New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-11-01

- =:
Isnd sssty sender precaution tsiSh thAthe should
notS S}n0edxse his sioltness by exposure even 70
tlet ordinary changes III The temperature q .
,5slliuf room But news IN despite Of this ter
Ssble cough ~ spite Il 6is r,ed breathing q, /.
ilRs ciittiria and cutting at that eternal paper,
q il his very LII pended on his task. But he
.asUd is gather Up The cuttings carefully, End
Hid I'M out Of sight before his mother came home
sss sometimes nearly caught before quite pre-
pared, when be used to shew DIS much trepida-
lion Is il committing d crime
4 This went on for some time, and at last he
vent out. It was fortunately fne day--a
clear, cold, January day; but he had no sooner
Of coughing seemed to threaten his frail exis-
tence. He did not turn hack though and l
watched him slowly pass down the street, hold
ing on by the rails, and every now and then
stopping to take breath. I saw a policeman
speak to him in q grave, compassionating way,
as II seeing that lie WINS so young and feeble,
nsln SO mucha stranger that he was asking his
way to Oxford street, while going in q totally
contrary direction--he was advising him to go
home, and let some one else do his busness-his
father perhaps; but the boy only smiled, and
shook his head in a hopeful way and SO he went
from my sight, though not from my thoughts.
\ This continued daily, sometimes Herbert
bringing home small quantity of money , some
times only disappoint and these were ter
rible trials! At last, the mother was made
acquainted with her sons new mode of life, by
the treasured IS. which the poor boy thrust into
her hand one evening, with q strange shy pride
kissed her with impetuosity to smother her re-
breaches. She asked him how he had got SO
much money so much and then he told her
how, self taught, he had learned to cut out
figures dogs and landscape colorod paper,
which he had taken to the bazaars and station
ers' shops, and there disposed of-for mere
trife truly. s For this kind Of things is not
fashionable, mother, though I think the Queen
likes them,'' he said g and of course, if not
fashionable, could not get very much for
them' Sohe contented himself and consoled
her, for the small payment Of sixpense or q
shilling, which perhaps was all he could earn by
three or four days work.
The mother gently blamed him for his i'm
prudence in exposing himself as he had done to
the wet and cold--and alas these had told sad
ly on his weakened frame; but Herbert was so
happy tonight, that she could not damp his
pleasure, even for maternal love $50 she reserved
the lecture which must be given until tomorrow.
And when his outdoor expeditions were peremp-
torily forbidden; and Miss Spong was called up
to strengthen the prohibition-which she did
leffectually by offering, in her little quick, ner
Yous way, to take Herbert's cuttings to the
shops hersef, and thus spare him the necessity
| Of doing So Poor Mrs Lawson went up to the
little woman, and kissed her cheek like d sister,
as she spoke while Miss Spong, SO utterly I'M
used as She had been for years to the smallest
demonstration Of affection, looked at first be-
wilderad and aghast, and finally sank down on
the chair in q childish fit Of crying. cannot
say how much the sight of that poor little old
maid tears affected me! They seemed to speak
of such long years of heart-lonelness -such
loving impulses strangled by the chill hand of
solitude such weary familiarity with the dead
ness Of life wherein no sympathy is bestowed,
no love awakened felt as one witnessing
q dead man recalled to life, after all that made
life pleasant had fed. What sorrowfnl house
that Number Nineteen was! From the desolate
servant work, at her first place from the
Founding, to the half-staryed German in the
attics, every inmate of the house seemed tohaye
nothing but the bitter bread of atiiction to eat
nothing but the salt waters of despair to
drink
And now began another epoch in the Lawson
history. which shed sad but most beautiful
light on the fading day of that young life.
A girl OF about fourteen--she might have
been year or SO younger--was once sent from
one of the stationer's shops to conclude some
bargain with the sick paper cutter. saw her
slender figure bound up the desolate steps with
the light trend Of youth, as if she had been a
divine being entering the home of sorrow. She
was oneof those sanity children, who are some
times seen blooming like white roses, unstained
BY time or by contact. Her hair hung down
her neck in long, loose curls. among which the
sunlight seemed to have fairly lost ITSELF they
were so golden bright; her eyes were large, and
OF that deep, dark gray, which is much more
beautiful, because SO much more intellectual,
than any other color eyes can take; her lips
we're fresh and youthful, and her figure had all
that girlish grace Of fourteen, which combines
the unconscious innocence Of the child with the
exquisite modesty of the maiden She soon
became the daily visitor Of the Lawsons--pupil
to Herbert
The paper-cutting was not wholly laid aside,
though; in the early morning, and in the
evening, and often late in the night, the thin,
wan fingers were busy about their task but the
middle Of the day was snatched like an hour of
sleep in the midst of pain, garnered up like a
fountain of sweet waters in the wilderness; for
then twas that little Jessie came for her Latin
lesson, which she used to learn so we'll, and take
such pleasure in, and be doubly diligent about,
because poor Herbert Lawson was i'll, and vex-
alton would do him harm Does it seem strange
that q stationer's daughter should be SO lovely,
and should learn Latin And there those two
children used to sit for three dear hours Of the
day she, leaning over her book, her sweet
young face bent on her task with look of
earnest intellectually in it, that made her like
some sainted maid of olden time; and he watch
ing her every movement and listening to every
syllable with O rapt interest, such as only very
early youth can feel. How happy he used to
look! How his face would Tighten up as if an
angels had swept over it, when the two raps at
the door heralded young Jessie! How his boy
ish reverence, mixed with boyish care, gave his
wasted features in expression almost unearthly,
as he hung over her SO protectingly, SO ten
derby. SO adoringly 1t was so different from
mans love There was something SO exqui-
sitely pure and spiritual in it, something SO
reyerential and chivalrous-it would hav6 been
almost a sin to have had that love grow out into
q mans strong passion The flowers she
brought him-and seldom did a day pass with
out a fresh supply Of violets, and, when the
weather was warmer, of primroses and cowslps
from her gentle hand-all these were cherished
more than gold would have been cherished; the
books she lent him were never from his side; if
she touched one of the paltry ornaments on the
chimney piece, that ornament was transferred
to his own private table; and the chair she used
was always kept apart, and sacred to her re-
turn.
1t was very beautiful to watch all these mani
for did watch them, first from my
own window, then in the house, in the midst of
the lonely family, comforting when / could not
hid, and sharing in the griefs could not lessen.
Under the new influence, the boy gained such
liyeliness and spiritualism, that his face had an
angelic character, which, though it made young
Jessie feel strange kind of loving awe for the
o;ol, ho,, hofoEano1 IN mo o,d 10 how ,,,ofha,,