Port Royal commercial and Beaufort County Republican. [volume] (Port Royal, S.C.) 1873-1874, 1874-01-08
From the ogdensburg u. Y.) Adyancc.
NELLIE.
BY LULIE CRoCKER.

One cold day in December, very nea,
Christmas, as I was walking along one
of the business streets of New York
rather fast, as I was in hurry to gel
out of the cold, heard voice just
behind me crying, " Morning paper
sir? Herald, sir? Please buy one"
I turned around, and what was my
surprise on beholding a little girl, il
tattered dress and shawl, holding 9
paper up to me. She could not have
been over eight years old. I asked hel
how much the paper was?
"Four cents, sir" she answered in q
sweet voice.
Chow is it you are out on so cold O
day, little one ?"
"Oh 1 have to, sir, or we would not
have breadp'
"Why don't papa get the bread p I
asked.
"Papa is dead" she said, tears fill
ing her eyes "he died in the war
before he died we were so happy" she
added, half to herself.
"Whcre do you live"
"I live at No. ) N street." was
her answer.
"Well, dear, here is some money; |
do not wish your paper. Did you say
you had mother?"
Eyes, sir; but she's sick, / think,
as she is all the time coughing; she
says it's OILY cold. 1 don't see why it
don't get well, then; my colds slways
do" she said.
"Well, dear, 1 am in hurry, and
can't stop now, but will try and come
your mamma"
"Oh, sir. if you only would, thank
you so much, the child cried.
I started on, and went to my busi,
ness. 1 was very busy all day, and by
night had almost forgotten the cir.
cumstance. 1t came to my mind again
when l was at home. 1t had grown
colder since morning, and l did not
like to go out again, but knowing it to
be my duty / went. Before going ]
stepped to the kitchen, and told the
story to Sarah, my faithful old servant,
(for was bachelor, and lived alone,
with but one servantl. She was all in,
terest, and gave me q basket of nice
bread, meat, ETC., and even said in
rather q doubtful tone she would &c
Wih me if l would like to have her
but 1 said, "No," for knew how hard
it was for her to go ont in the cold, for
she was not very young.
I reached the house where the little
girl lived after a while. 1t was o dread
full place the lowerpart being q liquol
shop, and above it there lived two
families; the owner of the place lived
back OF it. As | passed in, the bar
keeper shouted:
"What1l you have to drink, sir?"
Nothing" [ answered; i wish to
see the people who live in this house. y
(Which ones ?" he asked roughly,
for he did not like my not taking any
thing to drink.
"A little girl and her mother" be-
lieve.
ooh, Mrs. Detcmple, I suppose he
MEANS" said n boy standing smoking
nj the end of the room.
"Well, if that's who you mean, she
lives on the top floor" and he led me
to rickety pair of stairs.
When / reached the top floor (Which
1 did with a good deal of trouble)
Knocked at the only door 1 could see,
and some one said:
"Comc in."
I opened the door, but could see
nothing, because of the darkness.
"Who is it," said voice l recog-
nized as the one had heard in the
morning.
-, Mr.. Clinton"
Then, rs she failed to remember any
Mr.. Clinton, l said:
"The gentleman who promised to
come here to see you.
ooh, I am 50 glad; take the chair,
and | will light the candle"
l waited until she had lit it before
complying with her request to take a
chair, rs it would be rather incon-
vemient to find one in the dark F.; after |
was seated, and my little protegc was
seated on Il stool at my feet, looking up
in my face with as much confidence rs
# she had known me always, I glanced
around the room. 1t was ScrupulOusly
clean: the bare floor was scrubbed
clean and shining; the only window,
what panes were in, were polished as
bright as hands could polish them.
The only furniture was rough pine
table covered with a few broken but
clean dishes, the chair sat on, and the
stool the little girl occupied, and an old
worn bed. As [ glanced at the bed, |
was surprised to see some one was lying
asleep on it. / had thought myself
alone with the little one. but finding /
was not, L asked the child if that was
her mother?
eyes sir; poor mamma had to leave
her work and go to bed, she was SC
sick"
At that moment voice called feebly:
"Nellie, Nellie !"