Show from Art arthurs hurs burs nomo homo magadine magarine for mayi mayl marb mart one hour ina pawnbrokers Pawn brokers sh shop OP there is a pawnbroker in the good city ot of who has been fed and fattened in person and purse by the necessities of the unfortunate for so many years that he has become exceedingly wealth yand vand and because of his riches is now considered 4 by many highly respectable we called upon this man once upon a time and during the hour we remained in his shop chop a new leaf in the book took of human life was opened to our zur vision we had never before a en a pawnbrokers pawn brokers heart in fact never had oar our attention been directed to this class of beings as fit subjects of serious study but on the occasion alluded to we had been only a few moments in the room when an incident occurred to attract our curiosity to witness further developments of the character of the man and of the pernicious business in which he was engaged ga ed t an old lady entered with feeble faltering s e a a countenance and dress which plainly bes bespoke 0 ce sorrow borrow and want before the poor woman had hai ad timeto time to utter a word we were startled by the harsh voice voide of the pawnbroker as he said what do you want old woman what did you come here for go out if you please sir air I 1 am in great distress and want a little assistance only a very little for myself and my poor sick child go out I 1 tell you I 1 dont want to hear anything thin about you or your sick child dont you know any better than to come to a sha vino vinc intz iniz shop shop to beg ask a pawnbroker for charity veli well ife 1 hats good that ts it ha hap ha in heavens ask you for some money only a very little you have all my furniture al all my cloi clot clothing hing that I 1 can possibly spare and the ring given me by my ny husband on our marriage day and what I 1 prize more than all his miniature you have that too all ever everything thing of value I 1 have on earth is in your ads hands now do advance a little more that I 1 may buy some medicines for my dying child I 1 will ble bie bless go a away vay vaa dorit trouble me I 1 give you the money on all you brought if you can scrape together any more old duds that are worth anything bring them here and I 1 will let you have mort money if you cant then keep away from me clear out with a deep heart groan and a low mir aured prayer god have mercy on us the old woman turned from the wretch and walked slowly away durin during this q colloquy we were strongly influenced by different emotions indignation for the icicle man and sympathy for the unfortunate woman but a few tew moments passed ere a person of quite different character entered the khop shop chop a young t man whose dress betokened an attempt to maintain gentility of appearance but whose face was strongly indicative f most reckless dissipation ile he placed upon the counter a gold watch and chain for which he asked an advance of only forty milars dollars 1 forty dollars dollar sly sll said the pawnbroker in a tone of amazement as he took the watch and carefully examined it why birl siti have better tetter watches than this offered me every day aay for twenty dollars 0 but that is a valuable etch watch 2 said the young man gold cost me eighty dollars and the chain twenty was bought two years ago been used carefully and is is now just as good as new llew I 1 0 ought u ht to have fifty dollars this nay darcan day cant can get a along 1 ong without it will pay it back to you in one month sorry I 1 cant accommodate you young man but buti I 1 cannot advance more than twenty dollars let me roe have the watch then and I 1 will go to some other place for I 1 must have forty dollars today to day he ile took the watch held it in his hand hesitatingly ta for a moment then put it in his pocket and walked to the door just as he stepped out the pawnbroker called him back sa saying baying y in stop a moment let me see that again I 1 should like to help you if I 1 can well ill do a little better ill say twenty five the young man stood for some time in anxious though thought and then said make it thirty let me have thirty dollars and I 1 will leave the watch and chain with you if botell surely return the money when the month M anth isopi isu pI do it though it is too much too much so saying the pawnbroker prepared a ticket and slowly counted out thirty dollars all the time muttering to himself too huoh too much money to advance on old watches cant do such a thing again hope it will be returned without fail for ive often lost by advancing more on all sorts of old trash than I 1 could could get for them at auction the young man received the money without evincing the slightest feeling of thankfulness or even satisfaction but rather looked the disappointment which he felt and went our murmuring ten dollars more I 1 must have ten more and today to day but heaven only knows how I 1 am to raise it As the door closed upon the poor misguide cd ed unfortunate youth I 1 noticed that the face of the pawnbroker suddenly changed from the serious expression before assumed and was now wearing a most repulsive sardonic grin wel wei welt done very well done pretty keenly mana managed fed was that operation I 1 take it said the heart a man and then then he would nod his head in