The Santa Fe weekly gazette. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.T. [i.e. N.M.]) 1851-1854, 1853-01-08
NUMBER 20.

nursing and hushing the child with its
head on his shoulder.
"Who has locked you up here alone?"
we naturally asked. .
"Charley." said the boy, standing still
to gaze at us.
ais Charley your brother2"
"N. She's my sister, Charlotte. Fa.
ther called her Charley"
"Are there any more Of you besides
Charley?" Hf,.I9 0no
"Me," said the boy, sand Emma"
patting the gimp bonnet of the child he
was nursing, "and Charley"
"Where is Charley now?'
"Out a-wasbing," said the boy, begin
ming 10 walk up and down again, and
taking the nankeen bonnet much too
near the bedsiead, BY trying to gaze at
us at the same time.
We were looking at one another and
these two children, when there came
into the room very little girl, childish
in figure, but shrewd and cider-looking
in the face-pretty-faced, too,-wear-
ing womanly sort of a bonnet, much
too large for her, and drying her bare
arms on womanly sort Of apron. Her
fingers were white and wrinkled with
washing, and the soap-suds were yet
smoking, which she wiped off her arms.
But for this, she might have been child,
playing at washing, and initiating poor
working woman with quick observa-
tion of the truth.
She had come running from some
place in the neighborhood, and had
made all the haste she could. Cohse-
quently, though she was very light, she
was out of breath, and could not speak
at first, as she stood painting and wiping
her arms, and looking quietly at us.
"Oh, here is Charley!" said the boy.
The child.he was nursing, stretched
forth its arms and cried out 10 be taken
by Charley. The little girl took it, in
a womanly sort of manner belonging to
the apron and the bonnet, and stood
looking at us over the burden that clung
to her most afectionately.
"ls it possible" wispered my Guar
dian, as we put chair for the little
creature, and got her to sit down with
her load, the boy keeping close to her,
holding her apron, "that this child works
for the rest? Look at this! For Gods
sake, look at thisw
1t was thing to look at. The three
children close together, and two of them
relying solely on the third, and the third
so young, and yet with an air Of age
and steadfastness that sat SO strangely
on the childish figure.
"ChaIley! Charley" said my Guar
dian, show old are you?"
"Over thirteen, sir" replied the child.
"Oh! what great age," said my
Guardian, "what great age, Charley?"
cannot describe the tenderness with
which he spoke to her; half playfully,
yet all the more compassionately aud
mournfully.
"And do you live alone here with
these babies, Charley?" said my Guar
dian.
eyes, sir" returned the child, look.
ing up into his face with perfect conf.
dence, 'snce father died."
"And how do you live, Charley? Oh,
f Charley" said my Guardian, turning
his face away for moment, show do
you live?"
"Since my father died, sir, I've gone
/, out to work. Pm ont washing to-day"
"God help you, Charley" said my
Guardian, "you're not tall enough to
reach the tub"
r "Inpattens am, sir" she said quick
", "l've got high pair as belonged
TO mother"
sand when did your mother die?--
$ Poor moihel!"
Smother died Just after Emma was
: BORN" said the child, gIancing At the
e face upon her bosom. Then, father
: said Twas TO be as good molherto her
as could. And so | tried. And so |
{ worked at home, and did nursing and
D did cleaning and washing, for long
: time before | began to go out, And
: that's how ] know how don't you see,
A sir."
"And do you often 90 out'
GAS often as | can,' said Chsrley,
opening her eyes, and smiling. "because
y of earning sixpences and sbillingsl"
E "And do you always lock up the ba-
: bies when you 60 out?"