The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-02-16
SWEET CHARITY.
New Moon.l

lazy, shady place, where the blinds were for
ever closed, and where there was so little
passing that spears Of grass grew here and
there between the fagstones, and the stone
curbs OF the iron rallied areas were fringed
with soft green moss. A very quiet place al
most times, but late upon one autumn after
noon strange cry sounded through it which
awakened all its echoes and called curious
faces to the doors and windows.
''Stop thief! Stop thief"
The strong voice of policeman uttered
the cry at first, the shrill treble of two boys
at play near by took 1t up and repeated it,
and by and by there was full, deep chorus.
like the cry of pack of bounds-a sound you
might have known at any distance, however
ignorant you might have been of the Lam
guage, to be the cry of men who hunted
something.
Policemen with their clubs, errand boys
with their bundles, bakers with their baskets
on their arms, young gentlemen just released
from the academy close at hand, and ragged
urchins whose school was the gutter, Joined
in thot pursuit and followed the wretch
with bare feet and hatless head, that fitted
along before them with speed which only
fear could have lent to one so worn and
wretched-a speed which kept the crowd a
long way off, and made the burliest pant for
breath.
They were out of sight in moment; but
In little while the cry was heard that the
thief had baffied them, and some among the
crowd rushed back to see il their prey had
doubled on their track; and others, sulky
and indignant at the result of their useless
chase, came back muttering angrily, or
swearing with many violent oaths that they
would have him yet.
One policeman, well-fed fellow with
crimson face, made quite hero Of himself
by asserting that he knew the fellow and
would trap him before shutdown. There was
good deal OF sympathy felt for the gentle
man who had lost his pocket-handkerchief,
but none that could hear for the degraded
wretch who purloined it, until placid voice
at my elbow uttered the following words, APP
parently in solil0quy:
won't catch him."
turned in surprise and confronted our
grocer, on whose steps bad sought shelter
from the crowd, which at such a moment
would not be expected to think much of the
safety of woman!i
Our srocer was portly man, with Shin
ing bald head, fringed with ring of white
hair, and wearing at the moment holland
apron and short blue jacket.
"Yes'm," he went on, 81 do really hope
thatEthe miserable, half starved creature will
get away"
mans pocketP" said l.
"Pm afraid that it's only too certain that
he did, ma am, said the man, shaking his
head. He looked straight at me as he passed
and he had hungry, desperate eyes, that
looked like theft. and murder too, for that
matter"
"And yet you wish him to escape when he
has broken the laws of the land, and will do
so again?"
God forbid that should help to break the
laws" said the grocer. Good men made
them and they are right; but there are laws
that l read In my Bible Sunday nights that
seemed to be binding. One of them is, DO
unto others as you would that others should
do unto you. And another, Love thy neigh
Dor as myself When l remember these
words, think you may be too hard with
poor, sinful fellow-being, and not 60 beyond
the limits of the law either.
THAT rich gentleman who had his pocket
picked will go home to fine dinner and a
bottle OF wine, no doubt, and the wretch of
thief may have a crust of bread and glass
Of burning gin, If he can sell or pawn what
ne ne stole Tor enough to get them. Somehow,
tonight; VOW | wouldn't.
Stlll, don't blame those young fellows
Ia have been as furious in the cause as any
one Oh EN-, years ago. but learned lesson
never may. was young man, and poor
one too, and had a hard struggle to make nv
little shop keep my family. 1t was only by
pinching and saving and keeping a sharp
lookout for every bargain, that managed it
1--WE lived in a shabby little street, and had
only very poor customers. A loaf of bread,
a quarter of pound of butter, and two ounces
of black tea was quite an order, and most of
those that came wanted trust.
''As for laying in fine fruit or vegetables
never thought of such folly. Diamonds
would have been as salable in that part of
the city, where washer-women and the poor
est labC ring men were the ariStocracy.
Now and then a foreign ship came to port
with load of ruined pineapples or decayed
oranges. bought lot Of these and charg-
ing little or nothing, sold them easily enough;
although my own wife used to say that the
miserable babies who rolled about the gutter
died off faster after every stock of foreign
fruit sold in the old shop. and l am afraid
she was right. Well, as told you, strug-
gled along as best as l might, and after q
while things began to improve, and when |
lay down to rest at night, | began to have
visions OF clean store In clean street.
30 one day when had been TO market l
Drought down half dozen hams, and hung
theun ABOUT the door more for show than any
tnlpg else,-for hams were a good holiday
dinner In those regions, and not an everyday
hnHiI can tell you. They went off slowly,
as Thought they would. Now and then
oomo Vho would come In for pound, and
once sold half of the smallest one to
woman VINO wanted 1t for her Sunday dinner
She was 10 pay me Monday morning. but
sne never s,el did, Tor on Sunday night her hus-
oand Killed her with rum bottle, and they
took her BODY past my shop with its head All
beaten out OF shape, and bloody
And SO the hams hung there through the
into the winter f'0 W
1T was just as the December nights began
70 grow long and dark and cold, that I no.
ticed young policeman on our beat, a tall.
handsome, ine-looking fellow, with very
bright eyes, but with such thin cheeks and
hands. although he seemed to be powerfully
built ana made for rather a stout man, that
could not help watching him and wondering
whether he had been i'll or not
The first time that 1 noticed him was
about sunset, and he passed my windows
about dozen times, looking all the while
straight at those hams which dangled from
the frame of the awning. hope he means
to buy one,' / said to my wife, as we sat to.
gcther over the tea table, and / shouldn't
wonder II he did, fo- he seems to have taken
a fancy to them.
But the evening passed. and though | saw
him every now and then on the other side Of
the way, looking across with his bright eyes
right at the hams, he did not come in OF
speak 10 me ON the subject. And so / made
nj nv mind ha xunuld cand far f,,f ha,