The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-06-29


| Sandy left me alone with the young wo-
man At first she refused to make any
answer TO my questions. But as talked
with her the proud indifference she b ad
| assumed gave way to tears, and soon she
| was willing and ready to cOniide in me.
| 1t was this same story I had SO often
heard. A young and, perhaps, foolish
| girls loYel A young mans Thought
| less seliishnessi Misery and utter
despair which slluu out AL Al
| had waited until aroused into frenzy of
madness, by the knowledge that she was
| entering upon that ordeal she had looked
| forward to Win such horrible anticipa-
| ton, she rushed from the house, where
| she was living in seclusion. and thought
i. to end all misery in a watery grave. Mike
had rescued two instead of one, and be-
fore he could return from the hospital,
where | sent him as soon as knew her
condition, Tor things / needed and for a
nurse, a baby boy was awaking new
echoes in the canal boat cabin. The nurse
and child, and soon had both SO comfort
ably fixed that Mike, when he ventured
to look IN upon his guests, declared that
they could not find better quarters any,
where. Mike was very proud Of what he
considered a great honor forced upon
him, and hustled about the cabin set
ting things to rights" as merry as
though the young mother and child were
part of his own life. His CHEEKY laugh
aud hopeful words. spoken in n rich
brogue which gave them a peculiar ten
derness, all seemed 20 brighten up the
little woman who had already found a
| joy she had not dreamed of iii her con-
seriousness of motherhood.
'sSure, mo child, yer cout not be down.
hearted with the little one a-clinging TO
yer with his tiny, pink hands like q rose
| bud to its bush. Did you ever, nowi
| Begorra, he's winking and blinking at
mel Faith, on me sowl, he's doublin up
| his fists to show he can fight the world
| fer yer both. All, me boy, twas on straw
| in q Manager another boy was born. and
who knows but what all the saints are
now watching over yer and yer guide
mother" he said, as q little moan from
| the mother was heard by him. He was
| leaning over the bunk as he spoke. The
Young mothers face flushed with q
proud, happy expression, and. acting on
the impulse of the moment, she threw
her arm about Mikes neck and drawing
his rough, homely face TO her own. kissed
him. Thus was commenced between the
two a friendship never broken. On her
part it was love for q brave, noble heart
in a misshaped, rough body. On his part
it was a reverence such as he had for all
things holy. For the birth of that little
child was to him something sacred, made
so by the motherhood before him.
The nurse remained with her that
night. and the following day Mike had
the mother and child removed to the
house of friend of his, a sailor away
from home on a long cruise, whose wife
was only too glad to give them home,
and ell the mere aS Mike paid from his
earnings the extra expenses she would be
caused. The young woman told me dur
ing nv visits to her, for | attended her
until she was perfectly well, such of her
history as | cared to hear. She was in
the city alone. She had held position
as bookkeeper in an office. The father of
the child was a wealthy young man
whom she had loved, but whose desertion
of her had changed her love into bitter
hate She would not tell me who he was.
For some months she had lived by her
self in furnished room in the lower
part of the city, where no one knew her
and where none of her friends could flnd
her. Before leaving her room the
night she attempted suicide she had de-
stroyed all papers which might establish
her identity aud she had pawned every
thing but the clothing she wore. There
was nothing of any value remaining to
pass into the hands Of strangers Her
parents were still living, but where she
would not tell me. She afterwards told
Mike. and he had me write to her father
who came to the city in response to my
letter, and took his daughter and her
child to his home. He was a poor man,
but paid Mike all the money he had ex-
pe0deus anu Wdubcu 10 pay HlLu JItOfG DuJ
Mike would accept no reward. She wrote
often to Mike from her home, and all her
letters were brought to me to read and
answer for him. The following summer
the child died. and Mixes sorrow and
mourning were as great as the sorrow
and loneliness expressed in her letter.
Soon after she sickened and one day q
letter came from her father asking Mike
to visit them as she wanted to see him
once more and felt that she did not have
long TO live. He went and was gone a
week or more. When he returned he
wore bit of Grape on his hat and told me
of her death. He said she had told him
where he could find the father of her
dead child and asked me to go with him
some evening to the young mans house
as he had message to deliver for her.
did not think it best to go and told him
he had better deliver his message alone
and let the matter remain a secret be-
tween himself and the young man. He
consented to 90 alone, but in talking with
me about the young woman's death he
unthinkingly mentioned the name of
the man he was to see. It was the
name of one of society's pets-a young
man whose name at that time figured in
all society news items and who was well
known as club man. My acquaintance
with him was slight; knew him but little
more than by sight. A few days later
Mike came to tell me of his interview with
to leave the city TO attend ball at a late
summer resort. He had some difficulty
in seeing him, and when he was at length
shown to his room and had stated the OBJ
ject of his call the young man had ordered
him out of the room and house, and would
not listen to HIM further At this / was
not surprised, and told Mike SO.
I'll curse no one, but, by me soul, the
curse OF Heaven will follow him, - was
Mixes only reply to what said.
A number of years had passed mike
had. died few months before, after a
short illness induced by exposure during
q severe storm. l did for him all thac
could do, and had attended his funeral as
one of the mourners. and a sincere
mourner too. For, lowly as was his life,
j regarded him rs one Of Gods noble
men1 A gentlemen called at my Office
asking me to 20 with him to his hotel 10
see friend who had been injured the
night before | went, and found young
man, prematurely old through dissapa-
ton, suffering from the effects of
a druken fight the previous night
In his bruised and swollen features
and dirty, shabby clothing, could with
difficulty recognize the society favorite
of few years before and yet it was he
Mixes prophecy was being fulfilled The
gentleman in whose rooms found him
was about the only one of his former
friends who had not forsaken him. Even
his own family had discarded him and