The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-12-07
TOO LATE.

"NIamma, mamma" walled n tiny,
feel lc voice, 'tum take baby
Ii was a lonely tenement room, utterly
hare oil any thing like cosy home COM
fort. A tilIpidated bcdstead and furnish
iu.s stood in one corner n rusty stove,
4 basket with few lonesome Jumps of
fuel in IT, n rickety OIL chaIr with one
broken rocker, were the principal furni-
ture.
In this chair a little girl. whose pinched
white face showed pain u,ly the effects
of close air and semi starvation, sat in it
roc ing as far as the broken rocker would
allow, and grooming 4 dismal little ,litty
in time 10 her fast failing trd:S. ..
\ baby lay back in her arms, n GOLDEN
hairei little creature with great blue
eyes, which under happier circumstances
-fr SIN air, warmth and proper fool
would have been beautiful; but now,
It's pInched face, staring eyes, and wan,
deathly look, wers enough TO melt a
heart OF stone to pity.
The child moaned on in its pitiiul vail
for mamma, mamma" and the little
girl sang on amid her tears, while the
otherwise deathly quiet OF the room was
broken 10y an occasional foOtslep stuub-
ling up or down the lon- dark stai. case
without, varied by sounds OF quarreling
children in the other rooms, sounds Of
blows and screams OF pdIn, for the i'll
smelling tenement house was swaruing
with occupants ol all ages and all degrees
OF misery.
Once a drunken man stumbled along
the narrow pasSa4e, swearing and ours
in., and weeping little Jam clasped the
wallIng baby closer to her beat ng heart,
but she had taken the prccaution u turn
the key in the rusty 10 k, and after try
Ing the door AMI giving it kick, the
man shunied ON to his own wretched
room.
Meantime the mother rubbel away on
a washing she WAS doing IN = wealthy
home on Beacon street, with q heart as
heavy rs lead, while the tears stole down
her checks and mingl, 4 with the foam
OF the suds.
She had stayed AZ home for t-yo Who'll,
days already, DAYS that meant jItlc short
OF starvation for the little family; but
the babe was so sick she could not resist
its pitiful pleadings Tor her care.
To-day, however, her work was in =
place wher she well knew . failure to
appear would cause the C-riiln loss OF
future worS, and she tore h-rs-f away
from the baby, thOGsI Al strained her
very heart-strings 70 10 so.
Mrs. Chauncey had no intention OF
being n hard woman, and would have
been surprised had any one veuturei to
tell her she WAS so, but she " 5 certainly
unsympathetic- The sorrors : Of the poor
We're nothing to her, and IN her employ
ment OF them, II one failed IN any par
ticular, she discharged the n and filed
the vacant place with auot er Is uncon-
cernedly as she would supply missing
cog IN any OF her kitchen machinery.
There was a sad history Preceding
this chapter in the washcrgouan's ex-
prrence-
She had once been happy bride. Civ
Ing her heart and hand with the biinl
ie otion with which woman testows
herself upon the man of her choice; a
lung vista OF happy years stretched out
before her IN anticipation, in which hus-
band, home, and little children were the
central figures.
True she knew that her husband occa-
sionally accepted treat from his irien Is
III I one glass once III n while but size
thought nothing of it Compared with
many others, he was model OF temper
ance and good principles She did not
know OF the inherited taste Which Law
king in his nature, waiting for a supply
OF liquid fire to warm IL 10 n never diving
flame, but she founi IL ont afterward,
when the husband no longer waited for
a treat, but stepped into the ever-ready
saloon and supplied the craving which
was be sinning 10 dominate him.
1t was when little Jane vas born that
he came home dru4k for the first time in
cons squence of the absurd custom OF
celebrating such events by unlimited
treating, and the vile suffered Eecner
anguish that that of the birth tlroas
when he stumbled into her presence in
his maudlin condition.
Alter that his downward course was
rapid; from their neat cottage they went
TO tenement rooms, from rooms 10 one
room, the miserable shelter whore little
Jane Is rocking the baby
In saloon brawl two years ago he had
killed = man, and for this hal been sent
up for life, and the wors. than widow
h'd set about making a living for herself
md t,in chill.
cath s terrible thing, but there are
livinS rc1iiis which are infinitely more
.Il-.cIL, more pathetic than the grass-
covered grave IN the green cemetery.
Then came the baby, born amid tears
poverty and disgrace; no cap-crown,.-i
nurse greeted her advent into the world
not even 4 physician, and little Jane
aided and advised by a kind neighbor
who was even poorer than they, took the
scanty care OF the mother and child
which they received.
The mother bad almost resented the
thOIght OF another mouth 10 iced. an
other form to clothe in her Jestitution.
but the mother love came with the blue
eyed baby, and much as she ha loved
-lltie dahet TINS iltt4e one, born amid such
adverse circumstances crept into her
heart as no other living thing had ever
done, and became the very idol OF her
lonely heart.
Plain print dresses hal seemed good
enough Tor little Lanes babvhood, but
white pure white-seemed the only
suitable wear for the smiling. golden
haired visitor, and many a night she sat
up alter her days toll for others was
done, TO wash and iron the one fine
white and embroidered robe which was
LETT OF James infant war,lrohe, that her
dafi ng might be fresh and sweet through
the day.
Little Jane sharel this idoliz'ns love
for the far little blossom in the dingv
room, and together they worked and
made sacrifices uncompiain ng.y That the
little one might be shielicl rom the
'artlshIps OF their lot. while she laughed
u rOwct and contributed n share OF
n--iinc 20 alleviate the sOrrows she