The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-09-22
a Journey For Love.

tions, empty cupboards, fiat purses and
sometimes starvation itself. New
York city, tina Mecca for Americcn
genius, Is filled TO overlooking with
ambitious men and ONE who flock
there with high hopes and beating
hearts, and who, once lost in the city's
struggling mass OF humanity drift
lower and lower, and finally seek oc-
cupation in the most humble and Bit
ter paths OF life. SUCH creatures Of
misfortune were the tenants OF q small,
shaky structure in lower New York,
q building that had SO outgrown it's
usefulness and decent appearance that
1t was known as The Ruins" which
name was most significant when one
considers the financial condition OF the
old houses occupants.
"We lived in 1.-The Ruins" Tom
and |, pegging away at our pictures
and praying for that blissful day when
lame and fortune would come, when
wo could shake the dust Of 1.-THE
RUFUS" from our feet and journey away
to some delightful spot beyond the
roach of bill collectors and out of the
prosaic sound of vegetable carts and
coal wagons. 1t was this thought of
coming wealth that kept us on our
feet, that buoyed u sinking spirits
and made us laugh when u hearts
we're crushed under a load Of sorrow.
Were we unhappy? No, for we had
each other, and the love OF man aud
woman is q healing balsam in times of
misfortune. TO be sure, each g%rieyed
to see the other in want Of those little
luxuries which make life worth the
living, but had We not each Others
inspiring words Of hope to cheer the
way and make the rough places less
sharp and painful? Had Tom been
alone, had been alone, the drcary for
sakenness and the agony OF u~nceasing
disappointment would have been be-
You'd all human endurance and-weli,
who can tell what fate would have
been ours? 1t is q narrowing thought,
and a foolish one, but women are won't
to dwell on "what might have BEEN ~
even if it makes them miserable.
Our neighbors, the other tenants OF
1.-THE Ruins" were conditioned like
ourselves. Like us, too, they wore
shabby clothes and turnover shoes and
supplied the wants of the Inner man
by buying articles of food at the corner
grocery and cooking them over the
blaze Of u smoky grate fire or an i'll
smelling sputtering oil stove. There
were six or seven of them, II neigh
bors, and every week or two one would
oiShppSh', IN oouop w So ihbo Viva SI
lodgings, while IL new face and an un-
familiar but equally shabby iig1re
would take his or her place. We saw
little of the other tenants, meeting
Thorn only in the dusty, bleak Railways
or on the creaking, unsteady stairs.
Sometimes they would murmur good
morning or we would exchange q grOwl
OF hatred for the landlord OF the crum-
bling Ruins" but more frequently
trnH,oncn1 ~ tlnpnA cltrlt,r (
ly along as If ashamed Of our parcels
Of provisions or our threc-seasOn gar
ments. This had been the condition
of our social affairs until one gloomy
April day, when there came a timid
knock On Il door, which knock
answered with no great feeling OF
happiness, fearing an u~n-looked-for
visit from the uncongenial landlord.
My ap~prehensions were groundless.
1t was the little German governess
who lived in q cherries back room on
the floor above.
81 heard your husband go away and SO
took the liberty Of coming to see you,'
she stammcrcd in broken English, as
o pretty blush Of embarrassment Grim
soncd cheeks which we're usually Of q
cold and unhealthy whitenoss.
Il have waited to conc for such q
long, long time. 1t is very lonesome,
: this New York, is it not? | think one
could die and not be found for years
unless it was by the landlord when he
to collect his fees each week.
The landlord, one is only sure Of him
he mover fails, he never fOrgets, he
= comes each Wednesday with hand held
)out for the money and his wrinkled
pld face is all pinched and puckered
with avarice. Ach, | hate him, the
s.. landlord"
Sf She paused for breath. | took Toms
,aS ~elette, covered with paint from the
he comfortable hair in the room and
gged my visitor to be seated.
You and your husband are both
lists ?" she continued, talking fast
never waiting for replies to her
Astions-"you must be happy. Yes,
are happy, for hear you singing
= ,times, and when | sec you and
S.y66r husband on the street he is always
holding your arm as If you were a
piece ofrare porcelain. YeN ethe
only person in this droary TfHSe@this
ruin, as they call it-who ever smiles.
The rest-ah they go about like
ghosts, creeping up and down, up and
down, the stairs rs If they'd die at SO
much as the sound Of their footsteps.
Oh, this America, it is awful-it is
terrible. | think sometimes | shall
die. | think sometimes that [ can live
no longer In this vault, where people
are neither dead nor alive. If only /
had more work, il only | could earn
more money and get q little more room
somewhere in the fresh air, and get
where l a see trees and green
things. And this noise-this endless
roar of wagons and changing of street
car bells EAh, | fear / am going mad
that my brain Is ILL.,"
was the same old stOry-little or
no work y ~retchedncss of heart and a
desperate lack OF money. Ipitied her
and felt that strong sympathy which
only one Womap can have for another.
How much richer was |, | thought
than this poor, friendless alone
In q foreign COUNTRY. How could |
complain after hat?
She told me Yer history; her Grim
soned cheeks grew brighter as she con-
tinued and her hlnds moved ~nervously
as IL she were il.\
Her mother, H. seems, had been a
widow es considerable wealth and
NOV. best society in Berlin.
.Whe2 my vSitor, was fifteen
agaK her motor married again.
ather, haSng the usual old
ew of womn's iDaapabilittes
rs affairs, FomI,y relieved
lSf the care d h money and
kYter positivelyNefu I'd even to
&nlt her as to eithr us use or It's
disposal. He entered hto several en-