, 1874-06-14

l
body ached every night. Pink J. Ploddng flour
ished in q brick and plato-g'ass block, kept
score OF two OF aa1espeople and runners, and
drapod all tho fashionable world Their spring
and fall "openings" disturbed square miles Of
feminine hearts (and purses). and in any season
their counters wers throngod- Virginia thought
herself fortunate ut first to bo taken into Pink
p1odding's establishment. But We are migrate
full beings who tire of our blessings. She came
to the city lone creature with nothing to ad-
vance her except q letter to the Rector Of ST.
Pauls The Rector Of St. Pauls kindly recon.
mended her to Mr. PIodding, who wanted young
WOMAN behind his lace-counter just then, and
Mr. Flooding took her.
There she stood day after day, sometimes
great circles darkeniug around her eyes, spread
| ing fabrics, hunting unheard-of patterns, and
| going through violent gymnastics for hurried
! customers; who, perhaps, piled the counters
| with tang1es up to their cl,ing, and went away
leaving tho shop-girl nothing but trouble. She
was not quite pretty child; she had great
deal Of dark brown hair, and swi It dark eyes,
and baby hands; when she came to work Il the
| morning she was flushed and fresh, aB sleep and
| youth will make the heayiest-1adcn Of Us all
| but. as her day-sands slipped, so slipped her
| bloom, till night drove her,
HA9GARD AND oLD-FAcED,
| to her homeless boarding place. 70 bo suro,
! sho saw the world. It flowed constantly past
her, loved to hurry and re1 her, aad shook its
leisure, its ptenteous happiness and full purse,
forever in her face.
Virginia had no companions among her follow
clerks. They consisted II fluffy Young women
and corrcc.ly-gotton-u men. Girls who hung
varioeated hair round their skulls, and who told
you thing WAS "yur poorly" or "chawming," !"
Or "delaightful;" !" who, in short, aped all the
dawdling Of uppo.-tondom. Men OF that cut
and-dry appearance which life behind coun-
stood Miss Blum, the cashier, Whoae mouth shut
like oystor-shell, and snapped 30 when it was
forced to unclose, that you wouldn't pry at it
often. But she WAS not Of tho lower earth,
earthly. The girls disliked Virgins they con-
sidercd her an upstart; her reserved ways were
"airs;" and. altogether, she wasn't "their
styles" they snubbed her. The cut-and-dry men
were 80 occupied between the rushes Of bus
ness and mental attempts to stretch their sala-
ries around the year, that they forgot this
fatherless daughter in their midst.
oIr. Ploddlng was leathcry old follow, who
worked his human machines hard, and looked
well to their operations. Tho flesh and blood,
and soul part Of them, he had nothing to do
with.
Different WAS Mr.. Pink-that elegant beingl
He was a genkcman-merchant, whose father
had set him up in business and who did the fast
horse driving Of the establishment, leaVing it 10
old Flooding to do the fast-bargain driving. Mr.
Pink seldom entered tho store, but he delighted
in sending futter before him when he did enter.
He scattered compliments, and silly, patronizing
speecbes, right and loft. When Mr.. Pink saw
Virgiuix, he fixed his eyes on her and promised
to amuse himself with that little girl. But he
never got on with her at all. Respectful to-
ward h,m, she yet held herself 30 much above
him that all his boastod shots struck below her
feet. The serene ah0p-glrl
DECLINED FILTRATION
with that fascinating being.
She WAS SO lonely. Her boarding place Was 3
chill resort, where "boGrders u were boxed in
small rooms, fed srariogly and solemnly. and
told the price Of every article Of food whilo it
was between their teeth, by that severe widow,
Mrs. Stump, who surveyed her victims from tho
head Of the long table. Here, again, people wcro
negative to Virginia.
Not mnny recrcations were there for her. Sho
seldom saw play or heard music; a city wealth
OF resources rolled round her, and she stood
like Tantaus, unable to command them solne-
times she slipped into the free seats at ST. Paul's
and watched the pomp Of religion. Il the Rec
tor saw her after service, lie gave her pat
ronizing nod. There Was nothing for her, she
told herself asain and again. but to stand in
that store, pay her earnings to tho boarding.
house keeper, and keep the tread-mill going till
sle died.
often this unholpcd child grew desperate, and,
when she came home of nights, she threw her |
solf upon the floor, and bea: her tired, bursting
head against tho wall. It was foolishness. to be |
sure, but the fooishness Of hun1an being III
mental agony what drew ont the tenderest !
compassion from One who once sojourned on
the earth.
If had some one!" cried Virginia, "just |
somebody!
FnHNDw
It did not strike her to say lover. Lovers she !
might hare found among the youths who fra-
quented Mrs. Stump's, and looked upon FiE-
ginia with some favor. But IN none OF these
could she find her FRIEND Many young girls
have passed through such experience in big,
lonely city, and have taken the husks which
chance threw them, or. worst Of all, have been
eoadcd by naddening heartache down the dark
road OF ruin. She sometimes pushed up her
sleeves, and looked at the pink, soft arms they
held: Sho was 50 young to be al forsaken and
whv she had been created at all j! The gift Of
life comes to SO many Of us wrong aide out. We
pull it this way aud that; but We shall find tho
design, the beauty, and the glory OF it, II we'ro
IN love; some IN splendid work; and q happy
lew in heroic deods reserved to them, which VIII
scbo down the centuries
Never mind, Dearie-down-in- the-rnud! Just
3ul1 away. You're sure to come out dry and nigh, |
f you keep good heart and stiff lip.
Ono night, as Virginia leaned againss the win
low, looking ut the heavy eky, sho heard violin.
The sound was talnt but, as she hstoned, It
rev till it filled all her sense OF hearing. It
alked to her like an angel. Her heart sweled.
Size leaned toward the darkness from which it
after 1t. Its sweotuess its
,sthos, its compass cannot be described. She
ook no thought OF the hand upon it. She
LOVED THAT VIOLIN.
Through hours she listened, leaning over the
sinlow-sil feeling the citys breath III her: face,
nut the breath OF Heaven in her heart. She
hought about it al next daY, and waited impa-
iently for it nett evening. Night by night it
alked to her, becoming part Of her existence.
t it neglected her, she restless and fretted.
When it did it's best she paid it distant tribute
" c1apping her hands and whispering in ectasy,
Oh, you darling old fiddle! do 1ovo you !
'ouve got soul I wish it was person !" {
llo aftcn added I" wish it could be 4 friend to
10. The man at tho bow s some orchcstra-man, |
t course; like those fat fellows who 90 into t
eer-sAloons. But lore his fiddle SO !" |
Suddenly the music stopped. She listened
light after night. but all tho hours we're silent.
- Just like everything I take to loyjng!" cried g
irginia, passionatey. "Why couldn't that t
'oman's supply Of Goldfish have been cut OF in i
lead can live without Goldfish, but what Q
hall do without my music-soul?" 9
II think / shall die!" walled Yirginia, in d
oman's intense undcrtone, as she dragged s
trough the dusk ono evening. IT k1oso shall =
ie il somebody don't comfort me pretty soon {