The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1874-10-15
TopsY TUMBLE.

BY N Quad, In Detroit Free Press.
She wasn't bad sort of a girl for one
who had been brought up in an alley
all her days, living with cid mother
Hart ever since she was large enough
10 gather chips around the ship-Yard.
The boys called her Yopsy Tumble,
and nobody Knew anything about her
parents or relatives. Her hair was
long and matted her face tanned to q
brown; her nose always bore q stain
of dirt, and she had stOne-bruises on
her feet, and chapped hands and sore
heels, just like the ragged boys with
whom she played. The society" of
the alley rather cat Topsy Tumble,
but she was independent, and she
made faces at 'tsociety" from the top
OF coal shed, and allowed herself to
be harnessed up beside Bob White
when the boys wanted a blooded team
to draw creakiDg cart down around
the railroad crossing en fljlH
The alley was unusually quiet the
other week. Topsy Tumble was sick.
Mother Hart said so when Bob White
went to see if Topsy wanted to trade
her old jack-knife for q small dog
which he had picked mp on sAtwaEer
blLCCts II W do . BlEaDk6 t44uks ACE
illness. For eleven years she had roll
led in the dirt, Waded through the
snow and FLASHED around in the mud,
and nobody had ever heard her COM
plain of anything mere than q stubbed
Toe. Bob couldn't make it out. He
and Bill Davis and Sam Sharp and
Chip Larkins sat in the shade Of .
truck wagon going to decay and talk
nj - -
Mother Hart, to have sickness and
bear doctors bill, and they wonder
ed If Topsy would get well in time to
go out with them the next week.
The-doctor said it was bad fever,
and most OF the folks in John Brown
alley called in to say that they would
sit up nights and do anything they
could. TOpsy was out of her head
talking strange things, and after Took
ing at her flushed face and listening
TO her mutterings, Bob White called
the boys together on top of coal shed,
and there was q lump in his throat as
he whispered:
"Boys, Topsy's a-goin' to diei"
The boys looked around over the
sheds and made no reply, and by and
by they slid down one by one and
went home. There was no more dog
fighting in the alley-nO pounding of
fire alarms on the old steamboat boil
er and then rushing the smasheen" up
to the corner. Columbus Jones
brought his rooster down and wanted
TO bet kite that it could clean ont
any chicken in John Brown alley, but
the boys had no enthusiasm.
Topsy grew worse. The doctor
called twice day, but his medicines
didn't touch the case, and he told
Mother Hart that Topsy must die. The
old woman felt little weak, and her
eyes grew misty. 1t had been a score
of years since she had wept for grief.
and she could not remember when she
had thought of death.
The Heighbors came in aud they tip-
toed across the room, and kept their
babies still that the dying girl might
ear no harsh sound. Bub White and
his chums hung around the door
awhile, and finally gathered courage
to pull off their hats and enter the
room. Mother Hart motioned. for
them to take seats on the bench at the
foot of the bed, and she whispered in
weak voice:
Bob I'm afeared we're going to
lose Topsyp
Bob wiped his eyes and his chin
quivered, and some of the boys broke
clear down and wept.
Topsy was unconscious. The boys
wondered at the pallor of her face aud
the Whiteness of her hands, and they
saw that her matted hair had been cut
snort. The women shed tears. Moth
er Hart kept wiping her eyes on her
apron, and the boys wondered if sit
ting there wasn't something like go-
ing to meeting.
E'She was good girl, Topsy was"
whispered one Of the women.
"And so willing to help her moth
cr," said another. v
"And she stood up for John Brown
alley !" added Bob White, sob in his
throat.
Darkness settled into dawn and they
almost lost sight of the white face. No
one moved. Some of the babies fell
asleep, and the mothers trotted them
softly, and the boys almost dozed as
they sat crooked up on the bench. The
shadows of night grew deeper, and
the rattle ofa truck going home sound
ed painfully loud and harsh. Mother
Hart moved softly over and lit the
little old lamp, and as she held it up
the women said +: tsPoor dearslD and
Bob White leaned over on Chip Lark
in's shoulder and sobbed aloud.
. Topsy Tumble was deadI =
The little soul, never washed by'
mothers tears-never made better by
a word about Heaven-never drinking
in the knowledge that only the body
dies had crossed the dark valley
alone, having only the tears and heart
aches of the dwellers in John Brown
alley to plead its case with the angels.