Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1871-10-27
5fiscellamu.
Camilla.

/ NNN-@ 49,
had back room in the top of a noisy
lodging house, where be slept nights and
munched his meals of bread and cheese
Cor bologna sausage, when he could af-
ford it) and from whence he crept as
harmless and unnoticed as fly, down to
the dingy street to the little music shop
of Carl Bertmann, German settler
somewhere in Soho.
There he tinkered all day on broken
violins and other musical instruments,
never absenting himself for moment,
save on Saturday afternoons, when he
went to the house of a small trades
man, to teach the piano to three or four
stupid girls. Sundays he curled up in
his den, and amused himself, nobody
knew how until Monday morning
There are a few certainties; be never
went to church, but picked ragged chill
dren from the pavement when they came
near him, and give them half pennies
when be had any; shared his dinner Of
ten with NANCY dirty cur, who acted
as sort of escape valve for the i'll tenn
per of half the women and reused Pat
Ryan from his midnight sneeze in the
gutter, many cold night, and literally
carried him home to Norah and the chill
.iren.
As for his honesty, as neighbor re-
marked, eff he found five shillings in
the street he'd wear out ten shillings
worth o strength and shoe leather to
find the owner"
One cold night, Paul was returning
from his work with loaf of bread un-
der one arm, and violin under the 9TH
er, when at street door stumbled and
nearly fell over small object crouch
ing there on the step.
Bless us, what's this ?" cried Paul,
striving to gain his equilibrium.
"Only me, sir, and the small object
stood up, and became very, pale, thin
and ragged child.
Are you hurt ?"
"No, sir"
"What are you doing out here in the
cold p
Nothing"
"Why don't you go home ?"
81 amt got any,"
"Dear me. Where's your mother
In heaven"
At this Paul was dumbfounded, and
seeing the great tears were stealing down
the child's wan face, he thrust the violin
under the arm which held the bread, and
putting the other around her tiny figure,
"Oh, I've got home, really jolly
place. Come up and see.
This was the way old Paul came to
have neat little housekeeper, and to
be buying calico gowns and shoes out Of
his poor salary.
People wondered at the sight of this
bent old man hitherto alone and uncar-
ed for, now walking daily to bis work
with his hand upon the shoulder of the
odd, yet pretty faced girl, looking an at
her with honest pride Frightening his
eyes, and laughing as loud as she could
wherever the joke came in. But old Paul
looked unconcerned, evaded the ques-
tions of the curious, and learned to love
nothing better in this world than the lit
tie waif, Camilla.
There were many, many days when
rheumatism drew Paul up by the fire in
the old back attic, and drew the very
last penny out of the dilapidated purse /;
but brave little Camilla, never forget
ting how near death she had been on that
bitter night of their meeting, always
found a word to ward off hunger and
courage to keep them both bright until
help came.
The winter of 1S6-came in like a
lion, as many a poor wretch well remem-
bers. and with thefrst blast came Paul's
enemy. He turned one night a sad face
from a warm corner in Bertmann's shop
among the violins, and hobbled up the
cold street feeling the approach of the
old rheumatic pains and wondering what
would become of his poor little Camilla.
His excitement carried him up to the
last fight of stairs and hearing Camilla's