The Old Homestead

man turns, wit

y, stern

the fiend with

not fear

rty comes to

its blo

are thin and i

y its ge

here was not a flake on the earth or in the air. Little wind was abroad, but that little pierced through mufflers and overcoats, like a swarm of invisible needles, sharp and stinging. It was rather late in the evening, and in such weat

vercoat buttoned to the chin, and his glittering police star catching the moonbeams as they fell upon his breast, he strode to and fro on his beat, occasionally paus

kind aid of a politician, who had not entirely lost all human feelings in the council chamber, he was enrolled in the city police. To a mind less nobly constructed, this minor position might have been a cause of depression and annoyance, but John Chester, tho

ted, not with grumbling condescension, but with that grateful alacrity which was a sure proof that his duties would be faithf

the night when we present him to the reader, the cold air, while it chilled his body, seemed only to invigorate his mind. Instead of brooding gloomily over his own position, certainly very inferior to what it had

pied by a single family, sometimes of not more than two or three persons. Here plate glass, silver mounted doors, and rich traceries in bronze and iron, gave brilliant evidence of wealth; while many small gardens thrown together, rich with shrubbery and

ildings swarmed with a family; every corner of the leaky garrets and damp cellars was full of poverty-stricken life. Here were no green trees, no leaf-clad vines climbing upon the walls; empty casks, old brooms, and battered

flagging on which he trod. Now and then the gleam of a coarse tallow candle swaling gloomily away by some sick bed, threw its murky light across his path. Still, but for the cold moonlight, Chester would have found much difficulty in making his rounds in the poor man's district. Yet here he remained longest; here his step always grew heavy and

woman sent a thrill of mingled pity and disgust through his heart. The miserable destitution of her home, the glimpses of refinement that broke through her outbursts of passion, the state of revolting intoxication in which she was plu

with a singular, crouching appearance, muffled in an old red cloak that had belonged to some grown person. With a slow and painful effort the child dragged itself along the pavement, its face bent down, and stooping, as if it had some burden to conceal.

e child lifted her face for the first time, and reaching forth a little wan hand, held herself up by the railing. She was not seeking that particular ho

ere too pale-the eyes large and hollow, while black lashes of unusual length gave them a wild depth of color that was absolutely fearful. Still there was something in the expression of those wan features indescr

right position, but without sufficient strength. Chester advanced a step to help her, but drew back, for, without perceiving him, she wa

ening. The child lifted her eyes, and saw standing before, or rather above her, a tall man with light hair turning grey, and a cast of features remarkable only for an absence of all generous expression. He fixed his cold eyes on the little w

an, keeping his eyes immovably on the shivering child, enraged at h

ht be a citizen, one of the sovereign people, possessed of that inestimable privilege-a vote. So the Mayor was cautious, as usual, about exhibiting any positive traces of the ill-humor that possessed him. He had not groped and grovelled his way to the Mayoral

bosom, they must have been aroused by t

t of doors. I am hungry

Where is your father? Ca

father-he

thy or forbearance from the Mayor of New York. He could afford to be angry with

n't you go to

that window everything looked

be doing a wrong to the people who look up to me for an example. Go away this

" said the child, raising her sweet voice and clasping her little wan hands, while ov

t man, and the meek, truthful look of the child! How cold a

eves that prowl about at night!" and the cold-hearted man half closed the door, adding, "go away-go away! So

cold night again. She neither complained nor wept; but sinking on the sto

of meek despair which fell upon the child as the door clos

ly, touching the crouching form wit

she was so unused to anything of the kind; but the instant her eyes fell upon his

nk back into a corner of the iron railing shuddering, and with her wild ey

ened-I will take

n, I mean. Where is she? Wh

greatly distressed; she interrupted him

I tell you I a

ou are not," was the

me up if I am

l perish wit

t away!" cried the child in a faint voice, muffling the ol

e little thin hands over them, and in attempting to rock herself upon the co

ible," cried Chester, gather

that made the Mayor start from his seat with a violence that th

ith a peevish jerk, for he had taken supper at the City Hall that evening, and after a te

to the economy of his household, the Chief Magistrate of New York mounted a chair and turned off four of the six burners that had been lighted in the chandelier. Another sharp ring brought him to t

his burden into the hall and moving towards the drawing-room, from which the light of an anth

there no station-house? I do not receive beggars in my

into the great crimson chair which "his honor" had just so reluctantly abandoned. Wheeling the chai

