The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1856-09-04


with a sigh they returned to their labor
wishing that they could be as fire,
from toll and care as she who employed
them.
With tho first breath of the keen,
frosty air, little Albert forgot that his
father did not return his kiss, for the
love that his father might have shared
was all lavished on his mother, save
when he furnished him with money to
buy new toy, and then, as his cares
ses met with no return, they were soon
ended, and the object almost forgotten,
and thus it was now as the beautiful boy
trippcd with an elastic step to the var
icty store on the corner. But he stop
ped suddenly, as he came opposite the
large window, for their stood Hettc
Vinton, looking so wisbfully through the
large panes, with her little bare, red
feet pressing the stones that glistened in
the early sunlight, as it came down
over the house tops.
Hettie held up first one pink foot and
then the other, as if to warm it by the
side of her torn pantalettc, and then she
huggcd closer the old faded shawl tina,
had undergone this process until it was
tightly wrapped around her neck, leav-
ing her little plump shoulders exposed
to the keen air. Albert stopped short
in his fast walking, or rather skipping,
and eyed the little grotesque figure be-
fore him. Her hood but half concealed
her soft brown curls, one Of which was
blown by the wind hither and thirher,
as it escaped through rent in the back
part of her torn hood
In spite of the little vexations al
home, Albert was in merry mood, foi
a small portion which seemed large tc
him of the magic key to mirth wa in hi,
hand; so he stepped nearer the little
child of want, and then with roguisl
smile he looked into her face, while with
his right hand he gave sly pull to the
stray curl. Hettie didn't seem to notice
him, so intent was she in gazing on the
smoking loaves that the baker had just
left within, and the sugarcd cakes that
lay hcapcd up beside them. Albert
felt little ashamed of what he had done
for he had violated a precept that his
mother had taught him to be respect
full to interiors in wealth, and he was
glad that she had not noticed him, and
yet ne could not bear to pass in without
her looking at him, so as he came round
on the other side, he extended his foot,
which was encascd in new boot, and
gently touched IIcttie's little bare toes
as they came to the cold flags on that
side to relieve the other benumbcd
members. The light pinch did MOI
hurt Hattic's toes, but it reminded he
; that some one had observed that she wa
barefoot, and how impossible it was fo
her to get new pair Of shoes, and whe
, on looking up she behcld the haudsom
: Albert Griswold whom she met ever
morning on his way to school, her check
turned even a brighter pink than thos
little cold feet /; but she said nothing
she only pulled her old hood a littl
further over her eyes, gave anotncr Jerl
to the short skirt of her frock, whicI
almost severed it from the wait, as it t
, hide her feet, and then she pressed he
, face so close to the glass that the rogue
, ish boy could not see it; so he waited I,
moment on the step to SEQ ii she ana
, look up, and as she did not look up, ana
as she did not, he passed in, sfiIi WISH
;no that she would not speak to him.
O. how nice and warm 1t IS here
tbouobt Albert. | wish she would come
in and warm her. and then he turned
and beckoned for her to como in, and
now he saw that she was crying. Per
hans it was that made her cry, he said
mentally so without asking for the toys
he went out again, and this time he
stepped politely to her side aud said
iCome iuto the warm shop, Hettic ;
it is so nice in there, you can warm
you "a
'Darsn't,' replied the child; they
don't let folks in there that haven't got
no money
20, yes they will, Hettie, there ],
Mrs. Nash, in there now, and | heard
her say she didn't come to buy anything