An Angel In A Saloon

One afternoon in tho iuonth of June, 870, a lady in deep mourning, followed y a httle cuild, entered oue of the fash inable saloon iu the City ot' N . The vritSE happened to be passing at the luie, and prompted by curiosity, iolowed her in to see wuat would eogue. tepping up to the bar, and nddressing ie proprietor, she 6aid : " Sir, can you astist me 't I have no ioiue, no l'rieiids, aud am not able tu work." He glanced at her, and then at the ïild, with a mingli'd look ot' curiosity ud pity. Evidently he was much surjriscd to see a woinan in such a place, egging, but, without asking any ques oMi he gave her sume change, aud urning to those present, he said : " Gentlemen, here is a lady in distress. 3an't some of you help her a little 't" They cheerf ully acceded to the request, nd soon a purse of two dollars was made p and put in her hands " Madam," said the gentleman who ave her the money, " why do yon come o a saloon? It isn't a proper place tor lady, and why are you dnven to suuli step 't " " Sir," said the lady, " I know it isn't proper place for a lady to be in, and „u ask me why I am driveti to such a ;ep 't I will teil you in one short word, loiuting to a bottle behind the counter abeled "whisky" - "thatis what brouglit me here - whisky. I was once happy, nd surrounded with all the luxuries wealth could piocure, with a fond, induljent husband. But in an evil hour he was tempted, and not possessing the will ;o resist the temptation, teil, and in one lort year my dream of happiness was vee, tny home was forever desolate, and ie kind husband and the wealth that ome called mine, lost - lost nevei to reurn, and all by the acoursed wine-cup. You see before you only the wreek of u y 'ormer self, homeless and friendless, with othing left me in tbis world but this ittlechild;" and, weepiug bitterly, she ffectionately caressed the golden curls lat shaded a face of exquisite loveliness. legaining her composure, and turuing o the proprietor of the saloon, she couïnucd: "Sir, the reason why I occasionally nter a place like this is to implore those who deal in tho deadly poison to desist, .0 stop a business that spreads desolaion, ruin, poverty, and starvation. Think ne moment of your own loved ones, aud hen imagine them in the situation I am n. I appeal to your better nature, I apeal to your heart, for I know you posess a kind one, to retire from a business o ruinous to your patrons. " Do you know the money you take cross the bar is the saine thing as the read out of the mouths of the i'amisbed wives and children of your custcmers? 'hat it strips the clothing froin their aeks, doprives them of all the comforts of this life, and throws unhappiness, misery, crime, and desolation info their once happy homes 't Oh! sir, I implore )eseech, and pray you to retire fruin a jusiness you blush to own you are en;agcd in before your fellow-men, and enter one that will not only be profitable to yourself, but to your fellow creatures also. Tou will excuse me if I have spoken too plainly, but I could not help it when I thought of the misery, the unhappiness, and the sufferiñg it has caused me." " Madam, I am not offended," he answered, in a voice husky with emotion, " but I thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you have said." "Mamma," said the little girl, who, meantitne, had been spoken to by some ' of tho gentlemen present, taking hold of her motber's hand, " these gentlemen want nié to sing 'Little Besáis' for thein. Bbali I do soV" They all joined in the request, and placint; her iu a chair, sbe sang, in a 6weet, childish voice, the following beauti'ful song; "Out in the gloomy night, sadly T i I have no mother dear, na pleasant homo; No onc caros for me, no one wonld cry Even if poor littlo Bessie Bhould di. V i itr and tired Ivo beau waaderiïiff all day, Asking for work, luit I'm too small, tnej Bay; On the damp gronnd 1 must nO"W lay my head ; Futher'e e drunkard and mothex is dead. " We were mi happy tiü father drank rum, Xhen all ottx sorrow and troabíí be ; ;m ; Mother grew pale, and, day; Baby and 1 were too hungry to play ; Slovviy they farfed, tül one summer night Foniid dead faces all silent and white; Then, with b!g tears slowly dropping, 1 said, Father's a drtxnkaid and mother is deafl. " O ! if the tompcrance men only oould iiud Foor, wretched father, and t:i;k very kind ; If they would stop him from drinking, thea I íhould I' so v;'ry happy again. Is it too late, temperance men '; Please try. Or poor little Beide inu3t soon starvu and dio. AH the day long I've been begging for bread; Father's a dximkard and mother ia dead The game of billiards was left uufiuished, the caids thrown aaide, and the unemptied glass remaiued on the counter; nll bad pressed near, somo with pitybottming eyes, en trancad with the musical vuiuo and beauty of the child, whoseeined better fltted to be with angels above than in sueh a place. Tho scène I ihall never forget to my dying day, and the sweet cadenee of lier musical voice stili rings in my ears, and every word of the song aa it dropped trom her lips sank deep into the hearts of those gathered around her. With lier golden liair falling carelessly around her shoulders, and looking so trustingly and confidingly upon the gentlemen around