Year: 1872

i


said. tossing chem back to the drunkard.
with a look of perfect indifference
"Only twelve sbillings!' murmured the
heart broken wife. in tone of despair: !:
20. Robert don't let them 60 for twelve
shillings. Let me try somewhere else
Nonsense p answered the brute. tits
as much as they are worth. suppose
Here, Mr.. - give US the change =
The money was placed before him. tfnd
the bundle consigned to drawer. The
poor creature reached forth her hand to-
wards the money, but the movement was
anticipated by her husband There
Mary he said giving her half dollar.
there, 60 home now, and don't make a
fuss I'm going a little way up the
street, and perhaps Ill bring you some
thing from market when l come home"


The hopeless look of the poor woman
as che meekly turned to the door, told
plainly enough how little she trusted the
promise. They went on their way-she
to her children and he to the next corner
grocery


BENEVOLENT CUSTOMER.


While this scene was in progress an
other had been added to the number of
spectator. This was young man dress
ed in the height Of The fashion. He had
a reckless good humored look and very
much the air Of what is called "a young
man about town." that is, one who rides
out to the Central Park in the afternoon,
eats game slippers at Delmonico's in the
evening after the play spends the rest of
the night and his money at billiards.
The moment the poor woman was gone,
he twitched from his neck gold chain,
with gold watch. and placing it in the
hands of the pawnbroker, with whom he
seemed to be on terms of acquaintance,
he exclaimed. "Quick now, Mr.. - !;
thirty dollars on that you've had it be-
fore, and needn't stop to examine it,
The money was instantly paid over and
the young man of fashion. crumpling the
bills up in bis hand, hurried off at full
speed, first looking up and then down
the street. followed him to the door
and saw him accost the poor woman
who had just left the shop, thrust in
to her hand either the whole or part Of
the sum be had just received, and then
turning away to the other side of the
street without stopping either for thanks
or for explanation.


The reveris of mingled surprise and
admiration into which l was thrown by
this unexpected manifestation of benev-
olence was Interrupted BY loud outcry
from Mr.. -, the pawnbroker, and by
seeing him, with look of wrath and
horror, hurry round ais counter and out
through the door upon the sidewalk, whers
he stood for moment strainins his eyes
down the street as # in search of the
kind hearted youth, who had by this
time disappeared up one Of the cross
streets. The william" be exclaimed,
the swindling scoundrel Which way
did he go-the ungrateful theft Tell
me-" he continued, turning to me. tell
me which way he went" pointed out
to Mr.. - the course taken by his late
customer, and mentioned also what l had
seen take place between him and the
poor woman. "Ah, it's no use,' he then
said "he's got of clear by this time.
and my thirty dollars is gone case. -
But I'll find him yet some day" And
thus soliloquizing, Mr. - returned in
to his chop. Taking advantage of the
familiarity that had grown up between
the broker and his chain. the young man
had substituted an oriode chain for the
gold one which had been so often depos-
tied with the watch, and the deception had
passed unnoticed until it was too late
The watch itself waa cheap one, and
probably worth about the sum advanced.
TIE STORY OF A RING.


A touching incident occurred at the
place of my next visit. A woman about
tbirty-fve year. old. in the garb of
mourning, entered, evidently with reluct-
ance: she could hardly make the object
of her visit known on account Of her
emotion. She was of delicate frame,
of easy and graceful manners, and but
for the ravages of care upon her face
might still have been beautiful. At
length she took ring from pretty little
morocco case, upon the pledge of which
she wished to realize such an amount
of money as would sustain herself and
children through the winter. The extor.
toner took the ring in his fingers, and
holding it up to the window pretended
to examine it-assuming at the same
time an air Of affected disappointment
he began at once to depricate the article
declaring that it was nothing but an
Alaska crystal, and that he would hard
ly take it any price. He was inexorable,
and peremptoriIy refused to advance
mole than four or FIVE dollars. Tears
glistened IN the womans eyes.


l had seen, as the man studied the
ring with secret satisfaction by the win