Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1868-02-13

went whirling round the corner
leaving the boy gazing after it i
a stupor of grief and disappoin,
ment. After a moment or two
manly little fellow that he was, h
sunk down on the snowy steps, sot
bing as if his heart would break
From her lofty outlook, little Pan
sy had witnessed the entire scene
and now, forgetful of her snov
flakes, she bent far out, her gold
en- hair whitened, her blue eye
blind with quick, warm tears, a
she looked down upon the littl,
boy weeping so bitterly in his dis
appointment. But all at once
her tears changed to smiles, and
drawing in her head, she bounded
from her perch, and darted into a
small ante-room, where her dolls
and play-houses were kept. Amid
other childish treasures she had a
purse woven OF glittering beads,
containing, besides a handful Of
silver coins, a broad piece of gold.
Her father, Capt. Ross, had Civ
en- it to her for a birthday gift,
the last time his ship was in; and
Pansy being something of a little
miser, had kept it all this while.
She snatched it up now, all in a
tremor of eagerness.
"Here, little boy" she cried,
rushing back and thrusting her
head out at the window, "don't
cry any more-Ive got something
for you. Take this, it will buy
your mother lots o wood and
bread"
Down went the cleaning purse,
striking the pavement with sharp
thud; and before the astonished
boy could pick it up, the silver
childish voice broke out again.
Heres something else, too,"
she went on, tugging with both
hands at a glittering necklace that
encircled her dimpled throat. ''It
cost lots O money, papa says; and
you can sell it, you know, and get
your mother and sister all they
want. Oh! it won't come undone!
There, now," as a harder tug tore
asunder the jeweled clasp; "it's
off now. Pick 'em both up, and
run home as hard as you can, that's
a good boy"
The child obeyed her, gathering
up the beaded purse and the flash
ing jewel, and fully believing, in
his wondering simplicity, as he
looked up at the rosy dimpled
face, with its shining eyes and
golden hair, that the heavens
had opened, and one of God'sown
angels had come to help him.
Pansy, seeing his face brighten
SO, clapped her hands gleefully,
urging him to run home to his
mother; and when he darted off
down the snowy street, she watch.
ed him out of sight, and then
went back to her own enjoyment
of catching snow flakes, doubly
happy in the consciousness of the
good deed she had done, and in
her. knowledge of her aunt's alb
sence, which would secure her
from interruption.
In the meantime, with the bright
treasures hidden in his bosom,
the little boy treaded his way
through the obsure streets and
squallid alleys, climbing at last
~ u COtllOi LlCSS iOOiil VII lIO tuAAO
floor of an old tenement house.
"Oh, mother!" he cried burst
ing in at the doorway. I've
seen an angel, mother-indeed |.
have. Mrs. Ross wouldn't pay
me for the work; but l saw an an
gel. and she gave me these"
Mrs. Lynn took the bead purse,
and the costly necklace from her
sons hands; then by degrees, she
drew the whole story from him,
and smiling and smoothing back
his hair, she said:
"Yes, Archie, an angel no doubt
"a dear, kind little girl. God
bless her! ! knew her mother
well. Pansy Ross-here's her
name on the clasp of the necklace.
Pansy Ross wasrTa sweet girl;
she and I were school mates once;
no doubt her little girl is like
her. But we mustn't keep these
things, Archie; it would not be
Al l:ktl, r~s,1,.n,,nk -