Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-01-18

} be forever SLOWLY tft Stui J. HtIb
about again amongst my friends-thelr
numbers diminished now as years went
/ on in the humdrum duties OF my place.
/ How little did | imagine. amidst all
my sober day-dreams, that Alice R.
would vet hold a chief place in my flu
I ture life. | was sitting one warm, wet
and long autumn evening, when our
messenger hurried to nay room door to
/ say that woman was waiting IN the
/ lower lobby 10 see me. / went down
/ Immediately, and there stood poor
Irish wench, crying bitterly, and asking
me to come with her directly to see
I her mistress, who was dying. At the
name of thai mistress / was almost
paralyzed beyond the power to think,
and then went out with such eager
( haste that the messenger came running
after me with my hat and stick.
( Through the muddy streets, with the
Irish girl clinging to my arm to keep
pace with me, / went. Through the
muddy streets and up creaking sGair,
to It poor lodging in the neighborhood
of Barbican. | stopped for moment
to still the heavy labor of my breath,
and then creeping softly into misera-
bly, furnished room saw the beautiful
woman whom | had loved, whom | still
loved with the strength Of an honest
man. She was sitting up in a great old
char. In q little bed under the VIM
dow was a child, looking with wild,
plaintiye cyes--a child so like her
mother that it needed no word to tell
me the relationship.
Only a year after Alice's marriage
the old city tradesman, her father, had
died and left his savings to her and
her husband, for he had wrought his
own way, and he little knew or cared
for such relations as he had known
when he was II penniless boy working
for bread and lodgings in a London
blkehouse. That money had been the
ruin of Richard, who, with few
pounds, had sailed for Australia-then
in the height OF the gold fever--whence
he was to send letter or better still
to come home within two years with a
second fortune No word had reached
her since, though that was three years
ago.
She died | have tried in vain to
discover her relations. When | called
the fourth day the hired nurse was
weeping, and the poor, faithful Irish
servant was dropping a wall over the
little girl ms she hid her face in the
honest creatures lap. What was to
do9 Those who might have claimed
the precious gift had not taken it. |
thought of how my own life might be
made more radiant by this child, the
child OF her who should have been my
wife, ana therefore mine by the love |
bore her mother. / held ont my hand
as she sprang up to greet me, and, with
IA few whispering words to the nurse,
led her away, her soft, chubby list,
clasping my finger.
For fifteen years or more her in
tuence--the Influence Of one / can love
as though she were my own chlld--ln.
deed has blest me- The old hall, yes,
oven the dark cloak room, SO gloomy mt
other times, became radiant within her,
quiot and gentle MS She was 0Ad her
voice made such music that the echoes
seemed 10 sing responses to her happy,
childish songs.
The quiet currents OF our lives have
run ON since, and here is my little
daughter grown into a woman, so like
he' mother sometimes in the turn of
her face and a certain glance of The eve,
that | begin to wonder that | have so
seldom noticed the resemblance
Did | say she used to sing very
swectlv about the old place? | had
taught her. for | had kuack with
i'll, lL. 4i,,4,. ,,,.l -r;,bp n,,.l l,,1 k.o,,
n tolerable musician in my time. One
day it wanted but week TO mid-sum-
mer--l was sitting in my own room,
making up my accounts for the next
board meeting, when I heard the fun,
mellow notes ON the stairs:
"The wind that blows,
The shin that goes,
Ana thc lass thst loves q sailor
Where did you learn that song,
Allie ~ said, laughing.
4 bright blush mautIcd to her fore
head
!" hcard-a-a gentleman sing it ut
Mrs, Powers the other evening.
&" 4 gentleman What, was there a
party there, child ! thought Mr..
Power was To he atone.
" Yes, but Mr.. Power brought a gen
tlemau with hmm.
"Old or young .
" Young
" What was his name
" / dou't know. / think it was Al
Ian. Oh, mo sang so we'll / wishyOu
had been there, aadda You know YOU
promised to fetch me home
d" lcs, hut Muu,ngor came for Won,
j H.