The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1865-02-17
No 40.

painting nutteiing in the han NOT
knowing whether to so further or uo.
All was quiet and it was aboal
o clock. Mr.. jrtoo was still making
believe to be busy with his ariefs,
She opened the hall door and, after i
moments pause, shot away down the
street She knew the way perfectly,
and yet she almost lost her road
People coming home from work
stopped to look after the pretty spirit
in scarlet cloak that fitted past them.
Some made as though they would stop,
her She was dreadfnly frightened,
but still held on. At last she TO came
a retired square and modest house,
where Commander Bell, r. n, lived
Ont Of breath hllc with confusion
overwhelmed with the tremendous step
she had takcn--so it seemed to her.
she rang the bell and asked if she
might see Captain Bell, please, for u
moment The servant stared at this
little visitor, but without word
brought her in at once to tho parIor,
where Commander Bell, II. ~, was
sitting at the fire smoking.
Commander Bell, r. r., laid down
his cigar in astonishmcnt. He knew
and recollected her, bat could not
comprehend it, She told her little
artless story. In her wise way, ox-
planned her hopes and fears and ter
rors, and finally begged of him to como
back with her. oh, sirl' she said,
you can help us; you are SO good, so
brave, 50 sensiblep Commander Bell
WAS delighted. He could have taken
her on his knee, but a sense of too
much respect prevented him. He
merely got his great rough pilot cont
and hat. and, taking her hand III his,
set cut.
1t was delicate task, but rough,
honest Commander Bell was not to be
kept back from a good work by such
consideration, They reached the house
and entered Commander Bell tapped
at Mr. Bruce's door, and, entering,
shut it behind him. Little Fairy Alice
fluttered up to the drawing-room,
where her mamma was sitting desc
late. They sat together for half All
hour and longer in the gloom, until
at last steps were heard on the stairs
heavy steps Little Fairy Alice, who
had been watching fevcrishly, started
up and ran to the door And then
there came upon the landing two fig
ures Mr.. Bruce and his friend. Fairy
Alice ran halfway to meet them, and
then stopping short, turned back to
her mother. % mammal said she,
coming in a sort of flutter, hero is
some one at the door; and do sec him,
and let us all be happy together again.
Do, dear mamma
1t was dark, so no one could have
seen her mothers face; neither did she
say anything; but Fairy Alice felt her
. hand trembling on her shoulder
Then Mr.. Bruce walked in, straightly
and steadily, leaving Commander Bell
at the door, and said,-
Helen, don't, don't go away Stay
with us--with me and with this darl-
ing
When she was presently crying hys-
tercally on.Alr. Bruce's shoulder, there
was below them a little scbbing face
looking up; and two tiny arms, spread
out, but not so far as they had will to
spread themselves, drew together the
estranged husband and wife further
seemed, with such little strength as
they had, to hold them in that long
embrace Looking down, they pres
emily saw this little infant angel OF
peace between them, and Mr.. Bruce
caught her up in his arms.
On that night it did indeed seem
likely that tho old misconceptions
were never to return again that tho
ilm of ice, shonld it ever form, was to
melt away as soon rs it was formed.
The vision of Fairy Alice was to be as
a beam of warm sunshine If she
We're again to stand up, and look out
of windows, it would be likely that
she could do SO without check. And
rs for Bones and his fascination even
for the greater glories of pantomime,
these things as yet might be almost
forced upon her,-heaped, as it were,
into her little lap like sugar-plums.
No doubt she would bo >as silver
chain to wind round and round them
again, uul iHtu NlihOSi lulaluuIlOn
for this darling, growing every day,
would hold them together, even Il
everything else were wanted
Perhaps it was all for the best, as
they were to be told, not many weeks
later, with the dismal consolation,
also, whispered that ''the Lord gives
and the Lord takes away" For on,
the night this little Fairy Alice went
out on her Journey, there WAS also
abroad sharp blast from the east,
which pushed heavily against her all
the way, nay, even stabbed through
the folds of her little red cloak. With
her little gauzy chest it was easy work.
So the next morning there was
cough, and the morning aftey much
heat and fever; and the eminent
physician who had driven the great
enemy down stairs before found him
self again face to face with his old an
tasonist at the other side of the bed
He did what lie could, that eminent
physician, worked with will and
sympathy; for he had a little girl of