The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-10-09
A Little Story
OF a Big Town
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1913, by American Lit
erary Press.

l stood under a lamppost on Hester
street. watching the overtired children
as they fell asleep. while sitting on the
steps, the men as they smoked and
rested, the women as they dragged
themselves wearily along and pur-
chased bit here and there to stock
the family cupboard for Sunday. On
Canal, on Grand, along the Bowery,
in Chatham square, men and women
are laughing in good nature as they
elbow each other and throng the stores
to purchase ornaments and luXuries.
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 I did not
hear her.
where do you live?" I asked.
She pointed to four story tenement
almost opposite.
"Any family?"
ga sick husband and four children,
SIR"
every well: lead on, and I 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 a door, and
we entered a room lighted by a 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, q
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 a stove, a wash.
tub and a bucket Of coal
"Sit down. sir" said the woman as
she placed chair.
The husband looked to be fifty years
old. he had the bright eyes and the
hollow cheeks of consumpt1ve.
"Are you q 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 it is with US
l asked him on the street for money,
and he's come up to-to"-
ITO see If you were really in need
of help" said as she paused. Have
you had any supper"
Just crust for him, sir, but moth
ing for the rest, and but for you the
children would be crying with hun
ger"
very Wen III mind the house
while you go out Get bread, butter
tea, milk, sugar, potatoes and meat"
"You-you don't mean 1T" she
gasped.
The man rose up on his elbow to gel
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
to get along all right. but sickness
came; you could no longer work; you
have reached your last penny. Why
shouldn't l help you a bit7"
Its sadly enough we need it, Goo
knows, but-but'-
But you can't make out why
came up here?"
mo, sir"
well, don't worry about it. Queel
things are always happening to all OF
us. How long have you been ill?"
"Over a year, sir"
"And how have you lived"
by using the few dollars had pu
by and by selling whatever we coult
spare until we are as you see US.
once earned my So day, sir, and NJ
poor mans family was better caret
| for"
And today you are penniless ant
hungry"
AYE, sir, and as laid here I'd hav'
cut my throat If had a knife"
BY and by. as we talked, the mothe
and children returned. l heard tn
latter shouting. even on the lowe
stairs. Each had load, and the VIII
returned after lamp, bottle Of win
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 tn
dry bread as famishing wolves devou
their prey was something to pain you
| heart.
| "Its real meat, John." said the wo
man as she came to his bedside
real meat, and real potatoes, and rea
sugar and tea. and there is a CO.
| after all!'
"Yes, there is a God. Nary b
whispered as he wept
And while | sat there the wife cook
ed supper. and the hunger Of all wa
satisfied, and the two smaller childrel
! afterward knelt at the bedside an
repeated the Lords Prayer and wer
| asleep three minutes later.