Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-01-17

with II though, not bit. The chair Is very
comfortable, and Tot Is in state of the
most perfect rest never before has she
been 50 entirely free from hunger and cold.
Her wonder and awe ut the vast place, too,
decrease by degrees, till she is simply hap
py. My lord talks to her; what about she
knows not-educatlon, secular, denomna-
tional, mutual obligation, class Legislation
she never heard such words before. But
he wants no answer, only to talk, and per-
haps my lord has never before had 50 sat
isfactory an audience.
Soon all the place, except near the big
thing with the pipes, is full OF people, and
then Suddenly great sound fills the air!
Loud now, and again soft. Changing, and
changing and changing.
The big thing with the pipes is getting
farther and farther away, all the place Is
getting bigger, the circle of lights above Is
miles high, but Tot does not mind now; II
seems perfectly natural II is not quite so
light as it was, but she is very happy.
The great sound ceases Ms suddenly as IL
began, and my lord lays his hand on Tots
shoulder and says gravely:
"Not a word.now, Tot, an you love me-"
But there is no fear of her 81 eaking.
Suddenly again new sound comes
through the air, made up of all the sounds
there can he, Totlthinks.H Sad at first. il
swells and falls in'.notes deep and low;
bright sorn, il leaps from sound to sound
in notes sharp and clear. And every
change, every swell and every fall, notes
deep and low, sharp and clear, all join to-
gether in one great joyful noise that fills
Tots starved little body and soul with &C.
stasy. Oh that il would never stop. Tot
can hardly make out the lamps now, they
are miles and miles away; she can hardly
see the big.th ng with the pipes, and the
people have turned into a distant mist of
red and blue, and gold and silver. She
looks up at Iny:lord. He is close to her
SO close that if she could move her hand
she could touch him! She is very glad of
that. She does not want to know how il Is
he has come so near. 1t is quite proper
that the other people should be so far of, ii
does not pain her at all; but she is very
glad my lord is near, and that she can see
his face. The sound stops, and Tot feels a
great shock. Oh if it would go on again
She listens in agony for il to return; will
ii never come? At last she hears il; very
soft, verylow, and very regular, and she is
happy. Soon, aboveall she hears the voice
of some one singing. The sound is infin-
itely pure and sweet it brings great COM
fort to the starved little body and soul.
She cah hear the words plainly, and knows
what they mean. She can see the lamls
now; only a circle of light, far away, high
above her. The big thing with the pipes
is gone the mist of red and blue, and gold
and silver is gone, she can see nothing but
the circle of light above, and my lord sit
ting by her. And still the voice sings on,
and Tot is full of happiness. Hunger and
cold, blows and curses must come quickly
if they would come at all, the time for ac-
ton is short. Death, their unfailng anti
dote is near.
II my lord had seen Tots face then he
would have been frightened. But he was
listening, wrapt up in pleasure; forgetful
OF everything but "A mans voice singing,
and the words were:
"Comtolt ye, my people, saith your God,
speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and
cry unto her that her iniquity is forgiven
The voice OI him that cryelh in the wilder
ness, prepare in the way of the Lord, make
straight in the desert highway of our
God"
Then my lord sighs, turns his head, and
looks at Tot.
Tot il seated, white and motionless, in
the comfortable chair; her dirty little
hands folded in one another and her dirty
little head thrown back. A change has
come over the face there is no wonder, no
awe in il now, only a look, despite the dirt,
gentle reader, of infinite calm aud rest.
My lord is startled; he places his hand
learfully on her forehead, and suddenly
with shiyer draws il back.
God, how cold y he whispers, "she
must have tainted" Then in louder
tone, speaking that he may be heard hv
those around, he says, "is there doctor
here?'
Some catch the words and stare curious
y AT him, but grave man rises from his
seat and answers the call. He feels Tots
pulse, and puts his hand on her heart, and
shakes his head.
"Quite dead" he says, looking at her
shrunken face. "Effusion of blood on the
brain. imagine, caused by the want of the
necessaries of life" "A glance round the
mighty building bright with light and col
or; possibly accelerated by unusual ex-
element. Nothing to be done, nothing. II
You please, will give you my card"
My lord, without taking his eyes off Tots
face, receives it, and the grave man goes
back to his place; he is a passionate lover
of music.
For minute, my lord stands In doubt,
but the British pubics beginning to whis-
per and stare at him, it scents food for its
curiosity; so, with a smile, he takes Tot
gently IN his arms and carries her away.
AT the great door is policeman, who
seems unsettled in his mini as to whether
II Is not his duty to stop my lord aud ex-
anime his burden. But he is SO perfectly
calm that policeman persuades himself it
must be all right, and the way is left free
for Tots exit.
My lord, as maeralist, has, of course,
no belief in Immortality; aud he objects
strongly To the customs of burial prevalent
among so many nations. In his will in
deed (mcst carefully prepared) he has be-
queathed his body to the nation in order
that, etc., etc, science, etc.. human prog
ress, etc., on condition that all of the afnre-
said body not permanently required may
be burnt to ashes, etc."
But my lord forgets to do unto others as
he would Others should do unto him. lie
lindS out Tots mother-no very easy task
and then finds himself, to his own sur
prise, questioning her as to Tots baptism.
Tot, 1t seems, has been baptized, and pos
sesses, therefore, "A revisionary interest