Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-05-21
stIefteD Story.
A Romance Of the Street.

A group OF ragged girls We're playing on
the sidewalk of Baxter street. half block
ing the way with their boisterous antics
DR.. Henry Cotton, a young physician at
tached To a charitable institution in the
neighborhood found il almost impossible
10 push his way through the crowd of hoy
deps. Uncouth faces and rough words
greeted him, as with no very gentle hands
he made for himself a passage through
their midst. Oar OF the girls. bolder even
han her noisy companions, caught at his
coat, and pulled him half round. lie look
ed al the girl. whose temerity excited his
surprise. She was about twelve or thir-
teen years old. and as ragged and dirty as
any OF the lot; yet her beauty shone
through her dirt and rags. Her checks
were round and dimpleo her lips full aud
red. her eyes and hair black as midnight,
and her form apparently wonderfully per-
feet. DIR. Cotton passed on q few steps.
but the girls beauty excited his interest.
and he called her. Al first she was dis
posed to run away. but finally she went
up to him. taking care TO keep out OF arms
reach.
"w hat is your name, my gIrl'" ask cd
the young man.
Rose Garden" she replied.
"whers do you liye:"
with Nanny Ginger. down there in
the rag cellar-she's my aunt, she is
well, Rose" said he. as he started to
80, you are too pretty and bright-wit-
ted to live in this place and with these hard
people. Wouldn't you like to go to school,
and be lady when you grow up?
Roses idea of the lady was associated
with fine clothes, and so she replied aiiir.
matively, without the slightest hesitation.
Then I'll tell you what to do. Rose,
added Henry; "wash your face, comb your
hair, and-do you know were the Girls
Refuge is"
Yes, guess so.''
You 90 up there, ring the bell, and ask
for Mrs. Brown. Tell her that you want
to live there and learn to be . LADY," and
he went on about his business, leaving the
girl with her noisy companions.
But Rosa had no relish for romping
What the young man had said to her, kept
running in her head, and she soon went to
her squalid home to think it over and over
Rose received little but bad usage and
short rations from NANNY Ginger" who
only kept the girl for the work she could
squeeze out of her. Her present life was
SO miserable that no change could well
have been made for the worse and SO she
was inclined to follow the strangers ad.
vice. That night she dreamed of being
fine lady, dressed in silk and with plenty
to eat. and upon waking in the morning
she no longer hesitated.
After exciting Nanny Gingers" won
der by washing her face and combing her
hair as well as she could with her fingers,
Rosa slipped out and went to the Girls
Refuge, an institution for the care and ed
ucation Of orphan and pauper girls. Ring.
ing the bell, she inquired for Mrs. Brown,
as the stssuger had told her to do, and at
'Ase AcoSuCd lAS PiSSSuCC VI tuC mAtTOu VI
the institution.
''Well, little girl" said Mrs. Brown,
what do you wantr'
Il want to learn to be lady"
The odd reply, coupled with the girls
striking beauty, won the attention Of the
matron. and Rose soon found herself an
inmate Of the institution.
Eight years rolled by, bringing DIR.
Henry Cotton to the age Of thirty. Eight
eventful years to the country and TO him.
for they comprised the bloody year Of the
great rebellion. At the first breaking out
of the hostilities he entered the army ~
an assistant surgeon, and served through
out the entire struggle; at the close, like
thousands upon thousands of others, he
found himself completely unsettled in
habits and disposition. With few hund-
red dollars saved from his pay. he return
ed to New York, to find that his friends
had been scattered. Z Nobody knew him
and he had not relative 10 the world.
but hsve . profession" he said to
himself, perfected BY years Of praticl