Houma Ceres. [volume] (Houma, Parish of Terrebonne, La.) 1855-18??, 1855-08-30
his clenched hand, measuring their length
upon the floor.

was scarcely sorry to guess, from the
appearance about the place, and upon OBJ
serving one morning a vacant seat in the
where the youngest of the boys
had sat, that one Of the lads was at length
free from his bondage, and forever beyond
the reach of the monstrous inhumanity to
which he was subject
The funeral was over, and the other
young man worked on the same as ever,
but it seemed to me the savage master
had grown somewhat tanner, his conscience
probably reproaching him as having been
the means OF human beings death.
But of all that interested me most in
this poverty stricken abode, were the oc-
cupants Of the fourth floor: or rather, one
Of its occupants, should have said, The
floor seemed to be inhabited by several
small families, and their evidences Of mea-
ger poverty were in keeping with the rest
of the establishment. At the low open
window of one of the small rooms in front,
often saw the rather unromantic specta-
Gle of an old woman sitting with her bare
feet on the window sill, and slipping her
tea. But it was ut the window Of the
other small room in front that the object Of
my chief speculation appeard, sometimes
sitting and sometimes standing, partly be-
hind the rude and meager apology for cur
tain. Early in the morning, for short
time, she appeared, and always with a
| small book in her hand, as though reading;
| and late in evening, also, through the folds
Of the curtain, often saw the shadow OF
her graceful form fitting across the room.
Occasionally she approached close to the
window, and the dim tallow candle that
lighted her room gave me glimpse OF one
of the sweetest, saddest face remember
ever to have seen.
How a young, beautiful creature, who
seemed by nature so well fitted to grace
the highest walks of life, should have come
to make that old hotchpotch hovel her home
rs seemed to be the case, standing out in
such marked contrast, in all things save
poverty, from all around her, was to me
mystery of no small importance. Yet
such was the case. l saw her day after
day.
!, She seemed not more than sixteen, and
was always dressed in neatly fitting clothes,
very tastefnlly arranged, and though ofthe
cheapest fabrics, also Of most modern pat
terms. In fact she appeared an angel
among wretched mortals and, with her
lovely face and form, she seemed like one
who was gradually being spirited away
to avoid the rudeness and harshnes which
surrounded her. Her features were fine
Ily turned and distinctly marked; her eyes
large, dark and full, speaking out from be.
meath her noble forehead, to tell Of intelli'
gence Of nature, Of great soul and a
warm heart, swaying the impulses of
form that seemed too celestial in its mien
, to endure long among the coarse, rude cla,
around her.
;. The weather had become very warm
and my patients for the most part being
, out Of town, and the city being provoking
f " healthy, had very little else to do thar
to sit at the front window Of my Office be
low stairs, or at my front chamber win
| dow above stairs, and read books and hu
manity.
For several days had missed from he
/ window the beautiful occupant Of thu
; fourth story, also the regular outgoing
} and incoming Of the beautiful girl. ha.
for weeks observed that she always LET
! the house just after her appearance at tn
4 window with her book in her hand, earl.
: in the morning, and returned again lon,
after dusk in the evenings, though in tn
: street she was SO closely veiled that
. could not catch glimpse even other pale
T sweet countenance.
9 Itwas the fourth day after had misse
the fair object Of my particular study, tha
: the surviving apparentice Of the shoe
maker rang my effice bell, to request m
to call over the way. His ''boss" wante
= me to see "Efie"-that he thought sh
!. was dying.
E :, Iarrived in the rickety house. and in tn
small fourth story room, in time to see III
!. pure spirit Of the object Of my manifol
i speculations breathe her last; and 9
= :. transparent and unearhy she looked. ]
. her matchless beauty, that | could scarcel
: rid myself Of tho impression that she wa
i I spirit IL truth, and not piece Of ella
. : hat must yield to the crumbling Of corrul
: ton.
ii But what had the brutal, demi. savage
). the coarse, hard, druken shoemaker-tod