Roxy Hastings — page 49: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

i" A0 ROXY HASTINGS. > needlework of any kind openly, and sought it in person of employers, while Emily, emulating her example, without fully sharing her patience, labored quite as earnestly in her own vocation, and submitted to be patronized by low people, who were glad to get good musical tuition at a low price and call it charity to the .teacher. The mother was a tall, spare lady, whose plain features were redeemed from ugliness by soft black eyes, which Time had not robbed of their youthful light, and by that mild and genial expression which true goodness always imprints upon the countenance, however rugged the out- line. 3 Emily, who was about twenty years old, and of medium height, had the beauty of good, robust health, and a fresh, clear complexion, but lacked the feminine grace and at- tractiveness of her younger sister. She had, like her mother, indomitable spirit and energy, but she could scarcely be meek or uncomplaining. “T thought we were ground down to the dust before,” she said, ‘‘but it seems we were not low enough. We must quit even our two nice rooms and herd with Irish hod-carriers and Italian organ-grinders, and all that is lowest and most vile. What is it for, I should like to know? Why are we singled out for such a fate?” ; “We are not singled out, my child. There are hundreds of thousands as badly off as we, and many still worse.” | ‘Nothing can be worse. It is terrible.” “Tt is hard, but not so terrible. It is wicked to complain as you do, my daughter, and I never shall feel confident of better times while you are so rebellious in spirit. He knows best, and if our lot were a prison or the stake, we ought still to think so and to feel resigned.” ~“T will not complain, then; I will try to be patient. But I shall never be like you. Perhaps some allowance will be made for me since I have been taught from childhood to look for so much, and now it all comes to this.” Kmily spoke humbly and reverently now and her mother quickly replied : “That sounds better, my love. Do not despair. Our new home is certainly not among desirable neighbors, but sue room can be made very neat and tidy, and we shall get along. “T shall lose my scholars. Mrs. Proudfit said there were so many infectious diseases in those tenement-houses that she could not have me coming from them to her children.” Well, she only paid half price,” cComicbooks.co