Spirit of the age., 1861-04-24
BELLA AND WILLIE.
A TRUE SKETCH.

1t is just 90 years since I first knew Bella.
She was then the sprightliest and tidiest
housemaid / ever saw. She was clever at
her work, possessed a pretty large share of
intelligence, was an excellent singer, and if
she possessed little more than enough Of
conceit and vanity, | must also add that she
was very amiable and kind-hearted.
| was then a child of scarcely ten years
old, and had TO carry the work which my
mother performed for a livelihood to the
use IN particular 10 GaS peIIa n sg9 nu9
to her older fellow-servants-in the matter
OF carrying certain bag and certain pass
book to shop next door (Which wretched
shop, grieve to say, fourishes still) The
bag contained a bottle, and the passbook con-
tained an entry on each occasion for O cer-
tain quantity of ''aqua"
These respectable" old tippling servants
are perfect curse in family In this good
ly country of mine, the type of one would,
to large extent, suit ALL have seen sew
eral of them, and l must say / hate their
character with perfect hatred They are
SO awfully respectable, 'twould be profana-
ton quite to hint even that the oily -tongued,
grey headed, respectable, church-going, we'll
principled woman, was scarcely a safe per-
son for any young woman to live in close
companionshlp with. They are truly faith
ful servants, SO say they-so sometimes says
the mistress so, | believe, they really think
they are themselves.
The cook in the family in which Bella
served was just one of the class. Bella had
no fixed principles to guide her. She did
not care for whisky when she first went
there-not she, poor thing Alas, poor
Bella! Of course, she had sweet
heart; and thought that was a very grand
one. He was plasterer, good workman,
and could earn 25s per week when | first
saw him. He must have been an intelligent
sort of man, for | recollect him quite well
talking of mechanics libraries and institutes
museums and concerts, and what not. He
used sometimes to compliment me with re-
gard to my success at school, and was, on
the whole, nice young man. Happy Bel
la! | thought so.
We had no Forbes Mackenzie Act 19 years
ago, however, and | recollect meeting Will
lie and Bella on the Castle Hill of this mine
own romantic town one Sabbath afternoon
and | saw them join some friends and ente
one of those Infamous dens of iniquity which
abound in that neighborhood; and that was
the last | saw of either of them till some Ii
years after.
One of our teachers used to make me sin.
very simple couplet. Here it is
"When a weary task you find it,
PerSevere and never mind it.
I left the school, and left my home, il
order to prosecute my weary task" and, S
far as [ could 'persevere and never mind it
[ returned after some years to find employ
ment in Edinburgh, and one day a yer
shabbily dressed woman accosted me on tn
street. | thought at first that the individu;
was soliciting charity, so dirty, so shabbily
dressed, and so thoroughly dissipated-lik
did she seem. She asked if had forgotte
her? / asked who she was? Did n,
know Bella P, from Mrs. Rs? p s
shocked was that | could not give her
direct answer, but inquired how she had bee
brought into so miserable plight. ''It W,
all owing to her man." she said s'that blytt
smart. good -humored, intelii gent fellow, th'
used to visit you at Mrs. R@'s?" &C
yes wish / had never seen him. Ar
| thought that Willie would likely t.
me also that he wished he had never seen he
Alas they did not see that they both were vi
TINS of one common foe, that the foe beir
that very "aqua" she used to purchase, alor
with that old respectable" woman the COO
from the whiskey-shop next door.
gave the poor creature what advice and q
sistance | could, obtained her address, al
went on my way with a saddened heart.
Circumstances prevented my being able
visit her as intended, and saw no more
her for nearly year, when | was hurryil
to catch the train at Scotland Street Static
when 1 was again stopped in my hurry
talk to the same poor creature, who b
two children-one five and the other
years old-with her. She was, if possib
more miserable than before. / asked h
how she was getting on now? She did
know; Willie she said, was lying at /
wretched home dead, and she had locked |
, door, and was trying TO obtain some cloth