Oh, take me out of this fire! I'm
burning! Oh God, I'm burning to death!"
Such were the incoherent ravings of the shabbily clad creature who
had been found lying in a gutter at the end of a street leading to
an alley in which were several notorious gambling dens.
Like the parable of the Levite and Samaritan many "had passed by on
the other side," but there are good Samaritans at the present day
and one came in the form of an elderly gentleman with locks of hoary
hair and a benign yet sad expression of countenance. He is
accompanied by a sweet-faced woman and a delicate looking child with
flaxen curls and eyes of heavenly blue.
"Stay Clarice, we must see who he is, or why he is here," said the
old gentleman putting the child in the care of a friend and
hastening to the scene with the agility of youth.
"That man was thrown out of that farthest tavern there, sir," said a
raw-boned youth, who was standing with his eyes and month open
awaiting further developments of the case then before him.
"The same old story, father. They encouraged him until the last
farthing is gone, and then he is turned out to die. Oh! how
horrible," and the woman laid her hand upon her father's arm as if
wishing to get away from the sad and cruel sight.
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