The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-12-25
A Romance of the Street.

a Romance of the Street.
A group Of ragged girls were playing
on the sidewalk of Baxter street, half
blocking the way with their boisterous
antics. DIR. Henry Cotton, a young ply
sician attached TO q charitable institu-
tion in the neighborhOod, found IL al
most impossible to push his way through
the crowd of hOydens. Uncouth faces
and rough words greeted him, as with
no very gentle hands he made for him
self a passage through their midst. One
of the girls, bOlder even than her noisy
companions, caught ut his coat and
pulled him half around. He looked at
the girl, whose temerity excited his sur
prise. She was about twelve OF thirteen
years old, and as ragged and dirty as any
one Of the lot; yet her beauty shOne
through the dirt aud rags. Her cheeks
were round and dimpled, her lips full
and red, her eyes aud hair as black as
midnight, and her form apparently per-
feet. DR.. Cotton passed on few steps,
but the girls beauty excited his inter
est, and he called her. At first she was
disposed to run away, but finally she
went up to him, taking care to keep
just out OF arms reach.
"What is your name, my girl?" asked
the young man.
"Rosa Garden" she replied.
"Where do you live ?"
"With Nanny Ginger, down there
in the rag cellar; she's my aunt-she
is.n
"Well, Rosa" said he, as he started to
go, "you are too pretty and bright witted
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?"
Rosa's idea of the lady was associated
with fine clothes, and so she replied af-
firmatively, without the slightest hesi-
tation.
"Tben I'll tell you what to do, Rosa, u
added Henry; ''wash your face, CONT
your hair, and-do you know where the
Girls Refuge is ?''
eyes, 1 guess So"
"You 60 up there, ring the bell and
ask for Mrs. Brown. Tell her you want
to live there and learn to be a lady;i
and he went on about his business
leaving the girl with her noisy compan.
ions.
But Rosa had no relish for romping
What the young man had said to hel
kept running in her head, and she soor
went to her squabbling home thinking
it over and over.
Rosa received little but bad usage ant
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 advice. That night she
dreamed of being a fine lady, dressed in
silk, and with plenty to eat; and upon
waking in the morning she no longer
hesitated.
After exciting Nanny Ginger's won.
der by washing her face and cOmbinp
her hair as well as she could with hel
fingers, Rosa slipped out and went tC
the Girls Refuge, an institution for the
care and education of orphan and pau.
per girls. Ringing the bell, she in.
quired for Mrs. Brown, as the stranger
had told her to do, and at last reached
the presence OF the matron of the insti.
tuition.
"Well, little girl" said Mrs. Brown
Hwhat do you want Ti
II want to learn to be q lady.n
The odd reply, covered with the strik-
ing beauty, won the cttention of the
matrOn, and Rosa soon found herself q
regular 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
years of the Rebellion. At the first
breaking out Of the hostilities he en-
tered the army as an assistant surgeon,
ana served throughout the entire strug-
gie- AT its close, like thousands of 9TH
ers, he found himself completely unset
tied IN habits and disposition. With a
lew hundred dollars saved from his paw,
he returned TO New York, TO find that
his friends had been scattered.
Nobody knew him, and he had not a
relative in the world
''But have profession" he said 10
himself, perfected by years of practical
army experience. / will establish nv
self, and prosperity will bring friends
around me again."
Naturally buoyant and hopeful, he
prepared to Tecommence life, with good
spirits and bright anticipatiols for the
future. He hired a respectable but
modest office, on q semi-fashioDable up
town street, furnished it plainly, and
displayed a sign denOting his calling.
Days passed and no patronage came.
lie saw his dollars going out, with none
coming in.
az Il must economize," he concluded;
I'm must give up my boarding, to begin
After that the lounge in his Office was
ms ped, and the cheap restaurant GOT
nnIvI nrI IJI,aohage; eI,noiig Still these measures
The few professional calls that 5a s'Ie; IaJ
haq, were mainly those too Door or foo
uIshphest 70 pay, and his income did NOT
ohe-halt meet his closely-curfaiIad a,-' .''
penses. he grew down-beartadi' i'eJ Ia .s;H
co1raged. Month after month es nassad S.d-
ana az last his money was ali zone
What should he do? The idea m o.i's
ing up his profession was distastef'I
and he clung to hope until actual Va,
came in the shape Of unappeased hnnSar
Then one by one his fine surgical insfr,,-
ments; getting but small fragment Of
their real value. Articles of clotbino
followed, until he found himself utterIS
uuprOvided to meet the cold weather
that was coming on.
Finally, convinced that he must aban-
don his profession, he studied the want
columns of the newspapers, and spent
two entire days in irving in vain 10 get