Year: 1868

these emaciated limbs, aud the gar
ments that scarcely hide them !!
Shall not look like queeu2


Saying this, she turned away
with hollow laugh, leaving me
with the third, who, with q resolute
arm, seated me ON the steps of
building beside which I stood, and
speedily taking off my best CATERS
and lamb's-wool stockings, put
them on her almost naked feet,
muttering to herself:


81 have needed them sorely, sore
ly. How cruel in the heartless thief
to keep them from mer


Once more [ was left alone. If I
could have sunk into the earth glad
ly would have done so. But no !!
there 1 sat, dressed only in under
garments, and looking more like a
ghost than living creature. But
l had not yet reached the climax of
horror. Another female appeared
in the distance; she approached,
and l felt q death-like sickness as
she stood before me. I tried to
close my eyes against tile spectre,
but could not She was the perfect
picture of despair; and, besides,
there was something in her look
that overawed, that made me quail
like a criminal. Laying her hand
on the full white skirt that flowed
to my feet, and examining it's text
ure, she said in low, thrilling
voice:


eyes, this will do; it is beauti-
full, very beautiful indeed! and
should it not be? purchased with
the money that was toiled for by
these poor hands, while my darling
angel lay moaning in his hard cradle,
and l could not take him up, could
not hush him on my husom. Wo-
man." she said, looking me in the
face with gaze will never forget,
Il will take this linen now, for it is
needed, and I have no money to
buy more"


I did not answer her; I had lost
all power Of utterance. There was
calm, despairing expression in her
eye that froze me. She fastened
them on me a moment, and per-
ceiving my shudder of horror at the
idea OF being utterly deprived of
clothing, and lett as a gazing stock
in the public street, she drew back,
saying:


"No, sinful, condemned woman
no! I cannot take away thy COW
ering. Oh, my blessed angel of
heaven, thou art innocent, but she
is guilty. No, madam! l had
thought to take it for q shroud to
lay out my dead baby, my murder
ed child-murdered by the cruelty
Of q drunken father! There he
lies, in his pillowiess cradle, with
the little soiIed frock be has worn
for weeks still on him! [ could
not go to the neighbors for a
shroud. I could not beg when l
knew there was cloth of my own,
50 white, 50 fine, so suitable. Bot
no, will not take in from you! |
am q woman. l am mother
Better that [ should forbear-better
that my innocent one should go to
his grave uncovered! He has new
er sinned let him lie in his pure
nakedness. Gods angels shall
spread over him their spotless
wings. Keep thy ill-gotten cloth
ing. 1t may shield thee from the
gaze Of man, but it cannot shield
thee from the curse Of the childless
mother-the Drunkard's s Wife.
O, my husband the sound of
that voice is ringing in my ears at
this moment, Perhaps l am weak
and foolish; but truly as [ am alive
and sitting here, I will never use
one Of those articles Of dress again.
I will put on mourning, and eat
bred and water; / will see no COM
pany-no, never will [ show my
face to the world; never will [ set
my foot into the street again, so
long as lam the wife Of rumsel-
Ter