the most satisfied manner and looked appealingly ly to us as though he expected we should nod our head in acquiescence what do you mean by keenly manag managed we ventured to ask why I 1 can get seventy five dollars cash for that establishment any day but you dont mean to say that you will sell that watch without allowing the young man an opportunity to redeem it ah goh nonsense redeem it he redeem it III its likely that young scamp will raise thirty dollars again it very likely let me tell vou that hes a goner that watch was all he had he clung to it till the very last and now its gone he will never raise the money to redeem it some but you cannot be positively assured of this some somo fortunate circumstance may occur which will enable him to redeem the property within the time specified fortunate circumstance sneered the pawnbroker why owhy sir air fortune has played quits with that fellow she let him drop crop long ago and will never pick him up again I 1 calculate that I 1 can see pretty deep into human nature it is my business have been reading reading human nature for more than twenty years and ana almost every day find some new chapters to read but I 1 can read them read them all can make out the whole story of the great book of human nature in whatever binding it comes before me and like the sc scholar belar I 1 always manage to read for my ray own benefit and now as to that fast y young oung man I 1 can tell you all about him I 1 saw through him he lie is going down ever down and will never make an upward step again in this world lle lie ile he may reform we suggested sig and land then will begin to rise never responded the pawnbroker if I 1 had advanced the forty dollars it is barely possible he had some scheme by which with that amount he would have been enabled to regain something of what he had lost I 1 saw that he had some purpose to accomplish which would require just what he asked and with anything short of that sum he would fail I 1 saw itin it in the fixed expression of his countenance in the determinate will which manifested itself in his every action and accent and so I 1 proposed a less amount to see it if I 1 was not right in my surmises by the effect that would be produced upon his mind and I 1 was right the want of that ten dollars will thwart the te fulfillment of his last good resolve and send him headlong to perdition so 0 I 1 have got pot t th the e watch and chain for thirty dollars dollar sp anio ango and taws what I 1 call an operation keenly managed this exhibition of most consummate con selfishness was so abhorrent to our feelings we could no longer restrain the expression of our contempt and indignation but just as we commenced speaking in in the severest terms of reproof our attention was arrested by b the sudden budden entrance of another visitor a man of most frightful appearance appear ance arce we started involuntarily at his approach his face seemed the very personification of all evil passions on entering be he cast a quick furtive glance around the room and then ha hastily proceeded to the counter upon which he placed a small bundle saying here old man give me the money on these goods and be quick about it too y what have you here said the pawnbroker taking epand untying the bundle some poor worn out old things as usual I 1 suppose 2 no sir air you call cali them old most of yern lern em are new ad aid the others are just as good as new theres two dozen silver sliver spoons four breastpins breast breatt pins three gia gla gold rings one first rate silver allver lever watch a all ail I 1 si simon mon pure and worth moreen seventy five dollars now what do you say on the whole of yem lem old fellow come up to something handsome this time and shell out in a hurry too for I 1 must be orf off I 1 can cah cant do much for you on this lot say thirty five dollars begin to do it the whole of yem lem em not worth that amount but as you want the money and as I 1 would like to accommodate you awill f will wiil go as high as twenty dollars wont leave em with you for that can do better with old N but as ive no time to loseff say twenty five you may keep em now dont bother any longer about it but fork over 41 well Vell veil veli suppose you must have your own way this time but I 1 cant be so liberal with you xou again and with an ill suppressed chuckle rui rul the pawnbroker counted out the div e d dollars ollae which the villian seemed to grasp with most eager joy and retired from the shop as speedily as he had entered now theres a fine specimen of human nature for you said the pawnbroker a character for study did you notice him did bid y you ou read anything remarkable in his face markt marked it a appears ears you had seen him before we seen seeh him before should think I 1 had a few times can tell you all about him he is a notorious thief and when sober one of the most successful gamblers in the city it would require but little penetration we replied to see that thit he is a most hardened villain but why is it we continued why is it that you encourage him in his wickedness wickedness by advancing him money from time to time and how do you know but that the articles he offers you are mostly stolen property by a glance at the old mans face we perceived that our question had aroused the demon in his heart and