The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1854-09-02

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Just opposite our housc-stop minute---
there is music in those two last words--lct
us say them again. How sweet they sound
once mOrc--thcrc is great hill opposite
where we are sitting, repeating those two
words, and here thcy cone back aga,n. -
Echo is over thcrc in the deep shade Of the
trees in that valley, and lac says, oUr house.
Wen, Just opposite our house there is an al
ley or court, leading away up somewhere
behind the hOuscs--ttudnt hDuses-hOlCS for
human, beings to SUl.Jcatc in. We have
never been up th,rg, bat sc know that those
vino live hy labor aud have 10 labor to i've
are up there; iOr often Of an evening We
sec one oiihe tenants come home With his
dray, Gnd Ne unhilshcs his loisr, ly tie
PUMP outside, and then hc turns round and
SAYS come, and walks up tAe-lttt.e- -cnurt
with his faithful, tired servant at his heels
and for u long time wo wondered il they both
lodged in the same house, or if not, where
did hc lodge the horse; 80 we went over
one day NJ lc was going up, and ptcrcd in
to the court, and there wc saw tic nan open
a little side door mo which, after shedding
off his harness--for there was not room
enough for anything but his body-the horse
crowded himself, and then the Inan opened
another little door over his hcad-no, the
other extrems-and tncrc, in little culdy
hole, was some hay for which hc whinnicd
his gratitude. Then the man went up to
his own cuddy hole where under the bed he
had bag of oatS-we know it Has under
the bed, for we SAW the dust on lis knees
where he had knc.t down, to ill the little
measure, for which lac got more whinnicd
thanks from a gogd servant, a taithiil friend
and grateful animal, though il was a dumb
beast
80 day sfor day, for months, and years
we have seen the same man and same horse
--lattcrly the horse walks as though getting
10 feel his age and hard work, and the mar
looks care ". IN and tired Of long toll that
brings him nothing but q lodging in that
same hot oven, near where he boxes up his
horse to sweat and stew all ncht-brngS
him only small loaf Of brend-thcy are
very small nowadays, for his whole family.
Yes. it brings him something elso-dd bring
him something clse--eyery night when he
came home il brought It'll, cir, about ten
ycaIs old, with the preitic>t soN rcd hair
we have no great iondncSs for red hair, gen
orally, but this was prctty-loundmg Ike a
iawn down the court and up on the dray just
before it got 10 the pump, whore II bad Ia
stop; il copd not go beyond that certain
fixed stopping place, It was a short ride,
Lut merry one; twas ohillhooGs happy
hour.
Our man was an early riser, up and away
olt,n before We had r,ssod, but carly as il
was, the r,d ourls were there, and she would
bound upon The dray and cling TO one She
loved for one more kiss, and p,rchancc u
ride to the next corner, and then back at II
double quick step to the door step Of the
look, and send last kiss upon the magnet
ic telegraph ola waving hand, with good
bye papa" as he went round the corner 10
his work down town. Often for two hours
before sun down she would sit down upon
that door stone, watching that same corner
for the expected one, for somctimts he came
at an early hour; and then she ran TO meet
him with more joy in her eye, and more in
his than Ill that ever was felt hy one who
never heard the sweet sound "Oh, there
comes papa Sometimes she had company;
tall, graceful, neat woman. with a pale face
and a !rail person, who stood by her, looking
in the same direction. 1t was good place
too, III the shade Of some dark green trees
whittier she could come out Of that Guild dc
sac Of court whore she brcathcd hot air all
day, and carbonic acid gas all night, to gcta
little snuff Of the evening breeze coming up
from the lower bay. The breeze is bless
cd inheritance Of the New York poor, which
they should enjoy, but are cheated out Of by
every one who builds their houses,
One evening We noticed that our little
girl of the alley over the way was not alone
in her usual seat upon the door step. In
her lap lay little sister, very young, small,
and ralc as her mother, with her mothers
own sweet face. Every pleasant evening for
months that little girl brought "the baby"
down the court, on, into the open street 10
feel the soft air Of the sea breeze. She could
not run TO mco. papa, but her eyes went
round the corner in sharp glanccs, and she
tried 10 direct lGhy'S the same way as she
said there come papa" so, as she could
not run 10 meet him, ms soon as lie turned
old nohhin about toward the pump, before
he stopped to unhitch, he jumped oil and
come and stopped down and Missed them
both. OF their life indoors, VIC know moth.
ing. but one 50 altc,ionatc TO his children,
must have been equally SO TO the mother
who bore them. We could have sworn il
often that he was kind, good husband.
when we saw the market basket upon his
arm, as the slop bucket in his hand, and the
little bits Of kindling wood on his cart---all
kindling the fires Of affection In the heart, as