The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1862-01-02

IL
ache could she have seen the eaeerness with
which the half famished child devoured the
lunch which was set before her in the kitchen.
| In few moments they were ready to start
Mrs. Stirling had replaced her velvet mantle by
a Scotch shawl, her French hat by simple
straw; and with basket in her hand contain
ing a few dainties with which she hoped to tempt
the sick girls palate. she followed the child
across the city toward C Street, locality
hitherto terra incognita to her.
i In halfdilapidated wooden house, in mar
row court she found the object of her search
She went up two flights of stairs and entered
a back room lighted by one window. The at
mosphere struck her in spite of her warm attire,
with sudden chill. Evidently the sun never
came there. The dampness on the walls, the
general aspect of gloom and cheerlessness, was
only relieved by an air of scrupulous neatness
which pervaded everything. Mrs. Stirling had
already noticed this quality in the attire OF the
/ child, which, though cheap and poor ana patch
ed, was as immaculate in its cleanliness as her
own.
/ At the window, attempting to sew, the older
sister sat, but she was evidently very Ill. EV-
cry now and then spasm OF coughing selzeu
her, which compelled her to lay down her work
and clasp both her hands on her side, while the
paleness of her thin cheek flushed INTO hectic
Mrs. Stirling had not seen her before since
spring-the work returned that morning having
been sent by servant. She went up to her
and sat down in a chair beside her.
Your sister said you were sick and so came
to see if | could be of any use to you, she SAID
in genter tones, which of themselves carried
certain comfort with them. You have changed
terribly since spring; l must hear all about ii;
but want you to eat what | have brought you
here are some wine jelly and bit OF cold
chicken-they will do you good
The poor gin looked at the viands with the
involuntary greediness Of hunger. Then she
blushed deeply and said in low voice:
Il am very grateful, Madam, but you please
| will wait until | leave you. Allow ME at pres
ent TO attend to you
mo indeedr Mrs Stirling spoke in her
pretty absolute fashion. l am not going yet.
want to talk with you awhile, and | shall not
do so until yon have taken something to
strengthen you. Little Jane has lunehed al
ready
So the gay. bright lady sat and waited, feeling
in the new pfbspece of being actively uee!ul, a
genuine glow of delight When the girl had
finished her generous neal aud taken up her
work again, Mrs. Stirling began to talk TO her
Is this consumption, AnnieP she asked, gen
tly Your cough alarms me
NO ma am, I'm sure il Is nothing Of the kind
yet. There is no consumption IN our family
My father was country minister and had
strong and healthy constitution. He died young
| . Sc was from a violent fever caught in attend
out 4 sick stranger. 1 think 1t was grief
alce on " mother follow him in three
"uieh niau St ii always been delicate, though
,a mo n one oe ns sb "ked the strength it ie
no! slcsly, an ! sne "a, .is seven years since
she died, on the very day little
How old we're you then| oh;ld,en
! Fifteen and there were no living
| between US two -
And you have supported yourself anu lie
every since p
'Oh no. my fathers books and furniture sold
! for enough to keep us some time, and my aunt,
who lived here, brought us to Boston. We both
| lived With her. She took care of Jane, and
worked in n shop, and earaed enough to buy our
clothes and help Aunt Martha with the living
1t is only since she died, three years ago, that
have been all alone with Jenny
! You came out of the shop then p
| Yes, because could not have Jenny there
with me, and she had no one else to see to her;
and indeed have made more money since, /
have embroidered so much
| But surely you have suffered more than usual
! this summer?
| oh, yes, ma am. The ladies | work for are
| mostly out of town in the summer always, and
! SO winters / try to save enough to help us ihro
/ But last winter was so hard that | had rO6 as
much work az usual, so this summer we have not
| been very we'll off. | had to give up the COM
! Portable room l used to have, because 1 could
not earn enough to pay for it, and suppose
the dampness here has not just agreed with me-
She tried to smile, but the tears came instead
Mrs. Stirling took her hand with comforting
pressure.
Don't cry. Better times are coming to you
now. am sure can influence you great deaf
more work. You shall have enough to do, and
we must see that you move out OF this damp,ul-
healthy place
Sister Annie smiled sadly.
| The landlord has seen to that, Madam. L
can only stay here three days longer. He wants
go let the room to tenant who will pay more.
| I have been troubled tor fear l should not be
able to go out and find another place.
Well you must not feel anxious. Just leave
| that till Tomorrow. Then if you not able
to go, will find q place for you Ii cannot be
d difficult matter to find one as good as this
/ At any rate, tomorrow you shall see me again
and in the meantime the pay for the work little
Jane brought home will make you comfortable
So saying, she put into the girls hand twice
| the customary price for the embroidery she had
done, and without waiting for the thanks which
trem bled on Anna Hadey's pale lips. she went
out CT the ROOM down the stairs, and returned
! home after this her first charity visit
On the way she stopped but once. and that
was NOT to look into any of the Windows gay
with autumn goods, or 10 exchange her hundred
dollar note on the Suffolk bank tor silks or sat
| ms She only went for moment to 4 neat,re.
| spectacle looking house on Myrtle Street. and
! then hurried home.
| She met her husband, when he came 10 his
FIVE O'clock dinner, with q beaming smile. The
meal was well cooked and neatly served; The
i wife opposite him was young and fair; aud wheu
John Stirling rose from the table and went with
her into her evening room, it IS no wonder he
said himself that this being III one' s own home
wasn't so bad thing after ali
II What is it, Nellie 2 he asked, alter While
in answer TO questioning. hesitatlng look III
his wiie's eyes. She drew nearer him.
|. You are sure, j ohu you can spare me that
FIVE hundred dollars without putting aside any
rightf1l caims'
: hope, Nellie, if 1 had not thought SO,
should not have given it to you, much as love
to please you
/ Then what, she said, hesitatingly; if
wanted very much indeed to use 1t for some
thing else 2
i do not understand what you possibly
mean
e For answer che detailed to him the events o
the day. When she was through, she sad:
, 1t seems so hard, j ohm, for that poor girl, {
t minister's daughter, too, to be suffering tor wan
, OF food +; aud living. Or rather, dying bs inches
u in that miserable, damp, unhealthy place. Cal
y see how,with five hundred dollars could max
e her SO comfortable. Istopped at Nurse omead
q on my way home to-day, aud | found that sh
e had nice. bright, good sized room, where IN
a sun shines half the day, which she will let 10
seventy dollars year. There is a stove ia
already, aud carpet on the aoor, and thlrt
o dollars more would supply it with everything
r, needed for comfort Now, if l could pay I'd
If rent OF that room year in advance for Ami
'e Hadley, and fit it up neatly, what tine start
d would be for her 1t would give her such res
such freedom from care,-She would hav
re time to get well. She is very skilltul with ia
De needle, and with the work she could easily d.
IS she could live so nicely, and Jenny could 60
as school. l have it all planned, ana there, wit
Id your permission, goes the hundred dollars in m
ne pocket
1t John Stirling looked at his wife, and it seen