Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1866-09-08
THE EVENING STAR.
RECOMPENSE.

her. There are women Of sixteen and chiIaren
ofsiIle.n. his one was a child. She wore
the scsDtiest OF cotton dresses, beI,ed az the
wSlet. PAIR OF leather boots, and a white
apron. In her hand she carried-A sun bonne.
ard her hair, cropped close like a boys,
CurIeu IN black nngs about her head. The
facr was a oaoy's face in sweetness and in in
ntcsnc', the little brown hands the hands of
toll No Young lady this, yet there was moth
LnS coarse and vulgar about her unless II was
her hands.
That Oldtown church, my dear" said,
ear you gong thereP'
'Iss, SIR, 20 see the wedding Are your
vas. Orr iool |. though 1 did not say so
20 this child. The bride for W HON The bells wepe
ringing was To be mine once, would have been
but for the accident which had crippled me
and changed her heart. She had done moth
ing treacherously, but saw the truth and set
her tree. She took her freedom gladly, aud
We were two. She had quite forgotten me- no
doubt. believed then never could forget
4 knew exactly how she would look IN
snowy silk and lace and coronet Of pearls. i
had dreamed of her IN bridal robes so often
nodded TO the little thing beside me. trudg-
ing over the meadow path with the tall grass
almost TO her waist, and look q al NE so wist-
fully.
u never saw e wedding" she said.
mo sir. Grandfather said / might come
lie didn't care himself It's a long walk TOO
from the tavern, and he's very old"
docs your grandfather keep the tavernl
asked.
NO, sir-I wish he did"' said the child
tIIle don't care for tunes. What else can he do
thought Tonight there's adance, and he's TO
play for them That's why We stopped
poor fiddlsr's untaught grandchild-as
presence somehow cbeered me. Half child.
half woman, and all 4 child ~ heart limo
cent, and beautiful and kindly. 1 encouraged
her TO lInger az MY side. i said to her
81 will show you place where you can see
the BRIDE we'll It's IN the gallery. Will you
like thati''
IL don't know" she said I haven't often
been 10 church. We pray together lonely
places, lrIndfather anal. Will you he there
cir.
yes"
II know 1 should like it,"
'Come with me theD,' 1 SAID and she fol-
lowed me.
had meant 10 hide myself In the gallery,
and zee my lOst love married quite unseen
This eompapIonship had not been in nv role
atall. But liked II. No friend, no relation
not nv own sister, would L have Had beside
me; but this elfish thing was too innocent to
rear. Ied the way up the dark old stairs.
and towards spot quite sheltered from gen.
sraI view. Then i sat down and she stood
leaning over the baIustrade.
The church was full of bonnets. Here and
there only a masculine head. The minister
was IN his seat reading, In a position taken for
effect He was handsome man, and he knew
10 perfectly well.
Girls whispered and giggled, matrons famed
Themselves, and men yawned. Soon the soft
roll OF carriages on the gravel path was heard,
and 'h. bridal party entered 1 saw her AZ
lis that the brideI'' half-sobbed the girls
voice at my side. els il 4 real lady, She LOOKS
Ike wax On, how pretty, how beautiful
Looki IOokr'
She touched me with her li.tIe brown hand.
and looked ~ me- her eyes sparkl!T..
'DId you ever se1 her before" she asked
lie ste like that IN everyday clothes! Oh.
how pr'ttyr'
Men have no right 10 weep. put nv head
down upon the shon OF the pew and mid NV
eyes. 1 felt the child creep close beside me
Poor thing, he's tired" heard her whis-
per, and put her little haEds out and patted
Soon i looked down into the church again.
ana saw Grant Stanton KISS his bride.
"ls 1t all oysrl' asked the girl.
-'les. child" said; "all over"
Then must CO." she said. Thank YOU
for bring 50 kind 10 me, sir Good-by
''Good-by," i SAID, and her little leather
shoes battered over the aisle and down the
stairs, and had seen, as L thought the last OF
her. When she was gone missed her strange.
/ went home when the church was quite
empty IL had not been so hard to bear as
had irared and eddy enough l found myself
thinking of that child's little gipsy head
and those beautiful ong-fringed ewes
wondered at myself, but II was So
Il should like 10 see the child again" SAID
and As spoke spied crowd about q tavern
door upon the road.
L. was poor place, and poor. rough people
made up the group. But II was plainly no
common quarrel or drinking bout which had
brought them there. for their faces were all
grave and their voices suppressed. l crossed
What has happened friend" asked of a
tII her near by.
.-OnIy blind fiddler dropped dead he
sald- But there's a gal there wild about IT,.
And then passed him and went in An old
man Law upon The floor, and across his body
EITl had flung herself. knew the gypsy hair
and the brown neck. the scant cotton dress
hnG the sun-bOnHet, rung with 4 handful of
wild flowers upon the floor: and bent over
heT touching her little despalrIng hand
my Child / said, she Is happier than ya
are"
And she looked up.
He was all had, she said ..alI ALL
:" had thought when Alerta gave me back
our betrothal ring. My heart ached for her |
said no other WORD, but lead her TO an inner
room, while two men bore the dead man up
stairs She wept wildly, but my presence
seemed TO comfort her.
After while she drew closer to me- and
sitting on low stool, leaned her forehead on
my knee. Soon my hand rested on it, ana in
al hour she sobbed herself To sleep
4 said few words 10 the Iandlady when l
rose 10 leave, and she promised TO attend 10 NV
book.
The girl .ha'n't go until L hear from YOU.
slr, she said Indeed ! don't know where
she would go. She seems friendless and such
j child for her age. Thank you. SIR,
AND went on my way again, thinking not
OF Aleita, but the dead fiddler's grandchiId
This sun-browned waif. so simple and igno
rant, so rIendless and alone
was Young yet-not hye-and-twenty-a
bachelor, ana likely 10 be one my life long 7
had no proper home 10 take her TO. and no
friend TO aid me- At last, my extremity
thought of Betty-old Betty, who had once
be- n my nurse, and who loved me as she might
her own son-and in the cleaning made nv
way 10 her poor home. found her trimming
her vines IN the bit OF garden ground and had
my usual kiss across the garden fence even
before the gate was opened
Give been thinking OF YOU" she said 81
Knew II was you As soon / heard some one
coming. 'Tisnt every young gentleman thar
would weary himself 10 see an old body ILL.,
me. Sit down, honey, ana rest"
Il came 10 ask a favor, Betty said
Jus name ~. Master Berthe"
Nv III you take a bOardeI, Betty
BLESS me-, In my TWO rooms,
''Only child, Betty
"a cEildi-Mas 'ersA hertz
told her OF the fiddier's death and oftha
gin & nave money enough | said, sbut no
femai" relatives l can only come TO you
''lCu always Were kind hearted from a hoy 3,
sh" SAID. LII take the lutte girl Master Rar
tie" 49,
Inen she put both hands on my shoulders
"Gou haven't fretted, have You - she askad
'.frettedr' asked. Why
NAY, why indeed!' said old Betty 0Ret,er
ga