A Touching Story.

Manawatu Herald, 22 March 1894, Page 3

A Touching Story.

Out of the columns of the London Beferee the following touching story is taken. It is vouched for on the authority of the police authorities. In Piccadilly Circus, among a sorry crowd of roysterers, a woman attracted the attention of a passer-by. She was drunk, and her poor, tawdry finery was soiled ; yet there, was an indefinable something about her which told that at some time she had been a lady. The passer by asked bis companion, who was an inspector of police, if he knew anything of her. l4 Yes, sir," was the reply; " you would not think it to see her now,, but that's the daughter of old Mr , who was once magistrate at etreet Police Court. Fact, sir," be continued, seeing that I was both shocked and surprised. " She was once the. wife of an officer in the army, but went from bad to worse till she took to the streets." " Did her father know of her life?" "Oh, yes," was the reply, " but he cut her off l<»ng ago. The worst of it was that she often got into trouble in his district at night, and would be charged at his court for disorderly conduct in the morning. She didn't care. The inspectors used to arrange to have her brought before the other magistrate. But once a mistake was made, and she came up while old Jj r was sitting. He heard the •vidence, and, with a tremble in his voice, he gave her fourteen days." •*.*■' And did she say nothing to thut ?" " Nothing particular. On hearing the sentence she bowt-d and said, vtry quiet and lady lik ■ : " Thank you, father, for the fun-inn diiys." The pathos of this w;is almost heartbreaking. It is deep for tears. Death is, after all, one of the least of sorrows. Where in all fiction is i ' there a phrase to match in pathos ! that " Thank you, father," from j that dock ?