The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-12-18
CHRISTMAS STORY
FOR 1867.
NO THOROUGHFAR E.
CHARLES Dickens AND wILKIE COLLINS
THE OVERTURE.

sainf PauI's ten at night. All the lesser London
churches strain their metallic throats. Some
Hippantly begin before the heavy bell of the
great cathedral some tardily begin three, four,
halfa a dozen strokes behind it; all are IN suf-
fciently near accord to leave a resonance in the
air, as If the winged father who deyours his
children had made a sounding sweep with his
gigantic scythe in flying over the city.
What is this clock 10 Wer than most OF the rest,
and nearer to the ear, that lags 50 far behind to-
night as to strike into the vibration aloneg This
is the clock OF the Hospital for Founding
Children. Time was when the Foundlings were
received without ques ton in a cradle at the
gate. Time is when inquiries are made respect
ing them, ana they are taken as by lavor IRON
the mothers who relinqush all natural know
ledge OF them and clam to them forevermore.
The moon is at the tull and the night is fair
with light clouds. The day has been otherwise
than fair, for slush and mud, thickened with the
drOppiugs of heavy Jog, lie black in the streets
The yelled lady who tiutters up and down near
The postem-gatc of the Hospital for Founding
Children has need to be we'll shod tonight.
She tlutters to and fro, avoiding the stand of
hackney coaches, and often pausing in the
shadow OF the western eud OF the great quad
rangle wall, with her face turned towards the
gate. As above her there is the purity of the
mOonlt sky, and below her there are the deile-
ments OF the pavement, may she, hIply. be
divided in her mind between two vistas of reaec-
tion or experience. AS her footprints crossing
and reCrossing one another, have made laby-
rinth in the mre, so may her track IN life have
involved itself in an intricate and unavailable
4argle.
Tie postern-gate of the Hospital for Found
ling Children opens, and a young woman comes
out. The lady stands aside, observes closely,
sees that the gate Is quietly closed again from
within, and follows the young woman,
Two or three streets have been traversed in
silence before she, folio wing close behiud the
object of her attention, stretches out her hand
and touches her. Then the young woman stops
and looks round, startled,
'You touched me last night and, when I
turned my head, you would not speak. Why do
Ilp u ella t,rbN
at was not,' returned the lady, in a low
voice, that would not speak, but that could
not when tried"
"What do you want Of me? have never
done you any harm"
''NeVer.n
"Do know you"
''Then what can you want of me?"
''Here are Two guneas in this paper. Take
my poor little present, and will tell you"
Into the young womans face, which is honest
and comely, comes flush as she replies: "There
is neither grown person nor child, in all the
large establishment that belong to, who hasn't
good word for Sally am Sally. Could be
30 well thought of, if | was to be bought ~
al do not mean to buy you; l mean only to
reward you very slightly.'
Sally firmly but not urgently closes and puts
back the Offering hand. ,'It there is anything
can do for you, ma'am, that will not do tor its
own sake, you are much mistaken in me if you
think that will do 1t for money. What Is it
you want ?"
"You are one of the nurses or attendants at
The Hospitals saw you leave tonight and last
night"
res, am am Sally"
''There is pleasant patience in your face
which makes me believe that very young chill
dren would take readily to YOU"
''God bless 'em! So they do"
The lady lifts her veil, and shows q face no
older than the nurses. A face far more refined
and capable than hers, bat wild and worn with
II am the miserable mother of baby lately
received under your care. have prayer to
make to you.n
Instinctively respecting the confidence which
has drawn aside the veil, Sally-whose ways are
~, -, ,.-s of simnhcity and pontaneity-replaces
1t, and begins 10 crS - 80.
''You will listen TO nay prayer Z" the lady
urges. "You will not be deaf to the agoni5zgeo
entreaty OF such broken suppllant as l am 9, r.
40 dear, dear, dear ~ cries sally. "What
shall say, or can 1 say? Don't talk OF prayers.
Prayers are to be put up to the good Father
of ALL aud not to nurses and such. And
lhereI l am only to hold my pace for half
wear longer, till another young woman can be
Trained up to it, am going to be married. |
shouldn't have been out last night, and l
shouldn't have been out tonight, bat that my
Dick (he is the young man l am going to be
married toy lies ill, and help his mother and
sister to watch him. Don't take on so, don't
take on so.n
40 good Sally, dear Sally" means the lady,
catching at her dress eutreatingly. "As you
are hopeful and am hopeless-as fair way III
Aue is DeIOre you, WHICH Gdu uCNCl1 hSfcl Du
before cas- you can aspire to become re-
Epected wife, aud as you can aspire to. become
a proud mother-as you are a living, loving
woman, and must die-for Gods sake hear my
distracted petition !"
"Deary, deary, deary me ~ cries Sally, he1
desperation eliminating II, the prououn "Wha
am ever to do? And there See how yOC
turn my own words back upon me. tell yor
am going to be married on purpose to make
1t clearer to you am gong to leave, and there
fore couldn't help you if l would, Poor Thing
and you make it seem to my own self a
If l was cruel in going to be married and no
helping you. 1t amt kind. Now, is it kind
Poor ThiugY
''sally! Hear me, my dear. My entreaty il
for no help in the future. 1t applies to what il
past 1t is to be told in two words"
.TheTel This is worse aud worse" erie
Sally, "supposing that 1 understand what tW
words you mean.n
"You do understand. What are the name
they have given my poor baby? / ask no NOR
than that. l have read of the customs of tn
place. He had been chrlstened In the chapel
% anu registered by some surname in the book
ne was received lasl Monday evening Wha
have they called him?
Dawn upon her knees in the foul mud Of III
Dy-Way lhto which they have strayed-an empt
street without thoroughfare riAing ON In
dark gardens OF the Hosptal-the lady woul
drop in her passionate entreaty, but that Sail,
prevents her.
"Dont DON'T You make me- feel % -
was setting myself up to be good. Let me loot
i'll your pretty face again. Pat your two hand
in mine. Now, promise You will never ne
me anything more than the two words?p
"NeYer Never ~
'You will never put them to bad use, if
say them 20
HNeverl Never".
''Walter Wlldingn
The lady lays her face upon the nurses breGs
draws her close in her embrace with both arm
l.