The Cecil Whig., 1855-01-13

The matches were sold and with a light
heart little IIctty crept up to the narrow
room in the fifth story where her granclmoth-
er and she lived, with her pocket full of
pennies and clad in her nice warm clothes.
''lIo,ty toity who have We here? Some
grand lady with her fine gailcrs and shawl |
reckon, off with them, we'll have rare sup
Ter now
"Oh! Granny. you won't sell these, will
you 2" pleaded the child, at is 50 cold ont
anl oh! my feet ache so drcadfuly when
they touch the ice and snow. Oh you won't
sell them, will you !''
"Of with them," replied the rcmorselcss
granny" 'thc supper is to bc bought and
the rent is to be paid, they must be sold.'
90, granny here is all these pennies, won't
they be enough
"Of with thtm tell you, what will the
paltry pennies do toward paying tn, rent Z"
Mrs. Jcllison said you musnt Sell them,
that if you did she'd complain of you at the
City Hail."
"'.NHfn complain of inc = and who is
Mrs. Jcllison, pray"
The child told as we'll as she could and was
rewarded with boxed cars.
"Comllain of me Just as though could
not do as choose with my own!' And,
with the fury of n tigrcSs, the old woman
stripped the child of all but her miserable
rags, and was off TO sell them and ''gct the
supper"
Ilctty crcpt up to The sickly fire in the
crazy old crate, and washed her little slen-
der fingers with tears until lcan,. lank cat
rheumatic and consumptive with starvation
and age came moving up to the forlorn lit
tic girl, ami nestled close in her arms. This
display of brute sympathy made the child
forget her grief. She talked to old Tabitha
and .c!d her all her woes, and told her of
nice MIS-. Jcison. and how she was ono day
going to he great lady, land then pussy
shall have gold saucer TO drink milk out Of
and soft warm bed clcsc to The fire."
"purr," said Tie cat.
Six years passed hy--Sx years OF freezing
and starving to poor little IIctty--but thro'
it all the little girl of ten had grown into the
modest woman Of sixteen, who, thanks to
lhc llcndlncss of Mrs. Jcllison. had learned
to read and sew, and to distinguish between
right and wrong. 1t was only odd moments
here a little and there q little, that Mrs, Jcl
lison had in whic! to prosecute her good
work, but she made those few moments tell
in hcr own queer way; for, with all her su-
pcrsttiors and oddities, the little housukccrcr
was genuine at heart.
IIctty's grandmother, from being an indus
trious and indcfatisablc rag -pickcr-up carly
and late, never losing chance to turn a
penny, honestly or othcrwise-had become
old and bcd.riddcn and ten times more qucr
uous and cXacting and cruel than ever.
''IIcrc, grandmother you are feeling so
weak and poorly, this oyster broth will
strengthen you, Mrs. Jcllison gave it to me
for you"
"Oystcrs one so poor as | am cat oysters
Hand me the rest of that crust of bread over
on the table, and take that bowl of oysters to
Muggs, and you will get at least a sixpcncc
for them. Are you out of your senses, lIct-
ty. Oysters, indeed"
'But Grandmother. you don't cat any
thing latcly,' persisted Hcity, and these
oysters
Don't talk to me about oysters; 80 and
S,ll them, and bring me the money. DO you
wish to bring me to starvation, now that |
have grown old and can't pick rags any
more z"
''l can support YOU
"lou-you can't support yourself"
81 gave you three dollars and over last
week."
"And now you throw it up to me. Arc
you going to do as say with that bowl g
Il do not like to go out so late"
"Oh, no III be bound that is always
your plea after dark. Men are rule to you,
are they ?-rhat is on account of your prct-
ty face. Some ono of EN- may make you a
good offer, and give you money. Money
child you couldn't do better, for who can
tell what'll become of you when am gone"
. | 'NTallullOtncr.
"Wcll go, will you9"
, ''To please you, yes" and lletty went out
into the entry with the bowl and depositine
it on the window SILL she came into the dingy
littc room and handed her grandmother a
sixpcncc she had in her pocket. Leaving the
room soon after, she saw her grandmother,
through crack of the door, crawl out of bed
on her hands and knees, and lift up a board
| in the floor and deposit the sixpence careful
| ly in box, and replacing the board, the old
woman crawlcd back into bed again. This
IIctty had seen her grandmother repeatedly
do at various times, so the performance was
no new one to her.
Some time after, the old woman, whilst
munchng her crust, complained of feeling
cold and that the room was dark. Hctty
saw great change had taken place in her
and hastencd to one of the neighbors rooms
for help. Before morning Hctty's grand
mother was Il corpse and the verdict of the
, coroner was "death from starvation"
IIetty felt very lonely and lost, without