The Republican journal., 1871-09-07
Camilla.

Camilla.
4 Paul Smith was Il poor old man. He
had a back room in the top OF a noisy
lodging house. where he slept nights, and
munchcd his meals of bread and cheese
| Cor Bologna sausage, when he could at
ford it. and from whence he crept, as
harmless and unnoticed rs a fly, down
the corner of the dingy street, to the little
music shop of Carl Bertmann, y German
settler somewhere in Soho.
| There he tinkered all day on broken
violns and other musical instruments,
never absenting himself for 4 moment,
save on Saturday afternoons, when he
went 10 teach the piano to three or four
very stupid girls Sundays he curled
up in his den, and amused himself,
nobody knew how, until Monday morn
| ing.
There are 4 few certainties; he never
went To church; hut he picked ragged
children from the pavement when they
fell near him, and gave them half pennies
when he had any; shared his dinner often
with Il NANCY, dirty cur. who acted as Il
sort Of escape-valve for the ill-tempcr of
half the men and women in the street;
and he reused Pat Ryan from his mid
night snooze in the gutter many cold
night, and literally carried him home to
Norah and the ''children.'
As for his honesty, = neighbor remark
ed, ''If he found five shillings in the
street, he'd wear ont ten shiliings' worth
of strength and oe.lcathcr to find the
owner
One cold night panl was returning from
his work, with loaf Of bread under one
arm and violin under the other, when
at the strcet-door he stumbled, and nearly
fell over small object crouched on the
step.
'Bless us. What's this ?" cried Paul,
striving TO regain his equilibrium.
''Only me. sir" and the small object
stood up, and became Il very pale, thin,
and ragged child.
Are You hurt, little girl ?''
NO, sir"
"Wha are you doing ont here in the
cold %
'Nothing."
why don't you go home ?''
Il amt got any,
"Dear me! Where's your mothcr?n
I'm heavcn."
/ At this Paul was tlumblounded; and,
seeing that great tears were Stealing
down the chid's wan lace, he thrust the
violin under the arm which had held the
bread. and putting the other around the
tiny figure, he said, ''Oh! Eve got Il home
a really Jolly place! Come up and
! see
And this is the way Old Paul came to
have Il 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 uncared
for, now walking daily to his work with
his hand upon the shoulder of the odd,
yet pretty-iaced girl, looking at her with
honest pride Frightening his eyes, and
laughing as loud as she whenever the
Joke came in. But old Paul looked un-
concerned, evlded the questions of the
curious, and learned to love nothing
better in this world than the little waif,
Camilla.
| There were many, many days, when
rheumatism drew Paul up by the fire in
the old, back attic, and drew the last
penny out Of the dilapidated old purse j;
| but brave little Camilla, never forgetting
how near death she had been on that bit
ter night of their meeting, always found
u word 10 ward off hunger, and courage
to keep them both bright until help came.
The winter of 1876 came in like n lion,
as many q poor wretch well remembers,
and with the first blast came Paul's
enemy He turned one night sad face
from his 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 flight of stairs, and hearing Camilla's
voice. he paused to rest and listen She
was singing i'll that sweet and expressive
manner which made her voice seem to
him the sweetest and purest he had evel
heard. At the end of the stanza she took
breath, and another voice said, "Child,
Won astonish me- Either | am pool
Judge of music, or else your voice is the
finest | ever heard. You are right in
preferring its cultivation to any thing
else"
An electric thrill shot through old Paul's
frame, and quickened his blood to i
rapidity that quite carried away his rheu
matte pains, and in a twinkling he was
up the stairs and in his little attic
He was terrified at the sound of Il mans
| NpiNts btil lilf SlSit ol IL ildittSotllt ant
polished gentleman, with diamond studs
in his snowy linen, heavy ring upon his
dainty white hand, unquestionable broad
cloth upon his back. in close conversation
with his Camilla, whose wondrous beauty
had of late startled even his dull percep
ton. was more than Paul could bear
He was 4 very small man-had been il
his youth-and now that Times wither
ing fingers had touched him, he was
shriveled and dried like withered fruit
but in his virtuous Indignation he putfet
out to his fullest extent, and in his falsett6
voice piped, Camilla, how dare you in
, vlte any one here ?"
''Oh. Uncle Paul! This is Mr.. Clavcr
ing, gentleman whose-whose-"
"Whose mother she saved from death
Your niece, sir, few days since. wa
passing through our crowded thorough
fare, when my mothers carriage drew VI
to the pavement The horses wer'
restive, and bidding the driver attend t.
J them, she began to descend unassisted
Her foot was on the step, when the ami
mails sprang forward and flung her VIC
lcntly from her foothold. But for the
sudden act of your niece. who receive,
, my mother in her strong young arms, thu
, fall might have proved fatal one. My
,, mother at once entered a shop, and keep
; ing your niece near her, sent for me
| came to-day, at my mothers earnest re
quest, to express our heartfelt gratitude
and to otfer-"
You needn't offer Camilla q penny
sir. She will never suffer while I've
pair of hands to work for her," said Paul
ssYOu mistake me- [ do not wish I,