Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1892-12-08

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married her. Ihad . certain amount
of money, which | invested in q
country practice; and for some time
all went well with us.
But we were not to escape our
share of trouble. Ny health, which
had suffered more seriously than I
imagined during my period of ser
vice, broke down; and to make a
long story short, three years after
our marriage, one miserable Sun
day in November found my wife
and myself, with our two little
children, occupying a single poor
room in Grenville Street, of Guild
ford Street. We had then been in
London about six months, and
had been unable-cbiefiy on ae-
count of my precarious health-to
get anything to do.
About a month. however, before
the day ! speak of, sn old friend
in London had held out q hope of
obtaining for me the post of private
physician to wealthy relation. But
my friend had been compelled sud-
denly to 60 abroad, and though he
was daily expected back, yet three
weeks had now passed. and had
gone to his house in Kensington
day after day without getting any
tidings of him. Meanwhile our lit
tie stock of money was quite ex-
hausted; everything that could be
spared was sold or pawned; and on
this Sunday evening, with a months
rent due next day, my wife and ]
sat before a miserable apology for
fire, with absolute want staring us
in the face.
We had not quite a shilling left.
and when / looked at my sleeping
children and thought of the future,
| fairly broke down IN utter des-
pair. 1t was then | found what
treasure / had in the noble woman
by my side. Affecting a cheerful
ness which she could not feel, she
impaired to me portion of her
own courage, and at length induced
me-anxions to please her and glad
to do anything rather than sit power
less-to 60 once more to my friends
house.
1t was ten o'clock, on cold.
drizzling night, when ] set ont on
my walk. | somehow felt kind
of fictitious hopefnlness, and walked
briskly, resoluteiy shutting out the
thought of failure. / stood some
time at my friends door before ]
dared to ring the bell that would
change my hopes or my fears into
certainty; and when at last the SER
want who answered my ring told me
that her master had not yet return
ed, | fairly staggered into chair in
the hall. overcome with disappoint-
ment. The woman, seeing my con-
dition, brought me little brandy,
which revived me somewhat; but it
was some time before / felt able to
move, and it struck midnight as |
left the door for my cherries walk.
The rain fell in steady drizzle,
but, though l was lightly clad.
never needed it. My thoughts were
fixed on my poor wife sitting alone
and watching for me, and on the
wretched news | was bringing her.
| walked on, needless of the bitter
cold and of the constant rain, feel
ing the numbness Of misery in my
heart.
How it happened do not know,
but somehow / lost my way, and
after wandering aimlessly for some
time, | found that ! was in street
l did not know-the Gray's Inn
Road, as I afterward learned.
could see no one to direct me. and was
walking ON rather anxiously, when
| stumbled over the form of man,
who was lying half and half out Of
the covered entrance Of wretched
court. For . few yards / walked,
too much ahsorbed IN my own tror