The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-03-30

:. * h:$ azS&1E 80 80
The shop vas thronged With dirty
for Christmas Eve w,s -
important N occasion Is Saturday
light, and the l,dy With, the sloppy:
Igure, With whom Eugsnia had pre-
i 1iiouslyy conferred, had her hands full of
york as shsfoould well manage, ;.s she
'tood behind tbe. counter, weighing ont
bacon and cheese, and tying up parcels
# raisins aud sugar. 4w2ss11ii s..::a,47. IS
& Eueepie, who 1t another moment
would have shrupk from the rough
crowd around her, only thought how
lime was tebbing-how precioue to her
vas esehi remaining: moment 9ot her
,hild's life, and, boldly pushing her way
Eorvard' to the counter, Inquired if Mrs.
B.rratt's lodgsr happened. to be within.
Bot the vehement, and most unex-
pected exclamation by which her .ordi-
nary: words we're greeted, made her start
~, though she had been shot. ': =.
=. within? No, he. wasn't within,
nor had been for: weeks paset, Thank
Heaven, she had cleared her house Of
all such rubbish !: Her lodgcr, for.
sooth; fine lodger; dirty, sinking,
black creeter, Who never moved hand
ror footsto help himself, but expected
honest English folk 10 wait on him as
though be bad been \ lord, and then
walked off without leaving 90: much as
thaakye behind him, and four weeks
rent cwiug,.. besides ever 80 much as
they had provided him from the shop.
a. rare ,fine lodger" i Mrs, Barratt
hoped Gas she'd seen the last of sich
Fsad, perhaps, as the lady took SIGH AZ
suncommod5 interest in him, she'd have
} 'no objection to settle the bill as be'd
left behind him !; which would be. bu
reasonable. after the care the'd taken. O.
! him on her account."a -; ;,e..::..;1,1
|aa But"xShen1 Easenia hesit.ted to fal
81 .his denand-excusing herself fo'
being in l. great hurry, and having >lef
her purse It home-the volley of coarse
iabuse BY which she was isaluted made
her huiriedly quit the shop. ~
q ~ lady ! .cYon amt no ladyl
vouldn't call myself sich if L was you
Well, Pm but common folk, but
wouldn't demean myself by taking u
with = black brute like that Gre, An,
then ter.fase to pay his bills, md le.v'
est:peopls to be robbed ~holes,le.-
I'd be ashamed Of such behavior g'-
And, amid loud jeets, foul insinustton
;.nd many an oath, she ran into tn
treet,sgaia, thankful to find that sh'
vas: free of them.'" = -. T.lt Il:
But there, the fright and the :ex
citement over, she remembered only
that her child was dying-that she ha'
failed to God his father, and that sh
must hurry homeward if she would se
his last breath dawn. ..;
8 ,EaeeeFlyy-trembliegly-: -sahe took he
way back. again; blindly- stumbling u
against passing passengers ) her hear
beating meau9hile as though her lif
were, ebbing from her with each tbrob
uotil she re-entered the dark passage Q
the dull house which che now occupied
All was still as death !; there was n
light on the stairs, nor movement Of
the landing. She stopped, one mo
ment, and laid her hand on her breast
was it possible he could be alread
gone? A door opened above; yearning
E-impIoringly, = and yet, with tt
power Of volition gone, she gazed up u
the f figure which emerged thence-
the figure Of her landlady.f
'"Mrs. johnson {! tell me-tell m
quickly is it over rl'' ;.
"Over !? Bless your dear heart, no
nor will be, for many = long year i
Praise the, Lordls; The doctors here
MY dear !; he's been here for - goods
bit, with snother gentleman, and b
says % the dear ehildshas taken . d.
cided turn for the better, and in . fe'
dsys we'shsll see him On bis legs again.
| AT this; news, 50 glad and unexpec'
ed, strength andzsuergy seemed to re
tarn 10 tho mothers frame; and, witt
"a exclamation Of Joy, she bounded ul
the narrow staircase, and entered th
1dihpid.tedslook King sitting room.
sDoctm, Doctor r, With an earnest
ness that hardlypermitted her to dra'
her breath ''is II true l-is 1t leall
true Will ny darling ,iver" an
then the light seened TO .'l'9 dance befor
he,' eyes, Is another voice than d.
Grabam's spoke the reassuring words ::
"Caim yourself, dear Mrs. Archer
Claude is out Of danger; he will d
1,vsll s,5-., -" - 49,, i. e
The reaction from despair to hop