The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-12-25

Of the nearest street lamp I could at
first discern only a crouching fig
ure, a tiny creature iF the soan-
test rags. But as il shivered
to it's feet in expectation of my buying,
God! what a %shiunken, bony. little and
crept out from among the woful ~tatters.
and what a face it was that mutely pleaded
to mine. Misery and poverty, as with a hot
iron, had scared and branded every fea-
ture. Punched and hunger-bitten, the
weather beaten skin seemed stretched upon
the bones almost to bursting. Great eyes.
that somehow, Mary. reminded me Of your
own baby ones, were sunk dcep in tho cav
ernous sockets. The unkempt hair tossed
round the squalid head and the bare feet
slipped on the sodden doorstep"
Use hardens US all, the men especially
in a large city. There are SO many gaping
wouuds, physical and mental both. so many
open, hungry mouths, SO much of even
merited suffering that frequently. even If
we do not grow case hardened. the best Of
us give up every effort in despair. How
the poor and the crushed and the hungry
must bless the tender hearts of women!
You know the noisy little clock in the hall.
Jack? When it was first put there. it's
grinding tiok-tack seemed to pervRde every
! room in the house. Now we never even
hear it. So it ia with most OF US men. I
am not trying TO defend our want of moral
| effort. Only l know it is as | have said. l
" y CvCh AAoW bhut 8LA ohy oVbbGk thhA
my %neighbors in this respect, | kno your
| good sopinion. Mary-but that night. at
l~eastdftssh from II happy family circle, /
could not but respond to the appeal"
"Ne, child, no; you keep your paper, but
here's a shilling for yen. Go home at once
and get something to eat. What are your
, parents that they allow you to roam the
streets at this hour of the night?' Her re-
| sponse cameto me with the shock of q
dreadful revelation. Down drop the papers
UNDECIDED in the sleet. Her CRY ia the yelp
| of a wild animal us she catches the glitter Of
her teeth. 'S'help me Gawd,' can catch
| the words only i~ndistinctly, tho swelps
give me a shilling and it amt no fake"
with a feeling akin to horror | turned
to go and almost mechanically there drop
I ped from my lips the words "A happy
Christmas The bitter laugh that Knocked
my wish chained me to the spot. "A happy
Christmas.' and again that hopeless laugh
ter beat on my ear. he wishes me u happy
Christmas. Say, mister and the skin and
bone of her hand upon my coatsleeve was
the clutch Of a nightmare, say, mister. did
you ever know what it was to be hungry?
Not once, but all the time? Did you ever
know what it was to be driven from n awill-
barrel and a meal? Did yon over have that
awful feeling that gnaws and gnaws and
enawa you. when you have had nothing but
q crust for, oh, ouch long days. and your
knees shake under you and your eyes reel
and swim in your headI Did you ever have
il, Captainr
''rhank God. l never did" was all /
could answer. You that have u warm bed
at home that poor voice won't on after a
hacking cough. you never knew what IL
was to sleep in a barrel under the arches ut
Waterloo bridge and hush little Mollie-
only three years old. air--to sleep In ths
straw, for fear her hungry Crying might
bring big boys and girls to push US ont in
the cold winter night on the wet hagstones2
No you never knew H. as she read the an
swer in my eyes.
Father, sir2 No. none as l ever knowsd
J of. Mother died a. year ago. All. mister.
when che was alive, we always did hayu
something to ent once a day. Mother came
from the country somewhere, and she
would tell me Of the flowers and tho green
fields. 81 help me, that must be "A qaoes
place where poor folks can have flowers.
1t was fever, air. They wanted mother 10
90 to the ~workhouse, but che said she