The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-11-30
THE LITTLE HEROINE.
EY MES. c. A. SOULE.

lOOheu lItiuily over tNe UiiH TOOLu vi
that night had seen longer! 10 the
wre,ched, sleep isldear Ny poor wife
my darling babes-must they freeze and
starve Oh, God, it is too much = A
with tears gushing from bis eyes, the pale
man buried his head in the scanty cover
ing and groaned aloud
1t was no wonder that he was out OF
heart on that cold, dark December day.
AT best, he had hard struggle to get
food for the past six months, and the
struggle had been desperate, for his wife
hao been unable TO assist him in the least,
being confined TO her bed with slow,
wasting disease His little daughter Ma
RE, q pre- ty child OF twelve, kept the one
room tidy, and herself and two little
brothers AS neat wax. By the aid of
her mothers whispered directions, she
also managed TO cook the scanty meals,
and also managed to do up their weekly
washing and ironing
My little sunbeam, the father fondly
called her, while the mother would say,
III her low, sweet tones, our angel
One night the young housekeeper wait
ed TIL it was pitch dark Tor her father to
co c home TO his frugal supper, and then,
with fearful lorcbodlng at her heart, IN
dIe>sed The little boys, put them te bed,
and tied On her hood and CLOAK TO 90 for
him. \ cro~d met her at the very
threshold. With wild cry, she rushed
towards the inanimate form they carried
upon "a qoaId 1t was her father brought
home TO item with a broken ieg.
\ week had passed since this misior-
tune. BY the sale OF their tew pieces oi
furniture, the VOL! had been kept iiom the
door But now nothing remained save
the coarse bed on which the distressed
ones SLEPT No Goals tor the little giate;
no tea for the feverish lips; no crGsts Tor
the tamlsLcd Children. What should
be duLe2
1t was this question little Marie asked
herself again art again as she lap there
watching the tew pale sunbeam that sttug
glcd through the windows And she ask
ed it oitencr after she bad risen and
dressed herself md brothers, and smooth
ed the two beds. Bread they must have
that day. They were all faint even now,
and the boys clamoriug for their b. el kiast.
Suddenly bright thought came to the
little daughter. She remembered having
seen III the coffee houses, young girls, no
taller than She, waiting upon The custo-
mers. Perhaps they would try her. =" II
they only would, che MuImured softly.
'' / am handy, quick and patient, and |
would try 80 hard to please | am pretty,
too, she might have added had there been
a spark OF vanity in her heart; for she
was q sweet cAIid, with brow like q sun
ny SNOW drift, and eyes like the spring
so. els that nestle III the woodlands. '' !
Will try, ~ least, and see what ! can do;
ana after watching for lew moments the
weary sleep e.! ler parents, She whispered
h tuu 4l-i.e boys that she was going out
10 Eet some bread Tor them ana hurried
Il. a..
>ue did 20 the bakers but her pi,ilul
story lai!ed 10 touch his hard heart, and
there were tears on her cold cheeks as she
turned away. Even iSshesecured place,
She could hope log 10 wages tai Saturday
and there were lOUr weary DAYS between
til F, and that. Bread would be too late Il
waited tol tl.I then. y hat should she do
beg! She asked herself the question
with q quNs.iuE Up. Never had their
poverty driven taein 10 that strait, and it
was hard, even now, wl;A the picture OF
tIat wIetched home fresh II her vision to
plead tor charity. But sac did do it
e" Please, sig. madam give lne a penny to
buy bread for my SICK parents
Eu; The gentlemen had their Oyercoats
wc!e cuy,loped IT, furS. and it was too
or purse just to supply q begger wants.
60 20 the soup house, said one, at
last r.a.n cLurlisL than the rest. The
city provides for such Is you
Il WAS q lew idea to her, and as fest as
feet could carry her size went, and enter
inu, in brealh!,ss haste told her story to
the attendant matron.
Il viii report the case to the commit
tee said the woman quietly, mai king q
memorandum of the name and number al
the treet Come TO morrow and | VIII do
what / can for you.
Iomorrow, She would be too weak to
walk 20 lar by that time, end what would
become OF the rest?
With heavy heart, she went home,
having no courage to present herself a. a
natter to any OF the coffee houses she
passed on her way.
Did you get p cried the boys,
gathering about her and pulling of her
cloak to see II it were hidden in her apron
or under her arms.
u Did you get some p said two faint
voices from the bed III the corner, anu the
cover.et was thrown oil, and two pairs OF
thin, white hands put forth.
No, 10" she answered plaIntigely.-
But | viii Try again. Keep up good
hope
There will be plenty out of the oven
now Yes, plenty, she said to herseli, as
she buttoned her cloak on the threshold ;
plenty, and | will nave some, too. They
shall not siarve. Men and women forsake
me God doesn't hear me any longer;
there is nothing left for me to dc but
steal.
Her face paled as she spoke it, and foi
a few moments there was wild wrestle
in her head Then she went on quietly,
! rausing an instant before each baker 5
window, aud looking anxiously within
BY aud by she found one that seemed
empty.
\ whole pile of steaming loaves lay upon
tie counter. She rushed in and seized
one, and hiding it under her cloak, fled
madly up the street But the baker bad
seen her from the little sitting room door,
and was after her, crying Justify, stop
thief, stop thief crowd followed her
and the poor child was soon run down.
\ clear case, sad the police officer,
who took her in hand" property found
on her. she must go to the courtroom.
In vain she pleaded with them, and told
Der StOiN. uty IluSt uo tHSit uuts
she might have begged; she ought tt
have gone TO the soup house; there wa:
no excuse fox stealing, at any rate.
No excuse, and her mother wa dying
for food
| An important trial was just clos ing, ans
! all the avenues 10 the court house were
! thronged
They'll be through soon, bid the
officer to the baker; "weli wait here
few moments No danger of her getting
away while my grip is On her, and h'
tieh,ened his hold on her shrinking arm
till the flesh quivered with pain.
Take me home first, said she sadly
they viii worry about me SO. MA poo
mother will die if she thinks | am lost.
! ..Ihey Ii soon find Odt where You are.