Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1854-07-04
Written for the Times
PAUL AND HIS SISTER.
BY VIRGINIA r. TOWNSEND.

and little Maggie Evarts' blue eyes danced with
delight, as she pulled her brothers sleeve aud
pointed TO the spring flowers, blue eyed violets,
and roses with red drops nestled in their hearts,
and early pnks opening their fragrant lips to the
NAV sunshine.
''Yes, they are very beautiful, little sister,
We can look at them, anyhow, can't we?'' and
the brother and sister stood there, the fingers of
the wind playing with their soft tangled curls,
and they forgot for little while that their moth
was lying under the grass, that their feet were
bare and their clothes were ragged, and that they
had no home worth the name now.
''Would you ike to have some of the flowers,
little girl:" Oh! the voice was as sweet the
murmer of summer winds; but the face Of the
child with its brown eyes and golden curls trailing
like riffs of sun shine around it, sweeter still
she placed it close to the bars of the fence, for
she has just espied the children there.
"Yes, thank you, should like some very much,
and SO would Paul. and little Maggie drew near
the fence, attracted by the sweet face, all unmind
full of the contrast which her old faded calico
dress, with the rents in either side, afforded with
the soft pink robes, and tastefully looped apron
of the other.
''Come here, there's wider place, and you can
see to tell which you want" And she of the pink
dress pointed to larger aperture between the
p;ckcts.
Snow Paul, you help me tell her, for you'll
have half you know" and Maggie rested her
arm on her brothers, and looked up lovingly in
his face.
'Annic! what in the world are you doing
thcre:" and Il black-cyed, naughty looking boy
came down the stone steps of the beautiful man.
SION, and approached his sister.
"Nothing, only Pm picking some flowers for
somebody-hcre, take them quick" and the
child ran to the fence, and deposited them in
Paul's hands, as though experimenting some dan
ger from her brother.
$50 away, you good for nothing, ragged little
hcsgars. I'd like to know what right you have
to be sticking round here; off with you, the
quicker the better; and as for you Annie, come
straight into the house, for shall tell mamma
what low company found you in.''
"Don't feel bad about what he says. You
won't always be beggar," whispered Annie
Howard as she turned slowly and joined her
brother.
Poor Paul Evarts! There was no more sun
shine, no more blue sky for him, but he went
down the long street with his child-brow very
dark, and his thin lips compressed with an ex-
preston of prccociOus misery that it would have
made your heart ache to see; all the while crush
ing the bright May blossoms with one hand, while
the other grasped Maggie's so tightly she coul /
scarcely refrain from shrieking, but she would
lift her little frightened face to her brothers, and
there she saw something that restrained her.
"a good for nothing, ragged beggarI" Oh,
how those scornful words went shrickng up and
down the darkness in Paul's heart, that fair May
morning! and how the bitter contemptuous tones
flowed through and through the chambers of the
boys soul, bligh:ing the scant siserhood of hopes
that had boomed there. He ucas beggar-the
brand was on his forehead-the iron in his soul.
They came at last, Paul and his sister, to the
city of the dead, ''sleeping on the western wing
of the city of the living"
Passing by the tall marble monuments, that
threw their broad shadows over them, they came
at last to corner apart from the rest. 1t was
the pauper's grounds, and the graves were very
thick there. But Paul and Maggie saw only one
grave there. it was a freshly made one, for the
brown clods had not yet grown hard over their
mothers head.
"Paul, Paul, please to speak to me,'' and little
Maggie, who had been silent all this time,
drew up close to her brother, and nestled her
other little brown hand in his, while the tears
dripped over her blue eyes.
"Dont cry, Maggie, you're tired a'int you-
III sit down here, by mothers grave, and YOU
shall lay yous head in my lap, and go to Sleep
rs warm here in the sunshine, and I'll shade
Your eyes with my hat"
Poor Maggie! it was not like the soft pillow.
on which her mother had once laid her curly head,
but she was very tired, and the spring grass felt
very soft and velvcty to her wearcd limbs, so
Paul fixed her tcndcry rs he could, and then
sat there with his sister by his side and his mother
beneath him. sob! mamma come and take me
and little sister down there where you are" muir
INJURED the poor child, after his sister had fallen
into heavy slumbcr. "We should sleep very
sound with our arm around each others neck and
they would not call us bcggars any more; am
very tired, mamma, Of the world where everybo.
dy scorns and hates us; and little sister is very
helpless and tender-come and take us mamma, -
and tho child wound one arm around the grave
mound and heavy sobs heaved over his lips, and
great tears travelled down his cheeks.
"IIalloa! what's this, youngsters Out in a
squall to-dayP What's the matter l saw and
the broad honest face of the old sailor grew al
most beautiful with the tenderness that looked on
Paul from under the deep, shaggy brows of his
tarpauln hat.
The child lifted his brown eyes to that burn,
facc-onc glance, eager, searching. he flashed in
to the honest lineaments. A child's instincts are
unerring. Paul was satisfied with the hear,
chrography there.
"we are very poor" he said. Z" little sister and
me-" Mamma is dead, and-and wish we was
i"~. 40. oe,c,ste.
The sailor drew his rough hand across his eyes.
"Poor things poor things" he said mu-
singy. "Ye'rc Jest about the age of them that
sleeps there" and he glanced toward a 10, con-
tanning two graves, the spring grass had lust be-
gan to clothe. Sc If you'll go along with me. NV
lad" he continued, after a moments solilooui
zing, 81 reckon give you and little sis there
better BERTH