Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1871-09-21
when they approached near enough


for conversations
She is not a brat, replied til
imam, quickly. Doesn't she loo
pretty enough to be called som,
thing better than that?'
HUM grunted Mr.. Smallpiece-
We'll child, then. Whose is it
yours?' 'g rF e
She's mine now,' replied the mai
'but I'm not her father. She's m
brothers child, sir
'She seems very fond of you,' sal
Simon, seeing that you're not he
natural parent T
She is fond of me; amt yo,
Daisy?' rejoined the workman
STOPPING down to pull her yello'
curls through his fingers.
'Why don't your brother take car
of herr asked Mr.. Smallpiece, look
ling at the little girl trife les
sourly than he usually looked q
people. # El- a
| MY brother is dead, SIR said tn
man. The child has no father bu
me- iit f.H.ty. TaH !!-. !
\ where's her motherT lA'i..f
1 Her mother was left very poor
he replied. She had one little bo
besides this little child, and wa
/ hardly able to support them bot
with her unaided hands. She live
many miles off, sir, and once in
while Daisy and l go down to Sc
her-holidays and such like
what does she do for living?
She does plain needlework, whel
she can get it,
|. "A hard way of earning a, living,
said Mr.. Smallpiece; l. very hard
But i dare say she don't work an,
harder than l do-not Bit
Perhaps not said the man; bu
she is a woman. l am a bachelo
like yourself, sir, and 1 offered t.
take this little one and care,.for he
while I lived. 1 am very glad dit
it for she has made all the worlt
bright to me-a great deal brighte
than it ever was before
'Bahp said the lawyer, with gest
u1e of disgust, 'All humbug.
don't want any young ones abou
me, I can tell you. Those that wan
'em can have 'em. don't
The man laughed, and caught thu
child up in his arms.again.
She's pretty child enough
said Simon, looking at her critical
ly through his glasses. I've got al
apple in my desk here. Do yor
think she would like it?'
The child held out her LITTLE
hands, eagerly.
Here said Mr.. Smallpiece, taking
a red apple out of drawer and toss
ing it to the man; who gave it to the
little lady in his arms. Now &C
away quick. Pm very busy
The man laughed again, and
touching his hat, withdrew. holding
one of the chubby fists in his great
brown hand, and making believe to
bite it, while the child munched the
apple which it held in the other.
When they had gone, Mr.. Small
piece leaned back in his chair and
reflected on his unparalleled weak
ness. What interest had he in chill
dren, that he should feel SO soft
hearted toward this little one? Was
he getting childish in his old agef
He did not know. Possibly so. AT
all events, a new feeling, or rather
an old feeling revived, had sprung
up in his breast, and caused him to
look upon his own cynical nature in
something of a new light.
The next afternoon the child ap-
peared again upon the step, and
again did the man toss her high
above his head when he met her.
Looking across the little green COM
mon, the workman recognized the
lawyer with a bow and a smile, and
then began an uproarious romp up
on the soft grass with the child. He
lay down and allowed her to roll
over him. He made believe to chase
her, and when she turned upon him,
ran away, feigning great terror, so
that the child's clear laughter ran
out into the still afternoon air like
peal of little silvery bells. He
went down upon his hands and
knees, and putting the little one up
on his back, trotted about the lawn
pretending to be a hoise, and other
wise conducting himself in a man
ner so extravagant and ridiculous,
and sending his companion into
such commissions of merriment, that
Simon Smallpiece, quite before he
was aware of it, found himself lean
ing back in his chair and laughing
almost as heartily as they.
4 should like to do that myself
thought Simon.
And although you may not be-
lieve it, it is actually true that the
old lawyer left his work, and put
ting on his hat, left the office by
the back door, and walked across
the common 10 join them. To be
sure he took no part in their sport,
and only stood under the trees to
watch the proceedings; but before
he went back to his writing, the
child had another great red apple,
bigger this time than both her chub-
by fists together. q
And so between these people a
sort of half familiar acquaintance
sprung up, which gradually became
to Simon Smallpiece, so pleasant
and agreeable, that at last whenever
the workman and his niece failed to
appear on the pleasant afternoons,
the lawyer would experience shade
of disappointment. Unconsci ously
to himself, the attrition with the in
'neeeat nature of the child was rub
bing off some of the hard protuber-
ances of selfishness and uncharity
upon his own character. Somehow
he could not think of this little one
and his own daughter, who was once
a child, too, at the same time land
when one was present his mind was
also with the other,) with opposed
or different feelings.
When he laughed at the gambols
of the workman's niece, or pinch
ed her rosy cheeks playfully,
he could not find it in his
heart to utter his accustomed curse
upon the memory of his own child,
whom he had driven from him years
ooo And nc ono thourbt lod fo