was life or death to her," said Chester, lifting his fine eyes to t

and eloquent with benevolent feeling; then, just t

oving that bundle of rag

man, trembling all over with generou

ace for a coroner's inque

is indignation almost crushed one of th

s inhuman-it

o?" said the great man, growing pale about the mout

his is your house, and you

g, and with company like that!" said the Mayor, pointing to the child, while h

house whence she had crept out into the cold, hoping to be of some use; she came up here, and rang at your door. I heard what passed between you. As a citizen, I should have been ashamed, had I unfor

sneer upon his face died away while he began to pace the room, the soft fall

earth that was unavoidably cast up in his passage. His genius lay in that low cunning and prudent management, with which small men of little intellect and no heart sometimes deceive the world. He had long outlived all feelings sufficiently strong to render him impetuous, and was utterly devoid of that generous self-respect which prom

used in his walk, and, bending over the child, sai

g better-probably it wi

ous heart smote him for having perhaps judged too harshly. The little hand which he was chafing began to warm with life;

f frank gratitude beaming over every feature, "I think she wil

," observed the Mayor, evidently wishing to offer some excuse for his former h

excitement of his former language. He longed to make some reparat

e features began to quiver in the glowing

eople here, you know," r

Chester, as the child opened

the station-house.

. The Common Council make no provision for medical aid where the si

hing," replied the Mayor, becoming i

its first duty

paring to remove the little intruder. "You will not have a very long walk," he added. "The station

ild, and two great tears rolled over her cheek slowly, as if th

answered by a whole gush of tears that sprang into hi

"She shall go home with me for one night at least. I will say to my wife, 'Here is a little hungry thing whom God has sent you from the street.' She w

smile of ineffable sweetness floated over he

s, I wi

, turning with his burden toward the Mayor

towards the door, "but I shall remember-never doubt that!" he muttered

followed by a young lad, who paused a moment on the upper step and gave some order

ing her rose-colored opera-cloak closely arou

opera music as if haunted by some melody; "but pray send Tim out a

opera-cloak, revealing a rich brocade dress underneath, lighted up with jewels and covered as with a mist of fine l

r dwelling, even at late hours, that she seldom paused, even to regard a stranger. But the noble-looking lad was far more quick

e matter?-is she sick?" i

ild, half frozen and almost

hall table. "Come back, till she gets thoroughly warm, and I'll soon ransack the kitchen for eatables; a glass of Madeira now t

ing-room; "oh, I see, a little beggar girl! Why don't you le

of getting food; "it is want, nothi

oo! I declare, Mr. Farnham, you ought to stop this sort of thing-it i

toward his mother

go down and search for something,

look more beautiful on a young face. It must have been a cold-hearted person, indeed, wh

ic should open one

u be reasonable for once," replied the weak woman, glancing at her husband, who

er is out of so

he hall and searching eagerly in his pockets-"stop, my dear

e, and emptied the only bit of

but this will go a little way. You are a fine fellow, I can see that; don't let the poor thing suffer-if help is wanted, I'm always on

d, and moved down the steps, cheered by the

elf on my door-steps and call for wine as if you were in a tavern, is an insult to your father's principles. It is not to be supposed that this house c

ring for warmth and food, when we have it every now an

ther sternly; "we never have wine on the table, except when certain men are here. Wh

on his father, and their half astonished, half grieved exp

ublic station like mine, Frederick; a politician, to be

an," exclaimed the boy, while childish tea

rose in the father's heart; for there was yet one gree

her glass of wine in my life. What is wrong for the poor is wrong for the

ngs of that sort, are decidedly immoral; but champaigne and Madeira, sherry coblers-a vulgar name that-always puts one in mind of low shoemakers-don't it Mr. Farnham? if it wasn't for the glass tubes and cut-crystal goblets, that beverage ought to be legislat

like, as soon as convenient, to be left to himself. Upon this the lady folded her white gloves spitefully and left the room, tossing her head till the marabouts on each side of her coiffure tr

g leave of his father with a respectful "good night," which the Mayor, d

he room, who was ordered to wheel the easy-chair into the hall, and have it thoroughly aired the first thing in the morning. A

d to pace up and down the room, meditatin

s no business in the police. He thinks for himself and acts for himself, I'll be sworn; besides, he is a fine, gentlemanly-looking fellow, and somehow the people get attached to such men, and are influenced by them. It always pleas

in his presence, the Mayor spent perhaps half an hour very much in his usual way; for he had always some small plot to ripen just before retir