The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-03-03
gelttt gflisfellanp.
AcURE FOR DEsPoNDENcy

Please, sir, take me over the crossing
said little faint voice, as was leisurely
taking my morning walk.
TIE strange request reused me from my
reverie; and looking imploripgiy in my
face stood thinly clad, shivering little
girl who carried small bundle, which
She held in her hand with singularsteua-
city. ] gave searching look into the
child's face, while she imploringly re-
peated:
I" VIII you take me over the crossing
quick, l IN iu such hurry"
Taking her in my arms.I bounded over
the muddy pathway and just as 1 sat
down my little charge, the bundle slipped
from her grasp. or rather its contents,
leaving the empty paper in her hand, aud
an embroidered vest upon the sidewalk.
l picked up the vest, and iu doing SO nm
rolled the same, when lining, sewing silk
and padding were all disepgaged, SO that
the nimble fngersof the poor child picked
up, and brushed and packed them together
again with scrupulous care; and tying
them firmly, she gave me sweet smile
and bounded along. She would soon have
passed from my sight had l not again
called after her, and interrogated her why
she made such haste.
a Oh, sir,1 she replied, because my
mother must have expected me an hour
ago. / have been waiting for the young
gentleman at the tailor's shop to decide
which color he preferred, and then he
gave me such beautiful pattern for my
mother to embroider it by-but it's site
of work to do it, sir, and I'm afraid she
will sit up all the long nights to sew.
while I am sleeping, for the man said he
must have it completed by next Thurs
day !. the young gentleman is to be mar
ried then and will want it-and if it isn't
done, may be he would never give mother
another stitch of work, and then what
would become of US ?'
And as the child hurried on caught
the same quickeued footsteps, and followed
on until we came to another crossing,
when again the beseeching tome
Will you take mo over this crossing,
too. sir ?''
1t was done in trice, and my interest
in the child increased as her prattle oon-
tinued:
"Mamma is to have big crown piece
for this work, and she means to buy me
new frock with part of the money,
and then we shall have great loaf of
bread and cup of milk, and mother will
find time to eat it with me and if there is
any money left, she says l shall have e
little open work straw bonnet and go to
Sunday school with Susan Niles.
And her little feet scarcely touched
the walk, SO swift and fairy like was her
tread
q And does your mother work for one
man all the time, little girl 2"
. O, no sir, it is only now and then
she gets such a nice job. Most of the
time she has to sew for slop shops, where
she earns but about sixpence day,
and then she has hardly enough to pay
her rent, and it isn't all the time We get
enough to seat-but then mother always
gives me the big slice when there is one
great and one little one; sometimes she
cries and don't eat hers at all"
A coach was passing-the child looked
teward it and remarked
Iknow the lady in that pretty earriagt
she is the very one that is going t.
marry the young gentleman who is tt
wear this embroidered vest She cam.