68 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[February, 
Poor, tired, girl! We should not like to follow her in 
her daily round, through the long streets, into the stores, 
up and down the stairs into offices, repulsed with a gruff 
a no,” by busy men, hustled out of doors by rough port¬ 
ers, stared at, teased, perhaps insulted, by thoughtless or 
vicious boys, and seldom greeted with a kind word. If 
this life be continued, in a few years that fair, round, 
face, will be sharpened by exposure and want, and its 
sweet expression spoiled by the evil thoughts and pas¬ 
sions which street life is almost sure to produce. Why 
should the child be thus pitilessly thrust out into the 
world ? The place for her is at home under the tender 
care of a mother, or at school, to be guided by faithful 
teachers to intelligent, useful, virtuous, and happy life. 
But she has no home. The place where her drunken 
father and sick mother stay is some dark, cold, garret, or 
damp and filthy cellar—the street is better than that. 
She is driven forth, day by day, with threats of punish¬ 
ment, if she fail to bring home a certain amount at night, 
and the threats are not idle words, for she has often suf¬ 
fered cruel beatings from those who should have been 
her protectors. Such is the history of hundreds of little 
“Match girls” in New York and other large cities; 
girls that,sheltered by such homes as you are blessed with, 
would be as happy, as attractive, perhaps more worthy 
every way than those who now despise them because 
they are poorly clad and live in the street. Think of these 
things when tempted to speak harshly to such unfortun¬ 
ate ones, or when unhappy because you may not have 
some things which the children of richer people enjoy ; 
and when it is in your power do something to add at 
least a smile to the life of these friendless ones! 
Seeiaiig- ilie Cliips Fly. 
Some years ago, a young New Englander found him¬ 
self in the back part of Pennsylvania, ashore as to the 
means of living. In this strait he applied to a wealthy 
Quaker in the neighborhood for help. “I will furnish 
thee with work, and will pay thee for it, friend.” said the 
Quaker; “but it is not my custom to give alms to one 
that is able to labor, like thee.” “Well, that’s all I 
want,” said the Yankee; “ of course, I am willing to 
work.” “ What can thee do, friend?” “I will do any¬ 
thing to get a little money to help me out of my difficul¬ 
ties.” “ Well, there is a log yonder, and there is an ax. 
Thee may pound on the log with the head of the ax, and 
if thee is diligent and faithful, I will pay thee a dollar a 
day.” “ Agreed ; I’d as soon do that as anything else.” 
And so the youth went to work and pounded lustily with 
the head of the ax upon the log. After a time he paused 
to take breath; then he began, again. But after half an 
hour he stopped, threw down the ax impatiently, and 
walked away, saying, “I’ll be hanged if I’ll eut wood 
without seeing the chips fly 1” He could not be blamed 
much, for nothing is more laborious and unsatisfactory 
than continuing to work without seeing any results. 
Conundmm .—With what sort of a throat can a singer 
reach high notes? A soar throat, to be sure. 
