Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-08-03
Ghuite Mistellaug.
BREAD UPON THE WATERS.

BREAD UPON THE WATERS.
1t was gloomy room in crowded tene
ment house, low, narrow and unwholesome
and a pale faced child was its only inmate
She was a confirmed invalid--you might
trace that in her hollow cheeks and the
strange, unnatural lustre of her large blue
eyes; the fame of life was burning low on
the altar of her childish being, yet here she
was alone, in the old arm chair, in which
she recined with one pillow, and rude pine
box was the only support for her tiny, blue
veined feet There was no carpet on the
mouldy floor, and in more than one place,
door and window had yielded to the remorso.
less hand OF decay, and presented most
dilapidated aspect. Yet all .the scanty
furniture was arranged as neatly as possible,
and there were even some attempts at taste,
as 10 bit ofgaiy colored chintz spread over
a child's footsool, and solitary flower
placed in the window seat, where the sun
beams could touch its emerald leaves.
That flower! 1t had been poor Katy's
uxuriance seemed strangely out of place in
| houl ished as ifin the velvet sod of Beldemc' 8
steam. And little Katy lay back in her
comfortless chair, and looked at the splendid
rose which quivered like a ruby drop among
the leaves, and watched the sunlight writing
its golden message on the crimson folds Of
the blossoms with a vague feeling of fwender.
1t was SO strange the radiant sun, whose
glory lay on marble pillars and stately
dwellings far away, should come to peep in
to her lonely room.
us that you Jamie?" said she softly, as
the door opened and boy Of twelve came
Yes. Do you feel any better, Katy2--
Are you tired of being left alonc?"
mot very; but there is such weary
&C hing around my heart, and sometimes it
seeu,s all on fire. How cool your hands feel
Jamie"
Never mind, Katy, I've been saving
wood, and earned a whole quarter, and Pm
going TO lay It out in apples and oranges to
sell down Town. III make mint of mon
ey. and then wont we have good supper
when mother cumcs home from work. l
shouldn't wonder il we had a bit ofcake and
a bunch OF grapes over and above the medl,
cine the dispensary doctor ordered for you'll
Katy smiled and shook Ner head as if in
deprecating this piece of extravaganza.
"Yes we will, Katy" resumed her
b,other; "tain't often we taste anything but
dry bread und cheese, and | havn't forgot
len that it's your birthday, sis; you are ten
years old to day. Besides, you need some
thing to put shade of color into those
cheeks; the doctor said you must have some
thing to tempt your appetite
He bent down to kiss the marble fere-
head as he spoke.
"How lovely that rose isto be sure It's
almost as good as company to you Katy,
isn't it? Are you willing should leave you
alone for little VIII lie, dear?
"Yes, Jamie, | don't mind it much. -
She answered with deep, weary sigh; "but
be back as soon as possible, please
And her wistful, Hollow eyes watched
him from the roou with that earnest, start
ling look that we only find beneath the very
shadow Of death.
Down at the piers all was confusion and
uproar-.busy passengers hurrying from
newly arrived boats-turbid waters dash
ing and rolling against mossy posts
swaying crowds, and loud dissonant voices,
created small bedlam around the docks,
and little Jamie wandered around with his
board of fruit, feeling very lonely and be-
wldered He had piled up the golden
oranges with their sunnest side upward; he
IdQ DOllSllCu tuC iCu oFIlOo uheiI
they shoae like mirrors; yet nobody stopped
to buy
"Carriage. sir? Take you to the Astor
House? Up Broadway in twinkling, mad
am.
"Ere's your 'eraH, Tribune and Times. s.
Latest steamer from Europe havea paper,
sir?"
Poor Jamie! amid all this tumult, what
chance had he of being noticed! He had
picked out the very bunch of grapes that he
intended for Katy, in Taylor S window, as he
came by--a plump, apoplectc bunch, dang
ling from a Grim son thread, where the sun
shine lay full on the purple bloom, and the
amethystine shadows lurked among its iul'
ness of fruitage. Just at present the tempt
ing morse seems very far of to JanIle's
imagination. :,
Determined not to give way without
vigorous effort, however, jamie stepped
boldly forward to the first person he saw,
and held up his wares with modest, Buy
an orange, sirr'
Now, as i'll fortune would have it, this pos
sible customer was fat, ill-tempered, pussy
old man, whose cholor had just been
infamea to fever heat by the inadvertant
descent of heavy nailed boot-Reel on his
favori.e corn. AT all times he considered
orange boys nuisance; but just now slender
his quota of patience was entirely.ex hausted.
He aimed muttered oath and furious blow
at the fair haired boy, and rushed past to
catch retreating omnibus.
jamie sprang aside just in time to escape
the brutal blow but it descended full upon
his stock in trade, scattering apples far and
wide He was standing close to the pier,
and most of the fruit flew into the the water,
where it went bobbing up and down in the
most tantalizing manner. A few apples
rolled under the feet of the crowd, but 1t
was impossible to secure them again.
Jarlie's first sensation was that OF indig-
nant wrath; the blush run in angry, torrents
to his cheek and brow, and he shook his
sm all fist impetently in the direction which
the TT man had taken. But in an instant
. feelinr Of forlorn wretchedness came over
i'm: no te ppting bit Of cake-no purple
q. 'es for po,,r Katy--perhaps not even a
grap for he knew his mothers wages
suppea ssnI, 20 towards the rent OF the ROOM
Tbsu Tuss g. Ssnsn led entirely on his sxertions for
the;y eyen,np n, cal, and the sun was declin-
ing in the west ai,eaoy. .h for HI. bov.
The reflection was too mqGn ior n;n,.ntiy ms uIy'
ish heart, aud he was sopDing .ssay yioiehstay'
when a gentle hand was laid on his snoalder'
He started up, and before him. stood pleas, as
L al ~