Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1874-04-06
A Romance Of the Street

to push his way through the crowd OF
hoydens. Uncouth faces and rough
words greeted him, as with no very gen.
tie hands he made for himself a passage
through their midst One of the girls,
bolder than her companions, caught at
his coat and pulled him half round. He
looked at the girl, whose temerity excit-
ed his surprise. She was about twelve
or thirteen years old, and as ragged and
dirty as any of the lot; yet her beauty
shone through her dirt and rags. Her
cheeks were round and dimpled, her lips
full and red, her eyes and hair black as
midnight, and form apparently perfect.
DR.. Cotton passed ON few steps, but
the girls great beauty excited his inter-
est and he called her. At first she was
disposed to run away, but at last she
went up to HIM, taking care to keep out
of arms reach.
What is your name, my girl % ask
ed 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.
"Well, Rosa said he, as he started
to 60, 'you are too pretty and bright
witted to live in this place, and with
these people. Would you not like to go
to school and be lady when you grow
up ?"
Rosa's idea of lady was associated
with fine clothes. and so she replied af-
frmatively without any hesitation.
Then I'll tell you what to do, Rosa,
said Henry ''wash your face and comb
your hair, and-do you know where the
girls refuge is %
''Yes, guess so.
.'You 60 up there, ring the bell, and
ask for Mrs. Brown. Tell her that you
want to live there and learn to be la
dy," 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 her
kept running in her head, and she soon
went to her squalid home, thinking it
over and over.
Rosa 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 SC
she was inclined to follow the stranger
advice. That night she dreamed of be.
ing fine lady, dressed in silk, and up,
on waking in the morning she no longer
hesitated.
After exciting NANNY Ginger's won
der by washing her face and combine
her hair as well as she could with hel
fingers, Rosa slipped out and went tt
the girls refuge, an institution for ths
care and education of orphan and pau
per girls. Ringing the bell, she inquir
ed for Mrs. Brown, as the stranger hat
told her to do. and at last reached tn,
presence of the matron of the institution
well, little GIRL said Mrs. Brown
"what do you want. %
+ Il want to learn to be a lady"
< The odd reply together with the girl
striking beauty, won the attention of tn
2 matron, and Rosa soon found herself
regular inmate of the institution.
= = = 8
Eight years rolled by, bringing D,
Henry Cotton to the age of thirty. Eigh
= eventful years to the country and to hir
! for they comprised the bloody years c
the rebellion.
4 At the first breaking out of hostilitie
y he entered the army as an assistant SUI
geon, and served through the entir
struggle. At its close, like thousands c
] others, he found himself completely III
f settled in habits and disposition. Wit
4 n faw b,,ndrod dollare cayod from, h;
s pay, he returned to New York to fin
= that his friends had been scattered. NJ
body knew him, and he had not rels
! tive In the world.
" s.But l have profession, said he /
st himself, perfected by years of practic;
e army experience | will establish m,
self in practice, and prosperity will brin
;, friends around me again
If Naturally buoyant and hopeful in di
i position, he prepared to recommence Ii
is with good spirits and bright anticip
L tions for the future. He hired a respec
able, but moderate office, on semi-fasl
# ionable uptown street, furnished it plail
d ly, and displayed a sign denoting h
e calling.-Days passed, and no patronas
1T came. He saw his dollars going gu
'0 and none coming in.
Il must economize, = he concluded
81 will give up my boarding place
begin with.
After this the lounge in his Office W
his bed, and the cheap restaurant got b
patronage. Still these measures on
10 checked the drain upon his store. T.
a few professional calls that he had we
IN mainly from those too poor or too d