The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1890-11-07
HER GODFATHER.
How Hester Wright Was Kept
from Starving.

1.-TWO dollars and forty ccnts" Hes
ter said. bitterly. 1t lay upon the Ia
be before her in a pile Of pennies and
small pieces OF silver. ard over 1t bent
Two faces. Hester Wright's and her
mothers; faces that mad been fair and
beautiful, but we're pallid with sorrow
and the privations Of two years Of grind
ing poverty.
Not all at once had they fallen down
the slope from wealth to want although
the first crushing blow lad thrown them
home 10 q small one; from that TO .
boarding house; from one to another,
each poorer than the last. to q room in
tenement house. until they were At
last in a bare. cold attic. 50 scantily
furnished that the very emptiness was
chilling. They had, at last reached
the point where actual begging or star
Walton stared them in the face.
III We invest the forty cents in char
coal" Hester said. in the same low, bit
ter tone in which she had first spoken,
1.-TWO dollars won't pay our funeral ex-
penSeS"
Hester. Don't, dear.' her mother
said. in voice OF sorrow. but without
one echo OF the ring that was in her
daughters. Don't. God will not de-
scrt rs.'
People ~ starvc-' was the quick re-
. ply. And Their, with Il wall indcscriba-
BE in her voice. she cried: II could
b"a- II alone. could work. starvc.
dic' Hut 70 sec you suffer Is moro than
lean endure. My heart Is breakingr'
She threw herself into her mothers
arms as She spoke. sobbing violently.
a creature Of impulse. OF quick. sudden
change Of mood. she wept for few mo-
ments and then stood erect, dashing
back the tears.
viii try once more" she said.
tive me two cents, mother. to buy a
newspaper will answer every adj
vertiscment."
she took from a closet a shabby. black
shawl and heavily vailed Grape bonnet,
and began TO put them on
My birthday, toor' she said. present
~ buttoning her well-worn boots II
am twcnty-onc to-day.w
And as she spoke there was knock
upon the door, and basket was handed
M shallow. open. round basket. piled
with nowers-roses OF every tint, fra
grant blossoms OF various kinds, buried
y soft moss ard tender green leaves.
lpon the top lay card.
harry!' Hester said, hot tears fall.
'hg upon the blooming gift that lighted
up even that dull room. s.Oh. he should
not DO SO. Think what tina. has cos,
ana he works so hard.'
!. lie ~ never learn economy" Mrs.
wright said. gently; and he loves you
% we'll, Iletty."
Our one friend" the girl replied.
>ay rather, your true lovcr!" said her
mother
met
:, And kissing her mother tcndcrly,
hester vent out, down the narrow, bare
staircase, into the street, where 4 sharr
W'ober wind brought drcary promise
=, winters coming. A tall. handsome
s'ri' whose mean attire could not rem
Yer vulgar, she bore herself, even in
lcr heart-sick misery, Ike . queen,
carrying her shapcly head with uncon.
sclous hauteur that lcsscned materially
VT chance Of obtaining work. Shc had
ao' iearned yet to humble herself in
manner even though her heart burned
with bitter humiliation-th humilia.
uon Of shame.
shame, because two years bctorc, hcr
'a.her who had rcigned as million.
are mad been detected in fraudulent
usa'inrs that led on and on through the
W.T.. WI" q dishonesty, forgery, misrcprc.
ss"eauon and breach OF trust, till, in Z
",son-ccil, he committed suicide.
~ ms ruin was involved that OF
~'Ao" ana the greatest sufferer had