Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-11-14
TOpsy Tumble,

aley ali her days, living with old
Mother Hart ever since she was large
enough to gather chiLs around the ship
yard. The boys called her Topsy Tum-
BILE, and nobody knew anything about
her parents or relatives. Her hair was
long and matted her face tanned to a
brown her nose always bore a STAN of
dirt, and she had stone bruises on her
feet, and chappsd hands, and sore
heels, just like the ragged boys with
whom she played. The society" of
the alley rather cut Topsy Tumble, but
she was independent, and she made
faces at society" from the top of coal
sheds, and allowed herself to be har-
messed up beside Bob White when the
boys wanted blooded team to draw
creaking cart down around the railroad
crossing.
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 iackknife for small dog, which
he had picked up Oh Atwater street. It
was strange thing, her illness. For
eleven years she had rolled in the dirt,
waded, through the snow and FLASHED
around in the mud, and nobody had
ever heard her complain of anything
more than a stubbed toe. Bob couldn't
make it out. He and Bill Davis and
Sam Sharp and Chip Larking sat in the
shade of truck wagon going to decay
and talked it over. 1t would be rough
on Mother Hart to have sickness and
bear doctors bill, and they wondered
if TopsY would get well in time 10 go
with them the next week.
The doctor said it was o 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 looking at
her flushed face and listening to her
mutterings, Bob White called the bows
together on top of a coal shed, and
there was lump in his throat as he
whispered:
"Boys, Topsy's a-goin' to die y
The boys looked around over the
sheds and made no reply, and by-and-
bye they slid down one by one and went
home. There was no more dog fight
ing IN the alley no pounding of fire
alarms on the old steamboat boiler and
then rushing the masheen" UP to the
corner. Columbus Jones brought his
rooster down and wanted to bet kite
that 1t could clean out any chicken in
John Brown alley, but the boys had DC
enthusiasm.
Topsy grew worse. The doctor called
twice q day, but his medicines didn't
touch the case, and he told Mother
Hart that Totsy 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
could not remember when she had
thought of death.
The neighbors came in, and they tip
toed across the room and kept theil
babies still that the dying girl might
heal no harsh sound. Bob White anc
his chums hung around the door awhile
and finally gathered courage to pull of
their hats and enter the house. Mother
Hart motioned for them to take seats
on the bench at the foot of the bed, ant
she whispered in weak voice
Bob, I'm afraid we're going to los,
Topsy I"
Bob wiped his eyes and his chill
quivered, and some of the boys brok
, clear down and wept.
Topsy was unconscious. The boy
wondered at the pallor of her face anC
! the Wilderness of her hands, and the,
; saw that her matted hair had been Gu
, short. The women shed tears. Mothe
Hart kept wiping her eyes on her apron
and the boys wondered if sitting Their
wasn't something like going to meet
ing.
"She was good girl, Topsy was,
a whispered one of the women.
= "And SO willing tohelp her mother,
said another.
"And she stood up for John Brow
alleyl" added Bob White, sob in hi
throat.
Darkness settled down and they a
most lost sight of the white face. N
4 one moved. Some of the babies fel
asleep, and the mothers trotted ther
. softly, and the boys almost .dozed q
Q they sat crooked up on the bench
: The shadows of night grew deeper, an
d the rattle of truck going home sound
e ed painfully loud and harsh. Mothe
Hart moved softly over and lighte
> the little old lamp, and as she held
o up the woman said "Poor dear
d and Bob White leaned over on Chi
v Larkins' shoulder and sobbed aloud.
d Topsy Tumble was dead
n The little soul, never washed
mothers tears-never made better by
= word about Heaven-never drinking
" tie knowledge that only the body die
If had crossed the dark valley alon,
l. having only the tears and heartaches
|. the jewellers in John Brown alley 1
~ plead it's case with the angels. Detro
d Press.