The Thankless Office

Timothy Shay Arthur was a popular 19th-century American author, most famous for his temperance novel, Ten Nights in a Bar-Room and What I Saw There (1854). His novel, which demonized alcohol and the evils of over-consumption, held great sway over the American public and moved the temperance movement further ahead. He wrote a large number of short stories, which were printed in Godey's Lady's Book -- the most popular antebellum era magazine in America. His stories and novels promoted the sound values, beliefs and habits of the well mannered middle-class. A short story by T.S Arthur describes a poor widow and her children, living below the poverty line trying to make her best efforts in order to obtain food and decent clothing for herself and babes. There are also to men figuring in this story trying to solve her awful living situation. Which one? you will find out only after reading it. In general, the author of this little story tried to underline the problem of rich and poor, honest and unfair, greedy and lavish people. How it is necessary and important always stay a human wishing to help someone.