her, her beautiful eyea illuminated with a lignt tliat seenied not of this earth, sho foruied a picture of purity and innocenee worthy the genius of a poet or pain ter. At tho close of the song many were vreeping; men who bad not shed a tear for years now wept like cbildren. One young man who had reaisted with scorn the pleadiugs of a Loving mother and the eutreatiea of friendo to strive to It a i : be tl er life, to desist trom a course tliat was wasting his fortuno and ruining his health, now approached the child, and taking both hands in his, while frnirs streamed down his cheeks, exclainitd, with deep emotion : " God bless you, my little angel. You have saved me t'ioin ruin and disgrace. trom poverty and a drunkard's grave, If there are angels on earth, you are one! Goií Mess you ! God bless you ! " and putting a note hito the hands of the mother, sa'd : "l'lease accept this trifle as a token of of my regard and esteem, for your little girl has done iiiO a kindness I can never r'piy; and rninember, w henever you are in want, you will find Die a true iriend," at the same timo gi ving her his name and address. Taking her child by the hand shp turned to go, but pausing at the dooi1, said : " God b'ess you, gentlemen ! accept the ln'nitfelt tlianks of a poor, trieudless woiu in for the kin Inesg and courtesy you have shown lier" Before any one could repl}' shc was gone. A silence of several minutes ensued, whic h was broken by the propriojor, who exclaimed : "Gentlemen, tliat lady was rigbt, and I have sold my last glass of whisky; if nny one of you want more you will have to go els wlicrr." " And [ have drank my last glass of whisky," said a young man who had long been given up as utterly beyond the reaob of those who liad a deep interest in his welfare, as sur.k too low ever to reform. Mark Tw.iin's Tribute to Wêtnan. At an annuai banquot of the Washington Corresponden ts' Club the following toast was read : " Woinan, the pride of the professions and the jewel of ours." To which Mark Twain responded as follovvs : Human intelligenco carmot estímate wbat we owe to woinan, sir. Sho sews on buttons, she ropeg us in at tho church fair, she confides in us, tells whatever she can find out about tho little private affaiis of her ncighbors, she gives us a piece of her mind sometimes all of it. In all relations of life, sir, it is a just and gratefnl tribute to say of her bhe is a " brick!" Where you place woman, sir, in what-' ever position or estáte, she is an orna ment to the place she oecupies, and a treasure to the world. Look at the woman of histoiy ! Look at Desdemona ! Look at Lucretia Borgia '. Look at mother Eve ! I repeat, sir, look at the ïllustrious names of hiatory ' Look. at Elizabeth Cady iStanton ! Look at George Francia Train ' And, sir, I say, with bowed bead and deopest veneration, look at the mother of Washington ' She raised a boy that could not lie; but he never had h chance. It might have been different if he had belonged to a newspaper corrospondents' club. Mark looked around placidly upon Lis excited audiëntie, and resumed : I repeat, sir, that in whatever position you put a woman, she is an ornament to society and a treasure to the world. As a sweetheart she has few equals. and no superior. As a wealthy grandmother, with an incurable distemper, she is gortteous. As a wet nurse she has no equal among men. What, sir, wouid tho people of the earth be without woman 'i They would be si arce, sir, almighty senree ! Then let us give her our support, our sympathy- ourselves if' we get, a chance. But, iesting aside, Mr. President, woman i lovable, graeious, kind of heart, beautiful, worthy of respect, of all es teem, ut' ali deference. No one here will refuse to drink her health right cordially, for each and every one of us has pertiorjally known, loved and honored tho best ot them all - his own mother. BARNUM'S LOVE FOR CllILDKEN. - P. T. Barnum's love for children is proverb ial. lu Cleveland a little five years old invalid at a fiiend's house has become quite a favorito with the veteran showman, and the child has learned to expect a visit frorn his kind-hearted patrón imuiediately upon his arrival in the city. This morninsr, the little fellow was all excitement as the doov bell rang and Mr. Barnurn stepped into the sick room. The usual greetings followed, but a ahadow came over the little invalid's countenance a3 he remembered his inability to attend tbe meuagerie. "Never mind," said Mr. Barnum, ' if you tannot go to the show, we must bring the show to you," and then departed. Presently the child, and indeed the whole household, was startled at seuing a procession of elephants, camela and dromedarios walk quietly past the house and halt in the back yard. " Little Trot" waswild with delieht, and upou being held at the wiudow, cheei-tód merrily at the novel speotacle. Tho peiforming elephants g:,ve a matinee, and the beautiful child, bolstered np at the window, gave his orders with the air of a prince. In half an hour the pro cessicn rnfonned ana, under the charge of their keeper, the doc.ile but ungainly animáis marched quiotly bank to t'r.e mnagorie.- Cleveland Plaindealer July löij. - --- K i m - - Tbc ladies do their hair up so high now that they have to stand on. somathing to piat on their hats,