Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-02-01

| 1SAb W. bAdNNAtb btlih uStu u ut SOlu II
lew years ago as an engagement one;
you know the kind mean, with pad
lock that clicked, and once fastened
could not be undone. 1t had evidently
been broken off the arm, and the owner
demanded the loan of a dollar. lie got
it, and in a few minutes the bracelet
was in my hand. On the little paddock
was carved "Leah, 1875" Could help
wondering who and where Leah was ?
| Whether she was wandering in the will
derness OF unhappiness and poverty, or
II she had long ago closed her eyes to
everything that was earthly and now
rested. Yet the bracelet had been
broken. A man would scarcely wrench
it off the arm of dead woman. No, it
was probably the last thing that Leah
had that linked her to the happy days
when tho world was bright and full of
pleasure and hard times were unknown.
Possibly, everything had gone, and with
one last goodbye, she had broken the
golden circlet and handed it willingly
TO the man she had loved. Well, God
knows who she is and where she is, but
lie will take care of her.
LITTLE CHILDREN ENTER, TOO.
The people had been crowding in,
| people of all sorts. People who looked
bad and suggested thievery; people who
looked unhappy and limited at the want
Of a few dollars; people who looked
sick, and people who looked hungry;
but the strangcst of all to me was to see
TIE little children. Your girl, 10 years
old,, never heard of such place, but the
old, very old, 10-year girl on the other
side has known what the three bright
balls have meant ever since she has
known anything. She has the shrewd-
ness OF the great financiers, and her odd,
aged little face grows very determined
as she demands u few pennies more than
the broker is willing TO give her. She
mas brought perhaps shawl, perhaps n
lew dishes, perhaps a tea kettle she
knows that the money she receives is
going to bring what she considers com
fort, and SO sine is eager to get more than
even those she has left at home dared
hope for, | asked; slow is il that you
sec girl children come in here, and not
boys" And l was told that it was be-
cause the girls seemed 10 understand the
greatness Of the necessity, that they
were smarter, and that if they managed
10 get little money, that might mean
lea for mother and something to cat for
the children, that they were less likely
to tell father about it when he came
home drunk. That they would endure
being beaten rather than tell, where the
inclination of the boy would be to get
out Of 1t all rs comfortably us he could
ana not 10 think OF the others. And all
THIS GOES on DAY IN AND DAY OUT
In a city that Is giving thousands upon
thousands Of dollars 10 clothc and feed
the poor. OF course, some are benefited
by this generosity, but there are others
who will stay ut home and stalYe rather
than go to the soup house or to where d
good hot supper would be given them.
The pride Of the poor is a most marvel
lous emotion. For it is that. 1t seems
to take the place of love and OF all the
other feminine attributes. Many of
these people will refuse to accept any.
thing from others vino would be glad to
help them, and yet, they, themselves, If
they have anything, will gladly divide
it with a neighbor. l once had the
pleasure OF an acquaintance with
dog whose early life had been
among extremely poor people. Indeed,
he was given to me because they
thought him the finest thing they could
offer me, and because they felt that in
giving him they were wiping cut all OBJ.
legations. l could not refuse him; that
would have hurt them too much. 1t was
months before he would eat mouthful
from my hands. Now, you can believe
this or not, but it is true, and discoy-
cred his reason for refusing to take from
me what he gladly accepted from the
cook. nearly always saw him after
dinner, and at this time was dressed
in a way that he considered made me
his patron, and he didn't propose to be
patronized by anybody. l do believe
lie would have starved first, He had
learned this from the people he had
lived among.
l was thinking over this and getting
ready to leave the pawnbrokers, when
he said to me: MADAM, we are a peo-
pie VINO are very much maligned.
WE ARE SIMPLY A NECESSITY.
"If the State would constitute itself a
great pawnbroking establishment, with
small rate Of interest, we would not
exist, but the State does its good for the
rings and the politicians, and not for the
individuals. Then, too, we only get the
legal rate, but if you want 10 find
usurers, go uptown. On fashionable
street near Fifth avenue there is a pawn
broker who lends money on nothing but
precious stones, fine laces, valuable pic
lures and expensive bric.a-b rac. He
VIII receive you in superbly furnished
parlor, and he demands on the money
he lends 80 per cent month, and this
must be paid every month, else the
goods are forfeited. lie is very polite
but if any one asks for large loan he
demands time to consult with the head
of the firm. Now, the head Of that firm
is woman. A woman who is well
known in New York, though she is moi
in the extremely fashionable set. She
lives in good style, has handsome turn.
out, and is regular attendant at one
OF the uptown churches. She poses as
being very religious, and it is we'll
known fact that when she hAs taken a
fancy to attending meetings led by
evangelists or the Salvation Army, that
she gives, and gives very literally, and
yet, on her money, she is
GETTING THIRTY PER CENT MONTH.
1--WE don't grind the poor as she does,
and yet she is highly respectable. How
do you explain il ?"
lcouldn't explain it. l had seen the
woman many times, and l had never
dreamed that one side of her life could
possibly be SO unlike the other. And
the poor are asking for bread. And this
woman dares to sit in high seat in
church and tn ask for the love and
direction of Him who watches the
sparrow fall. 1t is too complex for me
TO understand. Life here and life here.
after. 1t sets my brain all awhirl, and
then Il snelns Ms IL thn xuisnst thinr. a. ..