The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-09-19
A Little Story
Of a Big Town
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1913. by American Lit
erary Press.


in Chatham square, men and women
are laughing in good nature as they
elbow each other and throng the stores
to purchase ornaments and Injuries.
Here men and women are sullen and
silent, many of them wondering where
the barest necessaries are to come
from.
.If you won't help me we shall have
to go hungry tomorrow"
1t was a little old woman who had
approached so softly that did not
hear her.
''yVhere do you llve? l asked.
She pointed to four story tenement
almost opposite.
ANY family?"
"A sick husband and four children,
sir"
Every well; lead on, and / will fol-
low"
She kept looking back, and there was
a puzzled expression on her face.
This way-that's a child-keep to
the rail--don't fear the dog-we're al
most up"
"And as we reached the upper hall
we turned to the right, passed down a
blind hall running the other way, and
presently she pushed open door, and
we entered room lighted by smok-
ing lamp
"John, children, it's a stranger come
to see u.s." said the woman as / stood
and looked about
Here were two small rooms, three
chairs, a cupboard, an old table,
wretched bedstead and more wretched
bedding. on which lay man. Across
the room was mattress, on which the
children were lying as l entered. In
the other room l saw stove, a wash
tub and bucket of coal.
"Sit down, sir" said the woman as
she placed a chair.
The husband looked to be fifty years
old He had the bright eyes and the
hollow cheeks of a consumptive.
Are you doctor?" he asked as ! sat
down.
mo"
"The rent is overdue, but we haven't
even bread to eat" he said.
II am not your landlord nor his
agent. / simply came up to see you
to see If you were sick. to see what
you needed"
John, you know how 1t is with us.
I asked him on the street for money,
and he's come up toto
ITO see If you were really in need
of help" said as she paused. Have
you had any SUPERB
Just crust for him, sir, but moth
ing for the rest, and but for you the
children would be crying with hun
ger"
VERY we'll. I'll mind the house
while you go out. Get bread, butter,
tea, milk, sugar, potatoes and meat"
"You-you don't mean it?" she
gasped.
The man rose up on his elbow to get
a better look at me, and l saw some
thing like alarm in his face. To quiet
him l said:
THE case is clear enough. You used
came; you could no longer work; you
have reached your last penny. Why
shouldn't help you bit?"
ITS sadly enough we need it, God
knows, but-but"-
But you can't make out why
came up here?"
mo, SIR"
well, don't worry about 1t. Queer |
things are always happening to all Of
us. How long have you been ill.,"
"Over year, sir"
"And how have you livedT
by using the few dollars had put |
by and by selling whatever we could |
spare until we are as you see us. l
once earned my So day, sir. and no
poor mans family was better cared
for"
"And today you are penniless and
hungry?"
"Aye, sir, and as laid here I'd have
cut my throat If had knife"
By and by, as we talked, the mother
and children returned heard the
latter shouting, even on the lower
stairs. Each had a load. and the wife
after lamp, bottle of wine
and some other things. Poor soul!
She was laughing and crying by turns,
and to have seen those forlorn chill
dren sit down on the floor and eat the |
dry bread as furnishing wolves devour
their prey was something to pain your
heart
tits real meat, john" said the wo-
man as she came to his bedside
real meat, and real potatoes, and real
sugar and tea, and there is a God
after ALL"
"Yes, there is a God. Maryw he
whispered as he wept
And while sat there the wife cook
ed supper, and the hunger Of all was
and the two smaller children
efterward knelt at the bedside and
repeated the Lords Prayer and were
asleep three minutes later.
1t was only a drop. only little ray
Of hope shining through the darkness
and gloom of their poverty and de-
SPAR, but to have caught that one
ray filed them with new strength to
battle in the future, and had touched
elbows with still another phase Of hui
Excursion to New York, Monday, Sep