New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-12

have come to ask thee to let me save the
little one from being what her mother is"
She had ne pity on the wretched woman,
but it was because she was cold, not be-
cause she was cruel. "lf the Lord spares
her want to keep her lite pure" she said.
Janet Ayres stared at her in blank amaze.
"What!" che cried out. "Iha wants to
TAX tn child-that childf'
.Ay,"- said Phiilis, with sudden sharp
ening in her voice. "Wilt thou give me the
child, and keep the MANI
9TH monw cried the woman, with fierce
sneer. Il want neither tn mon nor child.
Tha may tax both"
NAY, but will not take them BOTH" an
swered PhilIis. shrill tone breaking from
take them both William Henders chose
between me and thee, and he chose thee,
and he may stick to thee. He is nOught to
me, but the child want. and if thee has
wOman's blood in thy body thou canst not
say me nay. Thee knows what thy own
life has been; does thee want that little
ones to be like it! Thee has fed her with
thy own strength-unless such as thee are
different from other women; dost thou want
to make her curse thee! Nay, but thou hast
even blacker soul than l fancied if thou
dost."
Then Janet Ayres laughed-a laugh even
scornful of the stainless, righteous, injured
woman who scorned and tainted her.
"Tha art good Christian, Phlllis Hen
ders," she said; faye, but tina art good
| Christian; religion and such loike were
bred i'thy bones and comes out i thy
| flesh I never knew q MethOdy yet as
| didn't show tn breed, an never saw a
| safe soul yet as would ma gil a lost one a
help down tn hill. Look here" her voice
shrilling and her face flushing scarlet, "Tm
| one of tn lost ones mysen but | never
| gave push to either lost or saved yet; an
80 help me God-f God has owt to do with
such loike as me-if I could hurt au'
| humble thee, even thee, with thy hard
| words an thy pride-if' could crush an
| humble thee before my face this minute,
| in raisin' my finger, 1 would ma raise it;
nay, would ma" And she dropped her
head upon her arms again, her excitement
| ending in a passionate burst of sobs and
| tears "Tak' tn child she cried, "tak'
her an keep her. Teach her what her
| mother is, an train her up to point her
finger at her. Aye. would be willin" fur
that, if that would save her-aye, an
thank tn God as has nowt to do with such
as me-" . .s,.-
Judge. Her pale face grew paler, and her
eye was not 80 steady as it had been. Some
fine instinct at work within her made her
shrink, for che falrered as she spoke.
s"He may have to do with such as thee if
thou would repent she said. There is
time for thee yet"
Repent y said Janet Ayres. Repent
thysen. Hast tina nOwt to repent on? Ne,
such a. thee never has; tha'rt on the mar
row path fro first to last; it wur made fur
such rs thee. DunnOo tell me to repent"
Phillis' hand trembled little. That
sense OF discomfort grew upon her strongly,
and it was this lost creatures words that
strng her.
II did not come here to contend with
thee" she said. Il came to plead for the
child"
"Will Henders' Child put in the woman,
with miserable effort at taunt.
"Will Henders' child" said Phillis, with
out change in her Voice. ''Will thee give
it up to me -
Janet Ayres lifted her face with strange
irony in her smile.
"Tha art ma askin' much" she said.
81 ask thee for human SOUL" answered
Pnillis.
"Aye," said Janet Ayres, "but such as
me dunnot know much about that theer.
Tha art askin' me fur all as I've gotten i
tn earth-thee as never had child o. thy
own"
Thou art mistaken" said Phillis," had
child who died"
"Tha !" exclaimed Janet.
But Phillis stopped her with gesture.
1T died." she said, land it belonged
poor little one Ito past that is all over.
But this child of thine is not so SAFE
''If that is true can trust thee BETTER
said the woman, mot but what believe
tha'd do rect by tn little 'un, hard as tina
art. It's thy way to do rect"
There was a pause for a moment, and
then she looked up.
II do not see what has sent thee here to
tempt me to-neet,' she said. II have often
thowt o this, but l niver thowt as I've
done to-neet. l niver thowt as l were
thi1kin' when tina came in. Aye jamie, lit
tie wench-Janie" with gush of tears.
"COme wi me, she said abruptly to Phillis,
rising and taking the lamp from the table.
Phillis followed her across the room to
the shaded corner where the childs cot
stood, and there they paused.
Look" said Janet Eyres. holding the
light over the pink, flushed baby face.
Phillis did not speak; the eyes that had
Knocked her so were closed, but it was not
easy to forget the pang they had given her.
IF gil her up. to thee" said Janet, Il
shall gu her up foriver. Her way will not
be my way either now mormon after-if
theer is an after. If gi her up to thee
shanna do It by halves, shall gT her up to
be led to heaven while drift down to hell.
Aye jamie! Janie!" dropping upon her knees.
''Jhou'lt be further away fro me th0n cen
than tina art now-but better one than two
better one than twO-better me than thee,
my lamb, for tina has ma a spot upon thee"
Her weeping shook even Phillis Denham.
though it was neither loud nor long. 1t did
not even awake the child though 1T seemed
as if the struggle tore her very soul. But
suddenly she got up, and, taking the little
one from it's pillow, kissed it once, twice,
and placed it in Phillis' arms.
TAX it away" she said breathlessly. 81
am ma of thy blood. l Gamma keep up long.
For Gods sake keep her out of my sight be-
fore a the strengths wrung out O me. l
gil her up, tell the-l gi'-her up foriver.
And stricken dumb by the sight of the
she could realize that her strange request
had indeed been granted, she found herself
out in the night holding the child in her
arms.
1t was not many days before the women
at the Mills were gossiping among them
selves concerning what they knew of the
story of Janet Ayres' child. Phillis Den,
ham had taken it to "fetch up" as they put
it, though how she had gained possession of
it was q mystery. The two women came
and went as usual, but there was no inter-
course between them; each going her sepa-
rate way when work was over, Janet TO her
desolate home, Phillis to her cottage and
the child, who was cared for in her absence
by a woman whom she had taken into her
house for the purpose. Since the night
Phillis carried the child away in her arms,
Janet had persistently avoided her. Evi.
IDENTIFY she had not meant to do the thing
by halves when she said she gave the child
up forever. As to the little one herself, she
had soon become accustomed to her new
surroundings, though the novelty disturbed
bar Of f;rsf With Phil1ia sha mada frienda
without touch OF badly efusiveness.
They were the best of friends, but moth
lSnn naaror Parhana Phillis, waU was mot