The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1874-07-16
A ROMANCE OF THE STREET.

|
hood, found it almost impossible t
push his way through the crowd o
hoydens. Uncouth faces aud rougl
words greeted him, as with no yer,
gentle hands he made for himself
passage through their midst. On
of the girls, bolder even than he
noisy companions, caught at his Goa
and pulled him half round. HI
looked at the girl, whose temerit,
excited his surprise. She was abou
twelve or thirteen years old, and a
ragged and dirty as any of the LIT
yet her beauty shone through he
dirt and rags.
Her cheeks were round and dimp
led, her lips full and red, her eye
and hair black as midnight, and he
form apparently wonderfully perfect
DR.. Cotton passed on few steps
but the girls beauty excited hi
interest, and he called her. At frs
she was disposed to run away, bu
finally she went up to him, taking
care to keep just out Of arm''
reach.
What is your name, my girl ?
asked the young man.
Rosa Carden,' she replied.
where do you live?'
with Nanny Ginger, down there
in the rag.cellar-she's my aunt
she is.'
well, Rosa,' he said as he started
to 60, you are too pretty and bright
witted to live in this place and with
these hard people. Wouldn't yol
like to go to school and be LADY
when you grow up?'
Rosa's ideas of lady were as
sociated with clothes, and she replied
afirmatively without the slightes
hesitation.
Then I'll tell you what to do
Rosa added Henry; wash your
face, comb your hair, and-do yor
know where the Girls Refuge is?'
yes, guess So.
you 60 down there ring the bell
and ask for Mrs. Brown. Tell hel
that you want to live there and learr
to be a lady;' and he went on abou
his business, leaving the girl with
her noisy companions.
But Rosa had no relish for romp
ing. What the young man had said
to her kept running in her head, and
she soon went to her squalid home
to think it over.
Rosa received little but hard usage
and short rations from NANNY Gin
ger,' who only kept the girl for the
work she could squeeze out Of her.
Her present life was 80 miserable
that no change could we'll have beer
made for the worse, and 80 she In
clined to follow the strangers ad
vice. That night she dreamed o
being fine lady, dressed in silk, ant
with plenty to eat, and upon waking
in the morning she no longer hesita
ted.
After exciting NANNY Ginger's
wonder by washing her face ant
com bing her hair as well as she could
with her fingers, Rosa slipped ou
and went to the Girls Refuge, al
institution for the care and education
of orphan and pauper girls. Ring
ing the bell, she inquired for Mrs
Brown, as the stranger had told hel
to do, and at last reached the pre-
sence of the matron of the institu
ton.
well, little girl said Mrs. Brown
what do you want?'
Il want to be lady,
The odd reply, coupled with th'
girls striking beauty, won the atten
tion Of the matron, and Rosa sool
found herself an inmate OF the insti
tuition.
Eight years rolled by, bringing DR.
Henry Cotton to the age of thirty
Eight eventful years to the country
and to him, for they comprised th'
bloody years of the great war. A
the first breaking out of the grea
hostililies he entered the army as al
assistant surgeon and served through
out the entire struggle. At the close
like thousands upon thousands o
others he found himself completed.
unsettled in his habits and disposi
ton. With a few hundred dollar
saved from his pay he returned t
New York to find that his friend
had been scattered. Nobody knew
him and he had not relative in tn
world.
But have profession ne sai'
to himself, perfected by years Q
practical army experience; l viii
establish myself, and prosperity vii
bring friends around me again.
Naturally buoyant and hopeful, b
prepared to recommence life, wit
good spirits and bright anticipation
| for the future. He hired respects
BILE but modest office on semi-fast
| Ionable uptown street, furnished
| plainly, and displayed sign denot
ing his calling. Days passed and n
D atronage. He saw his dollars goin
out nth none coming in.
Il must eoonomiGe, he concluded
Il will give up my boarding place t
begin with
After this the lounge in his offic
was his bed, and the cheap restaurar
| got his patronage. Still these mea
1res only checked the drains upo
his stores. The few professions
calls that he had were mainly froI
those too poor or too dishonest
paw, and his income did not one-ha
meet his closely curtailed expense
He grew down.hearted and discou
aged. Month after month passet
and at last his money was all gon,
What should he do ? The idea {
giving up his profession was di
tasteful, and he clung to home unit
actual want came in the shape of vi
appeased hunger. Then one by CT
he pawned his fine surgical instr
ments, getting but small fractio
of their real value. Articles
clothing followed until he found hin
self utterly unprovided to meet tt
cold weather that was coming on.
e Finally, convinced that he mu
abondon his profession, he studie
the want columns of the newspa
pers, and spent two entire days
trying in vain to get employment
The last of these two days he a
nothing, and previous short allo,
ance had enfeabled him. Whs
night came he staggered to his Off