Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1864-02-25
THE REPUBLICAN.
JEssIEs LOVE.

BY DAISY HOWARD.

are sweeping the dirt all over the lady q
gaiters!" And begrimmed. filthy little
imp Of street sweeper grinned horribly.
= We were crossing Chestnut street. in the
beautiful city of Philadelphia. with a
friend when the words caught our car
We turned, and saw the startled, half-in.
.:ignsnt. half-sorrowful face Of a girl OF
twelve years. the object of the young ruff
ans satire. We looked first st the great
brown eyes. luminous with soul; then at
the bare. white feet that mad brought the
insult upon her; bu. ere we could count
three, the owner Of them was half a square
away Our companion. generous souled
impulsive lad OF nineteen, shook the urch-
In roundly, and read him lecture Of a.
bout ten words, in most emphatic Ian
gnage; whilst your humble servant. reader.
stood laughing and blushing on the side
walk. My companions Indignation cool
ed somewhat as we neared the ferry; tho
en- occasional exclamation still !. escaped
him. There was the usual crowd and
rush for seats and we choose rather to
stand and view the retiring city. We
. soon noticed pale. sad-faced woman near
ms. who was gazing anxiously among the
crowd in search Of some one Soon. to
our mutual pleasure. we saw the owner of
the bare feet and splendid eyes bound on
: board and spring to the woman's sile.
"Jessie darling, i was afraid some
thing had happened TO you, it is so lalS
But where your shoes. my child?"
81 took them off, mother, and folded
them in this psper l thought. deares,
mother, would not soil them walking
through tic dusty streets. when You bad
worked so hard to earn the money to buy
them"
Those poor little feei'' said the moth
or, IN tones of pity. Don't do it again,
dear. mother will earn money to buy an
other pair before these are worn out. 1t
will not do here, in the city, to go bare
footed. People will laugh at you. AMI
perhaps subject you to insult"
The white cheek flushed. but the brave
child did not tell OF the insult already Of
ferel.
''tVhat success had my daughter to-
day." and the woman fondled the small
white hand nestled in hers.
Il sold every one of my howers, dear
mother; made two dollars and twenty-five
cents. The moss baskets l sold on the
sidewalk TO the passers-by. and Mr.. Evans
let me stand in his store all the afternoon.
and sell boquets to the ladies. Ism. he
kind, mother? One OF the clerks ordered
me to be off, but he bid him let me
alone! and told me l might come there
once week and sell my flowers"
The twilight had gathered about us, SO
that we could not see the mothers face;
although the conversation was carried on
IN low voice. we dill not lose a word
My tears fell fast: and knew by my CON-
panion's hurried breathing. That his heart
was at its food.
My home was in Camden, and there.
too. the flower girl lived-though l did
not find the exact spot for many months
after. Next day, / was passing over the
same crossing. where the fast young
American OF the day before stood, sweep
ing. This time / was accompanied by
young friend whose father was one Of the
merchant princes of New York. There
had been slight shower. and my friend
tipped up her costly dress, and stood irres-
oiute, thinking where to place her dainty
feet. The fast young sweeper. evidently
saw . chance here to make dime, for he
flung down his ragged jacket and said cum
niDgly:
Here. miss. put your purity foot on
fhis yer roundabout, and yell get over
dryshod."
Kate tip-toed over the novel foot mat,
and. when she reached the side walk, flung
the ragged diplomat quarter Of dollar.
Ny nose, l am sorry to say turned up, and
longed to pound the little imp who had
insulted the pretty hower-girl of the pre-
ceeding day. o world! world how full
Of just such 'doings' you areI The roads
must be swept and garnished for the gait
cred feet of the children Of wealth to tread
Their dainty feet mus. press only macad-
amized roads, whilst the feet OF poverty
must press the dusty, thorny highway
even though they wear not calf-skin, and
carry the face of an angel. The ragged
street-sweeper bnt apes the upper ten"
In his devotion to wealth. "High life be-
low stairs" etc. / am truly glad the
fashion of street-sweeping by these saucy
little jmps is somewhat out of vogue in
these days.
Again "met by chance" yonng Jessie,
The sweet-faced flower girl. 1t was in the
autumn that l was crossing to Camden,
quite late on one afternoon, when who
should see but sweet Jessie. This time
she was alone; anu the intense sadness of
her face cannot describe. l spoke to her
and By snd-by drew from her the cause of
her sadness. Her mother was diving OF
consumption; and besides the mother, she
had not one friend on earth. She spoke
OF her mothers anguish at the thought of
leaving her alone in this cold world, and
much more. that brought an unwonted
moisture from my heart to my eyes. As
the boat reached the wharf we parted, but
shat night | called at Der humble home
1t was in a miserable garnet that the wild
CIV Sumner lay. dying. Poverty had losg
since obliged them to part with the pleas |
ant cottage and flower garden Jessie loved
so well. The little could do was done:
and leaving nm old colorcd servant to
watch with the sufferer, / left promising
to come next day. All night long l lay
awake. not planning sstory but trying to
tlink what could be done for the poor girl,
SO soon to be an orphan. just at day