whatever might have been the effect of the visitation of wrath upon us we were fortunately saved from it by the opportune appearance of another visitor this ills person was a woman yet in the true sense of the term we may say a lady one whose whole ap appearance p barance was wa ladylike lady like manners countenance an I 1 language ang u age indicating all that she had bee been well weli e e educated d u abed raised in luxury and long accustomed to refined society she was apparently patently ly about thirty five years of a age e of sad intellectual countenance pale vale an and delicate and poorly but neatly clad she advanced slowly and timidly towards the old pawnbroker and yet with a look of most honest purpose ile he cast a glance upon us which we tonsia ered cred equivalent to saying that we had been there lone long ion lon enough as a spy upon his actions and that he would thank us to leave the shop but we had some curiosity to learn the object of this comans womans visit and therefore determined to remain 11 1 I have come I 1 said the lady adl ada addressing the pawnbroker to redeem that miniature breastpin collars in I 1 left with you and have brought the six dollars and seventy five cents you advanced on it and fifty cents extra to pay for retaining it beyond the time farst first agreed upon 61 1 I your breastpin madam it is not here not here what dodou do you mean sir air did I 1 not leave it with you and did yon you not promise me you would keep it until I 1 called for it even if I 1 should not come for several months dont remember any such promise dont think I 1 made any but I 1 do know the breastpin was sold last week sold yes sold bold we have but one way of doing business here why you come in in time to redeem it you have the ticket and you must know that it is nearly a month behind the time you ought to have come for it 11 1 I could coula not come sooner Inde indeed edI edl could not I 1 have been very sick and then I 1 had hail to work for this money and small as the sum is it is the earning of many a weary days labor p yet I 1 worked gladly to redeem that which tho thol of little worth to others is very valuable and precious to me besides sir air you told me you would certainly retain it until I 1 should come cant help that you might have come sooner youre to late now too late latel oddo not say that sir air you can et it for me you certainly know who bought it and I 1 will pay you i any amount you may require if you will uli re return turn it to me cant do it madam dont know who bought it cant find out sorry youre disappointed but you see its Ws all your own fault you come in time you are too late too latel late yes too late to look a again ain aln u upon on the sweet image of my dear darling lost lost bp boy that miniature was the likeness of my own dear child and oh sir air if you had known what a comfort atvas it was to me how much it lightened the misery of my life to gaze upon that innocent angel face how it kept alive within me sweet memories of a joyous loyous joyous past dissipating at times the sad reail reali realities ties of the present you would sir air I 1 know you surely would have kept it for me to this earnest appeal the pawnbroker made no reply but bui all the while stood there before that poor heart desolate supplicating supplication in woman with no more expression of sympathy than could be excited in in a marble statue or a man of iron she spoke not another word but her silence was more expressive of her great sorrow and yet her tearful eyes tr trembling emblin form and plead pleading Dg countenance were all unheeded and in vain I 1 the breastpin containing 0 the likeness of her once idolized boy was lost to her fp ip rever rexer i rr slowly she walked to the door and kha an d before bufore passing into the street turned suddenly and andle bestowed a farewell glance upon the pawnbroker it was a look most eloquent of meaning full of contempt and reproach so intense so penetrating that we supposed it would prove an effectual censure to the heartless man towards whom it was so justly directed boutwe but we were mistaken greatly mistaken id iri attributing any sensibility to a pawnbroker for immediately upon her departure this automaton specimen of humanity exclaimed glad over with dont donat believe in any such sentimental nonsense non wont encourage it its all humbug 0 and herel here gentle reader we close our relation of the incidents which occurred during a visit of an hour to a pawnbrokers pawn brokers shop such are the practical workings of a system which is maintained and legall legalised legalized sed by license in all our large cities a system which lives and thrives only by the contributions it extorts from the dissolute and the unfortunate poor a system which aids vice and discourages virtue which is a strong ally of the rum shop and the gambling saloon and ma managed caged solely by selfish miserly beings who seem utterly destitute of human sympathies we abhor this thia system viewed in the light of its only pretended justification that of being established for the poor we abor abhor it law only exa acts from the wealthy borrower of money six per cent per annum but at the same time institutes and sustains a system which extorts sixty percent per cent from widows and orphans j the he sick |