The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1858-04-30
Bread upon the Waters.
pY HELEN FOREST. GRAVES.

II was gloomy room, in crowded tene-
ment house, low, narrow and unwholesome |;
and pale.faccd child was its only inmate.
She was u confirmed invalid-you might
trace that in her hollow cheeks and the
strange unnatural lustre Of her large blue
eyes-the fame Of life was burning low on
the altar Of her childish being; yet here
she was alone. The old armchair in which
she reclined, with one or two pillows, and
rude pine box, was the cole support Of
her tiny blue.veined feet. There was no
carpet on the mouldering floor, and in more
than one place door and window had yielded
to the remorseless hand Of decay, and pre-.
sented a most dilt pidated aspect. Yet all
the scanty furniture was arranged as neatly
as possible, and there was even some faint
attempt at taste, as, in bit Of gaily.colored
chintz spread over the clild's foot-slool, and
a solitary flower placed in the window-seat,
where the sunbeams could touch its emer-
aid leaves.
The flower; it had been poor Katy's
companion long. Its royal beauty and luxu-
rance seemed strangely out Of place in the
squalid, low-ceiled room yet II grew and
flourished as il in the velvet sod Of Bendee-
mer's stream. And little katy lay back IN
her comfortless chair, and looked at the
splendid rose which quivered like ruby
drop among the leaves, and watched the
sunlight writing its golden message on
crimson folds Of the blossom, with vague
feeling Of wonder.
It was 80 strange that the radiant sun,
whose glory lay on marble pillars and stately
dwellings far away, should come to peep
into the lonely, lonely room.
rs that you jamie p said she softly, as
the door opened, and boy Of twelve came
in.
yes. Do you feel any better, Katy?
Are you tired Of being leit alone? And
the boy looked tenderly into her blue eyes,
and parted the auburn hair from her fore
head with loving touch.
Not very, but there is such weary
aching around my heart, and sometimes 1t
seems all on fire. How cool your hand feels,
jamie 2
Never mind, Katy. I've been saving
wood, and have earned whole quarter, and
am going to lay It out in apples and oranges,
to sell down town. III make mint Of
money, and then won't we have good
supper when mother comes home from work z
] shouldn't wonder if we had bit Of cake
and bunch Of grapes over and above the
medicine the dispensary doctor ordered Tor
YOU >.
Katy smiled and shook her head, as If
deprecating this piece Of extravaganza.
Yes VIC will, Katy resumed her brother {;
'taint often that We taste anything but dry
bread and cheese, and ! haven't forgotten
that it is your birthday, sis-your'e ten
years old to day. Besides you need some
thing to put a shade Of color into those
cheeks the doctor said you must have
something to tempt your appetite lie
bent down to kiss the marble forehead as
he spoke.
.How lovely that rose is, to be sure! It
is almost as good as company to you, Katy,
ISN'T it?' Are you willing ! should leave
you alone for little while, dear?
yes, jamie, don't mind It much she an
swered, with deep, weary sigh, but DO
back as soon as possible, please
And the wis,ful hollow eyes watched him
from the room with that earnest, s,arting
look that we would find only beneath the
shadow Of Death.
Down at the piers all was confusion and
uproar-busy passengers hurrying from
newly arrived boats-turbid waters dasliing
and rolling against messy posts-swaying
crowds and loud, dlssonant voices, created
A small bedan around the docks, and little
Jamie wandered about with his board OF
fruit. feeling very lonely and bewildered.
He had piled up the golden oranges with
their sunniest side upward; he had polish
ed the rcd-cheeked apples until they shone
like mirrors, yet nobody stopped to buy.
Carriage, siri' Take you to the Astor
House p up Broadway in n twinkling
ma'am! .'Ere's your 'Erald, Tribune and
Times. Latest Steamer from Europe
Have a paper, sir'
Poor Jamie amid all this tumult, what
chance has he of being noticed? lie hat
picked on, the bunch Of grapes that he IN
, lended for Katy, in Tsylor's window, as he
came by-u plump, appopletic suneh dang
limo from q crimson thread, where the sun
shine lay full on the purple bloom, and am
ethystic shadows lurked among its iulnes'
of iruitage. Just at present the tempting
,, , morsel seemed very far of to Jamie's imag
8 nations.
! Determined not 10 give way without .
. vigorous effort, however, jamie stepped bold
a " forward to the first person he saw, ant
. held up his wares with a modest, Buy al
t orange, sir? =, .,,
!. possible customer was q fat, ill-tcmpered