missed him.
''IIeyln ne insisted.
Because amt got nowhere else 10
60"
go! wcll-nor nuther." was
the cheering response. "'But yew-whv.
yew hadn't orto be comm TO scch n
place 3 this Why don't ye try G. cit fn
the country where folks S rcspcctab e2
Rothin' but wick'dmss in this dretfni
turrybul bad city. / came here tother
day arler my daughter-yow make nc
think on her, some way 'nother-ap' r
run a.foul OF a blasted pckpocket the
very fust thing, an he took every blest
cent ] had, luther wallet an ALL T
tore round like mad when foun' t out.
an Knocked down the feller that I
reUkoned tux it-knocked him hard
too But 'twa'nt him tall, an / got
rested Tor vi'lencoau marched of down
here an tried fer reg'lcr salt an batfrv.
an was cast int jail-me. deacon ~,
tn church In MaplctaOwn an respect b.
bic, likely men till ] come daOwn TO this
dumb hcathen city an got robbed am
cast int jail, instid o. the thief that's
praucin' round sOmers hayin' n good
q Inc with mymoneyP
The deacon" stamped his heavy foot
upon tie floor with religious zeal that
would have sunk the modern Gomorrah.
had the fire Of his wrath possessed n suf.
hciently consuming power.
'N hen I'D sarvcd out nv ten davs 1
he resumed, 'T looked Ten vcer older.
but as ia got Kind o. 'quaintod with the
place, came back to sleep nights while
I'm KIND o. pickln UP odd obs TO airt
some money TO git back hum agin. This
ere snow III make o power o. shovclin'
& du. It's m ill wind . don't blow no.
body emmy good.
''And and your girlW suggested his
listener, ia q breathloss way.
"Oh, that's the worst on T." was the
despairing response 'g dunno nothin'
what 20 Do. Hesea feel jist like icllp