so the sands in time s hour glass ran slowly but surely away and it was new year s eve had wandered about all day singing her little of in the teeth of a cruel snow laden wind � so cruel that people otherwise disposed had shut close their doors and windows and had not even heard her voice thus the last span of the old year had proved most and dreary she had gained no more than sixpence how could she return with only that humble amount to face mother and her fury her throat ached � she was very tired and as the night darkened from pale to deep and shadows she strolled mechanically from the strand to the and after walking some little distance she sat down in a comer close to s needle � that mocking that has looked upon the decay of itself and that still appears to say pass on ye generations i a mere block of stone shall you all for the first time in all her experience the child in her arms seemed a heavy burden she put aside her shawl and surveyed it tenderly it was fast asleep a small peaceful smile on its thin quiet face thoroughly worn out herself she leaned her head against the damp stone wall behind her and clasping the infant tightly to her the hired baby etc the hired baby breast she also slept � the heavy sleep of utter fatigue and physical exhaustion the solemn night moved on a night of black the of the old year s death bed was by so much as a single star none of the hurrying perceived the weary woman where she slept in that obscure comer and for a long while she rested there undisturbed suddenly a vivid glare of light dazzled her eyes she started to her feet half asleep but still instinctively retaining the infant in her close embrace a dark form to the throat and holding a brilliant bull eye s lantern stood before her come now said this personage this won t do move on smiled faintly and all right she answered striving to speak cheerfully and raising her eyes to the policeman s countenance i didn t mean to fall asleep here i don t know how i came to do it i must go home of course course said the policeman somewhat by her evident humility and touched in spite of himself by the pathos of her eyes then turning his lamp more fully upon her he continued is that a baby you ve got there yes said half proudly half tenderly poor little dear it s been sadly � but i think it s better the hired baby now than it was and encouraged by his friendly tone she opened the folds of her shawl to show him her one treasure the bull s eye came into still closer as the kindly guardian of the peace peered at the tiny bundle he had scarcely looked when he started back with an exclamation god bless my soul he cried it s dead dead shrieked oh no no not don t say so oh don t don t say so oh you can t mean it oh for god s love say you didn t mean it it can t be dead not really dead no no indeed oh baby baby you are not dead my pet my angel not dead oh no and breathless frantic with fear she felt the little thing s hands and feet and face kissed it wildly and called it by a thousand names � in vain � in vain its tiny body was already stiff and rigid it had been a corpse more than two hours the policeman and brushed his thick glove across his eyes he was an of the law but he had a heart he thought of his wife at home and of the soft little creature that clung to her bosom and with rapture whenever he came near look here he said very gently laying one hand on the woman s shoulder as she crouched shivering against the wall staring at the i k the hired baby form in her arms it s no use about it he paused � there was an uncomfortable lump in his throat and he had to cough again to get it down the poor little creature s gone � there s no help for it the next world s a better place than this you know there there don t take on so about it � this as shuddered and sighed a sigh of such complete despair that it went straight to his honest soul and showed him how futile were his efforts at consolation but he had his duty to attend to and he went on in firmer tones now like a good woman you will just move off from here and go home if i leave you here by yourself a bit will you promise me to go straight home i mustn t find you here when i come back on this beat d ye understand nodded that s right he resumed cheerily i ll give you just ten minutes you just go straight home and with a good night uttered in accents meant to be comforting he turned away and paced on his measured tread echoing on the silence at first loudly then fainter and fainter till it altogether died away as his figure disappeared in the distance left to herself rose from her crouching posture rocking the dead child in her arms she smiled go straight home she murmured half aloud home sweet home yes baby yes my darling we will go home together and creeping cautiously along in the shadows sh the hired baby reached a flight of the broad stone steps leading down to the river she descended them one by one the black water against them heavily heavily the 