The Shasta courier., 1870-04-02
FOUND IN THE STREET.


four hours?'
The young man started at this unexpected
address then turned, and regard the speaker
for a moment curiously.
The scene was Fifth Avenue and the time
was near midnight.
Horses and carriages were dashlng over
the pavement, carrying gay parties from
theatre or supper.
The air was crisp and chill; the stars shone
cheerfully above; the lamps cleaned bril-
iantly below, yet the young man was thus
suddenly accosted in the most fashionable
thoroughfare in New York, by a stranger
who was almost starved, and had eaten moth
ing for twenty four hours.
No wonder he turned to look curiously at
her.
Caleb, or Gale Gordon. as his iatinaes call
ed him, was hard working, but we'll paid
for he was a vastly clever and rapid writer,
and found ready market for all he wrote
besides being on the regugar staff of one
morning paper as musical and dramatic critic.
And in pursuit of this part of his vocation
he had that evening been to the French opera
to hear " Genevieve"-had stepped into Del
monlco's for light supper, and was now on
his way down to the Office to write up his
evenings work.
He had no one but himself to take care of
made money enough to supply all his wants,
including light suppers at Demonico's when
ne desired them, and knew very little about
the poverty and wretchedness of the under
world OF the great city he lived in.
Therefore he queried in tone of surprise,
after looking at the questioner for moment,
" Yous say you have eaten nothing for twenty
four hours ?''
. A bit of bread and some coffee last eve.
ming, and nothing before that since the day
before;" and the girl gave great gulp,
something between a sigh and a sob, and
turning her face away.
Bless my soul ~ said Caleb, ''come right
along with me and get something"
You see Caleb was quite green-he had
only been in the city about six months, hay
Ing come well recommended from country
newspaper, or else he would have given her
quarter and sent her on her wav-or per-
haps something worse might have come of
1t, who knows? But as 1t was, he took her
hand and placed it on his arm and walked
her rapidly down side street, toward point
where he knew there was an oyster saloon
that kept open all night.
1t was not exactly place to take lady ;
but 1t did not occur to Caleb to take her to
Delmonico' 's-besides they were past it,
She has said nothing further, but Caleb
noticed that she leaned rather heavily on his
arm; and as they passed street-lamp and
lts light shone full 10 her face, he observed
that she was very pale.
He hurried her along, and presently they
arrived at the saloon, and were soon seated
oppsite each other in a small private room or
box, with "a table between them.
Caleb called waiter and ordered a glass
of sherry and when that was provided, gave
1t to the girl. who seemed absolutely about to
faint, and begged her to drink it, which she
did, then he ordered substantial supper for
her.
The waiter left them, and Caleb had an
opportunity OF looking at his companion.
The wine had revived her, and a little color
tinged her cheeks.
She seemed very young. Caleb thought
of his little sister at the old homestead in the
country, aud guessed this girl must be about
her age about seventeen. Thinking of his
Little sister, too he could not help thinking
how he would feel if she were in such a strait
as this poor creature and he felt strange
sensation under his watch pocket, and he did
not care to speak for moment.
Then he said kindly and in a low voice,
- And now you must tell me how all this
has been brought about, and perhaps | can
help you."
But the girl folded ber arms on the table,
laid her head on them, and cried-not loudly,
but very bitterly.
. don't like to see you cry" said Caleb
and his voice was a little temulous, that
was a soft point in Caleo's character, he never
liked to see anyhody cry
The girl raised her head, and pushed the
long, soft curling hair back from her face,
and said:
You are very, very kind to me, and-I
won't cry; and she didn't; she stopped in
stantly; which pleased him in more ways
than one.
Caleb wasn't far out about her age-prob-
ably his memories of his little sister had aid
ed him in some occult way. She was Just
about seventeen, and now that she had gain
ed a little color, what between the wine and
the tears, was manfestly pretty, so at least,
Caleb thought; but SO thin--oo thin
She had pretty, soft, brown curls, and
brown hair, ana tender violet eyes-very
large; and they looked at Caleb, through
the midst OF her late weeping he thought he
had never seen any half 50 expressive.
Her figure was trim and neatly clad. but
poorly Her hands were small, but they
bore the marks of labor, and the forefnger
of her right hand was dotted over with little
black specks, as Caleb remembered his moth
er's to have been when he was a boy at home,
and she sat in the arm chair, sewing for him
Then the nice hot supper came in, and,
with an apology, she began to eat.
And how she did eat?
Caleb bad never seen any one very hungry
before, and he felt his eyes grow dim as be
watched her. And somewhere in theinterior
of his being he registered little oath that
she should never be hungry again-not if he
could help it; and then he thought of his
little sister once more.
And at last the supper was eaten (of course,
Caleb took nothing, for Delmonico had sup
piled him); and as she looked up, and he
asked her if she would have anything else
she said 81 am ashamed of myselffor eat
ing so much but was so hungry and then
she went to crying again, but still silently
And then, after little, Caleb got her story
out of her.
How she was crying because she had q
widowed mother and little brother at home
who were just as hungry as she was, and who
would not have any kind friend to give then
food and how she had come out this nigh