Hot corn: Life Scenes in New York IllustratedRobinson, Solon
General
Hot corn: Life Scenes in New York Illustrated
Robinson, Solon
New York (N.Y.) -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Temperance -- Fiction
"After she had been here a few days, our folks told her about
me, and how I used to run the streets, and how I got into the
House of Industry, and how they got me from there, and what a
good girl I had been--yes, they did--and then Mrs. Morgan, she
began to talk to me so kindly; and then I told her everything
about myself, and some about you, and she told me a great many
things about herself. Oh, it would be such a story to put in a
book. And then she grew as fond of me as I was of her. And
every day when I had my work done, and every evening, I used to
be up in her room, and she showed me all about her work, and I
used to help her, and now she declares that I can make just as
good a stock as she can, and almost as fast. She can make eight
in a day; when I help her, odd times and evenings, she can make
twelve. Last week she made, with what I did, seventy-two, and
put them all in a box. How nice they do look! That is
seventy-two York shillings--nine dollars! And she says when I
come home to live, she will recommend me--I must have a good
recommend to get work--when I can get just as much such work as
I can do. Oh, but she is a good woman! I guess you would cry
though as much as I have, to hear her story. I will tell it you
some day. Mrs. Morgan is going down to-morrow. I wish I was.
But I cannot. In two months my time is up; then you will see
me. Now, good night. Say 'good by' to Tom for me. Kiss mother,
father, and ever love your
"MAGGIE."
"Oh, James, something tells me that if she don't come before that, I
never shall see her. But you will be happy with her. You will live a
long life, I hope, for her to bless and comfort you in your old age. You
are not so old and so broken down as I am."
"All my fault, all my fault. If I had treated you as a rational man
should treat a wife, you would not be so broken down now."
"You must not look back. Look ahead and aloft. Think what a treasure of
a daughter you have got. How I should like to see her once more before I
go to my rest, and give her my blessing; and oh! how I should like to
see that blessed woman, that Mrs. Morgan. I want to bring her and Elsie
together, and make peace on earth as there will be in heaven, where I
hope to meet them both. They will soon follow. This life, at best, is
short. Mine will be, I am sure."
"Don't have such gloomy forebodings, wife; it seems to me that you were
never in better health."
"I know it, and never more happy."
This was on Thursday evening. On Saturday evening everybody was
astonished to see Maggie come bounding in, with a step as light and
quick as a playful lamb.
"Where's mother? Is she well? Has anything happened? Where is father? Is
everything all right with him?" were the questions she asked, in such
rapid succession that nobody could answer any one of them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account