The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-01-23
1t Was Only A Dream.
From the Spanish.

am going to tell you story from real
life, as it is the habit of writers nowadays
to say whose hero is now living and work
ing prosperously in an industrial estab-
lishment on this coast. Listen to me,
dear readers.
When Ernest returned to his wretched
home after tiresome journeys back and
forth in the streets and public squares of
Madrid in search of work, his disconsoate
wife Mauricia had no necessity to ask him
many questions.
All she said to him was "NOthing?" and
with eyes heavy with tears she turned
away from him and looked at the two
handsome little children of tender years
who were calmly sleeping on little wooden
bedstead
Nothing" he replied with sign, drop
ping into a chair and supporting his head
with both hands
A deep silence then reigned in the room.
At length Ernest said to his wife
81 am hungry
"Mauricia looked at him with pity, and
embracing him lovingly, answered:
"My poor Ernest, how unfortunate we
are! In that cupboard there l keep the
food of our little ones, who are sleeping so
TRANQUILITY. Will you take the half?"
"And your" he asked.
II, she replied, evasively. "May God
protect and guard me am not hungry
not now"
"No, 1 will not take it, was Ernest
emphatic response, perceiving what a
sacrifice his wife was ready to make for
the love of him and their children. II am
going to bed: sleep perhaps will give me
rest and strength"
He paused and then remarked to his
wife how hard it was to want for the most
necessary things of life, while the more
fortunate people were piling up money in
great heaps. Fearing that he had some
particular person in mind, Mauricia so
asked him.
at is our rich neighbor that | had in
mind quickly replied the unfortunate
man. To-day she went to collect her
rent for the past quarter, $500 pesetas.
When shall We have only the half of such
a sum as that ?"
Mauricia was alarmed at this turn of
his thoughts and began to weep bitterly
by the tide of her little chiIdren's bed,
while Ernest was retiring in an adjoining
room
How long the unfortunate father and
husband slept he himself could not tell.
Suddenly he awoke in deadly chill He
looked out of the room and saw his wife
seated at the head of the children's bed
stead weeping
"She cries." he murmured. "She is
thinking of our children T.
He went to the window, and in the dull
light of a wintry morning, saw the roofs of
houses all covered with snow.
GLOW cold it is" he went on murmur-
ing, "aud how much misery there is in
this house He took his ragged overcoat
and tenderly spread it over his wife.
Then he looked at his children and, tax
ing off the dophle-breasted sack which he
had just putOn, and he wrapped it over the
feet of his little ones to keep them warm.
In spite of the intense cold he stood there,
without sufficient covering, in deep medi-
tation, immovable and, as it were, in a
trance.
at is not fortune that / want thus
his thoughts ran-"only work, that | may
earn money to buy bread and clothing for
my wife and children. Yet, there are
many who do not work that have riches,
that are able to treasure up gold. Our
neighbor, for instance, she is rich, alone
an old maid with an annual rental of
$4,000. If only had as much money
as that old lady. Something seems to tell
me could by robbing. But | do not
want it for myself but for myself and
children, who have not food to eat
Then he stretched himself on the couch
and a sense of horror crept over him. He
looked out of the window and thought that
the snow on the roof of the houses was
stained with blood-red spots Sleepishly
reached out his hand and on table near
his bed found a large kitchen knife that
his wife left there in moment of forget
fulness. He hesitated an instant and then
hid it in the right hand sleeves of his
shirt.
"If she cry, let her cry-worse for her, !"
he said between his teeth, his mind now
made up to assault and rob the rich old
maid,