Year: 1876

hastened down the street, busy TIL
Saturday night with market-goin:
people of the poorer classes.
A little way before her reeled thu
handsome broad-shouldered figure o
her husband; and she, a lady bret
and born, fastidious, elegant accom-
plished, reared in luxury, heard poo
laborers' wives warn their children
to beware of that drunken fellow.


She heard coarse laughs at his ex
pense, and under the shadow of hel
shawl her cheek burnt hotly; but
for all that she never thought of go
ing back and leaving him to himself
As soon as she could, she gained his
side and called to him by name, ed
ward! Edwardw


He turned, and unsteadily looked
at her, in bewildered way.


I "YouT he said, "You ought to be
at home at this time of night"


$50 ought we both," said Ruth,
"Come, dear"


He threw her hand off.


"Tm my own master" he said
"Pm not tied to any woman's apron
stringw and staggered away again.
Ruth following, through the long
street, with every face turned toward
them as they passed-some laughing,
some contemptuous, some terrified
out at last upon the wharyes, and
| fbora Tho hoeotta1 ,nop cat down
more stupefied by the liquor he had
swallowed, in that fresh, cold air.


Ruth was thinly clad--the chill of
the night wind seemed to reach her
very heart. She thought of the
babe at home, and tears coursed
down her cheeks. Again and again
she pleaded with the mad man at her
side. Again and again she tried to
bring to his mind some lingering
memory of the past days when his
love and protection had been hers.
In vain; wild fancies filled his brain
demons, born of the fumes of strong
drink, held possession of his senses.
Sometimes he thrust her from him
sometimes he gave her maudlin
embrace, and bade her bring him
more liquor; but go home he would
not.


The hum of the great city died
out at last; all was still with the
strange stiffness of city at night.
The frosty stars twinkled over head.
Now and then a boat passed up the
river, with measured beat and throb.
Once, a rough looking fellow saun-
tered past them on the wharf; but
though he flung her an insolent word,
and yet "a more iusolent laugh, and
went away singing more insolently,
he did not approach them. SO be-
numbed had Ruth grown, so cold to
the very heart was she, that the
power of motion had almost desert
ed her, when at last, as the church
clock not far away tolled the hour OF
four. the degraded man staggered to
his feet and reeled homeward. She
followed feebly; only by clinging to
the balustrade could she mount the
wretched stairs. 1t was bitter cold
within as without, but she was glad
to find herself at last under shelter.
Her babe still slumbered, and she
did not awaken it. Her frozen bosom
could have only chilled the little
creature. There were few bits OF
broken wood in corner; and with
these she made fire, and crouched
over it. striving to gain little
warmth while her husband slumber
ed heavily upon the bed in the cor
ner, to which he had staggered on
his entrance.


Thus an hour passed by, and Ruth
also fell asleep. The silence, the
pleasant warmth at her feet, the fan
cy that all her trouble was over for
the night, lulled her to pleasant
dreams. From them she was awak-
ened by the loud ringing of a neigh
boring factory bell, and by the
sound of cries and shouts in the
street below. She cast her eyes to-
ward the bed-her husband was not
there! toward the cradle--it was
empty! She flew to the window
the street below was full of factory
boys.


Some great jest amused them
nightly. They roared, they danced,
they tossed their ragged caps on high,
they shrieked in unmusical laughter;
and the object of all this mad mirth
was only too evident.


On the steps of the public house
opposite stood Edward Holly, hold
ing his child in his arms, and ex-
hibiting for the benefit of the de-
lighted crowd all those antics OF
which an intoxicated man alone is
capable! He called on the grinning
landlord of the gin-shop to "give
this child some brandy" and turning
the screaming infant about in a
manner that left no doubt that he
would end by dropping it upon the
pavement.


Wild with terror, Ruth rushed out
into the street, and made her way
through the crowd to the spot where
her husband stood; but before she
reached him, the scene changed.
Some boy, more brutal than the rest,
had thrown handful of mud into
Edward Holly's face; and he reeling
and blaspheming, had dashed for
ward to revenge the act.


The child had been flung away at
the first step, but fortunately, had
been caught by an unfortunate, y
/ who, though degraded creature her
self, had enough Of the woman re-
naming to save an infant from inju.
ry.


And now the whole horde Of boys
beset the drunken man, pelting him
with sticks and stones and decayed
vegetables from the kennel, and rev.
elling in the brutal delight with
which such scene always seems to
inspire boys of the lower classes.
i Ruth saw that her babe w9s sa1e,