Year: 1869

True-Herated Woman.


1T is no use, Maria; have tried
everywhere


But you are not going to give it up,
Peterg


'Giye it up! How can I help iti
Within four days l have been to every
book binder in the city, and not a bit o.
work can I get


But you have tried nothing elseg


what else can 1 tryP


'Why, anything you can do


Yes; I've tried other things. have
been to more than a dozen of my friends
and offered to help them if they would
hire me-


sand what did you mean to do for
themp


4 offered to post their accounts, make
out bills, or attend at the counter


Mrs. Stanwood smiled as her husband
spoke thus.


what makes you smileP he asked.


TO think that you should have i'm
agined that you would find work in such
places. But how is Mark LeedsP


He has nothing in his house to eat ?


1t was shudder that crept over the
wife's frame now.


why do you tremble, wifeG'


Because when we have eaten our
breakfast tomorrow morning we shall
have nothing.


tWhatP cried Peter Stanwood half
starting from his chair; do you mean
thatP


d do


But our fourP


'An gone. I baked the last this af-
ternoon.'


'Butwe have pork T.


You ate the last this noon


Then we must staryep groaned the
stricken man, starting across the room.


Peter Stanwood was book binder
by trade, and had been out of employ
ment over a month He was one of
those who generally calculate to keep
about square with the world, and who
consider themselves particularly fortu-
nate if they keep out of debt He was
now thirty years of age, and had been
married eight years. He had three
children to provide for. besides himself
and wife, and this, together with house
rent, was heavy draft upon his purse,
even when work was plenty, but now
there was nothing.


MARIA he said, stopping and gazing
his wife in the face, I'VE must starve; l
have not a penny in the worldP


But do not despair, Peter. Try
tomorrow for work. You may find
something to do. Anything that is
honest is honorable. Should you make
but a shilling day we should not
starve.'


But our house rentP


Trust me for that The landlord
shall not turn us out. If you will en-
gage to find some work to do I'll see
That we have house ROOM


I'll make one more trial. uttered
Peter, despairingly.


But you must go prepared to do any
hing


Anything reasonable, Maria


IBut what do you call reasonable,
PeterP


'Why-anything decent


The wife felt almost inclined to smile, |
put the matter was too serious for that,
md cloud passed over her face. She
new her husbands disposition, and |
elt sure he would find no work. She
new he would look for work which
would not lower him in the social scale,
s he had once or twice expressed it
However, she knew it would be of no
se to say anything to him now, and
he letthe matter pass.


On the following morning the last bit
f food in the house was placed upon
he table. Stanwood could hardly rea-
ze that he was penniless and without
,od. For years he had been gay
and fortunate, making the
lost of the present, and leaving the
lture to look out for itself. Yet the !
nth was naked and clear, and when he {
# the house he said:
Something must be done
No sooner had the husband gone than {
RS. Stanwood put on her bonnet and '
lawl. Her eldest child was a girl &
ven years old, and her youngest four.
be asked her first door neighbor if she t
ould take care of her children until
Jon. These children were known to 8
, good and quiet, and they were taken
Then Mrs. Stanwood lock- d
up her house and went away. She a
turned at noon, bringing some dinner
r her children, and went away again. D
le got home in the evening before I
II husband, carrying basket on her a
III. Fl
wen, Feter, sne ASKED, after her q
lsbsnd had entered and sat down,
hat luekP y
Nothing, nothing he groaned. 4 b
ade out to squeeze a dinner out of an |,
/ chum, but 1 can't get work J
'And where have you looked to-day? c
'Oh, everywhere. 1 have been to o
Jndred places, but it is the same every
ace. It's nothing but eternal no no
!! I'm tired and SICK of it.
But what sort of work have you Of