The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-01-06
A GOOD BEGINNING.

neuru nls slep on lHe laDuIDgs
Pm sorry, sir, but"
''Same old story, is i'll"
'Tve had to tell you Tor the last two
months that / was out Of work and
couldn't pay my rent. That was bad
enough, but now my Tom is out Of
work, too. He's there on the bed, sir,
and tho doctor says it's a touch OF pneu-
monia.'
"YOu owe two months back rent" he
said as he inspected the poor old furni-
ture and Wondered if it would pay to at
tach it..
ayes, sir, bat If you'll only have a
little patience we'll pay you"
Patience wont pay taxes nor make
repairs. III give you the day 10 pack
your traps"
But where will go2"
Beat some other landlord out of two
months rent"
II haven't a shilling in the house and
there lies my sick boy Give me u week
anyhow. 1t will be the death Of Tom to
be carried out. It's too cold In the room
here, but I've only e little coal and have
to use il more carefully thar you do
gold"
''You can talk to the constables when
they come; I'm sick and tired Of hearing
these yarns"
Before the week In out ! may find
work. If Tom wat well / wouldn't say IA
word, but don't set us out with him SO
badly of that the doctor -"
Talk to the constablesy' shouted the
man, "a he turned to go.
But, sir, il you would only let US
stay another week, I'm sure you wouldn't
lose by it. There's such a thing as the
Lord raising up a friend for the widow
and the fatherless just when they are
ready to give up"
two months back rent or out you
60"
That was the way the year opened for
the Widow Flint and her boy Tom. II
was hard times all around. Plenty of
energetic, skillful mechanics were out OF
work and behind in their rent, aud
dealers and manufacturers who generally
had plenty of work TO give out were
holding back TO watch the business out
look. Tom might have kept his place
at S3 per week in the box factory, but
the want of proper food and clothing
had made him susceptible to exposure
and brought him low, There wasn't
money enough in the house 10 get the
doctors prescription filed out at u drug
store, and il was we'll that the boys fever
blunted his appetite, as a loaf of bread
was the only palatable thing in the
house. Neighbors! Yes, plenty of them.
There were forty families under that roof,
but most Of them had little else but
bread. When poverty begins to hunger
their poverty is selfish.
1t makes people selfish to herd them
together. The sight of each others des-
~titution blunts all sentiment.
''But-he's like the mayor, amt he
never noticing anybody but well-oiT
folks2"
''Tom, the Lord looks down upon MS
all--the poor as well as the rich. We
are all in His keeping. Don't doubt Ills
goodness. It's hard work to be sick and
freezing and hungering, but If it's our
burden to bear, we must do it. You
must have medicine, Tom. I'm going
out TO see ii n pawn my shawl"
And then you can't 60 out to look
for work.
DuJ III may save you.
She went out and walked about for an
hour, but pawnbrokers and second hand
clothing dealers were taking II holiday
with the rest of the world. She finally
entered a drug store, and asked OF the
urbane proprietor, who came forward
rubbing his hands, to take the shaw and
Ill the prescription.
Every sorry, you know, but we
couldn't do it," he replied. Medicines
are cash, and the shawl is old and thin
and not worth anything"
But my Tom is threatened with
pneumonia, sir"
Eyes. Just the sort Of weather for
pneumonia, aud most of the cases seem
TO prove fatal"
''And must he die for the want of this
m~edicine9"
"Good-day, ma'am-good- day. no.
tice the thermometer is down To zero,
and l shouldn't wonder if it would 60
lower before night"
She had assured Tom that there was
only one God, and that H. Watched over
the poor as well as the rich, but as she
wended her way homewards she had to
combat her doubts. His fever wa worse,
and he was out of his mind. and all day
long. he moaned and tossed about, and
she could do no more than hold a cup OF
water 10 his lips now and then. When
night began to fall she made up a bundle
Of Toms clothes. They were old. but
of more value than her shawl. IL he
died she would not redeem them; if he
get we'll Well, she had said that the
Lord sometimes raised up a friend for the
poor and distressed.
"Humphi -Four o'clock p. m, and
New Years Day, and you not out OF bed
YETI"
Ii was a young man OF 25, who had
gone to bed at 2 o'clock that morning.
His face was pinched aud pale, his eyes
hollow and ~bloodshot, and one looking
at him might have taken him for an old
man.
made a fool OF yourself again last
night, didn't youG" he growled, talking
IN .himself ae he Law lookino around