Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1874-06-06

head, while still another applies cold
: ! water to its feet, the rest vieing witt
each other who should get their fngel
down its throat the farthest to super
induce the much-desired stOmachiC
reaction, so indispensable to their Owl
well-b0ing after certain spiritual con
; | solatiOns."
''Poor little creature" exclaimed
The sister.
; Those children invariably survive,
: however, unhappily for the state OF
! society and themselves, If they ever
realize their condition on this earth.
r 1 was prepared to scatter such mob
when l entered the wretched tene-
ment, following my directions. j
knocked at the door, rather surprised
at the silence within. It was opened
. by young woman"
The Doctor stopped short here, and
y seemed to become lost in vision pre-
I sented to his minds eye.
"Was she white, and did she have
} a clean face?"
Every whitel very clean, very!'
"Was she dressed clean and neat?'
'ScrupulOusly So
'Was she pretty?'
'That common term Is not suited
to her at all. She had the most ex-
quisite face I ever saw. Her eyes,
without knowing their color, haunt
me with an angelic expression. can
not get rid of them. 1 can not ac-
count fot it. They seemed to appeal
to me for help, and yet there was
nothing in her manner to indicate
anything of the kind.
Miss Foster sat thinking, and
studying her brothers face, then she
asked:
'What about the child, was it hers?''
''Of course / did not think Of ask
ing her. She had done all that was
necessary; it had probably eaten
something indigestible, and it result
ed in a spasm. She said, in her fright,
she had hurriedly begged the first
person she saw. outside of her door to
run for a doctor, but regretted it be-
cause she had no money to pay me,
and she knew very well how to man
age in such an emergency"
Here the doctor, in a shameface6
sort of way, drew from his vest pocket
handkerchief-if the bit of lace and
fibres of linen may be named such,
ahd laid it on the table before his
sister.
That lady examined it aud pro-
nounced it real
"That has been stolen" she decid- |
ed, sit never cost less than fifty dol !
lars. Very likely it would have been |
disposed of if the initials had not |
been worked in"
''Where? let me see" exclaimed the |
doctor, in an excitement quite IN
usual.
IF. II"
He gazed at the letters a long while,
then he folded the little web of lace
into minute package and placed it
in a covered compartment of his
pocket-book.
"What are you going to do with it?"
his sister asked in profound astonish-
meat.
keep it until she comes for il"
Miss Foster went over to him, felt
his pulse, his brow, his hands, sat
down again with dark frown on her
face, saying:
eff your confidence in this strange
person is not a feverish fancy, there
must be something else the matter
with you. Did she say she would re-
deem it?"
''She did, and L really long to see
her sweet face again, as one longs for
touching melody or beautiful pic
ture."
'.How came such an exotic in a
filthy marsh?" tartly questioned Miss
Foster.
"That, shall leave for your woman
ly good sense to discover. You will
do me the favor to visit her to-mOr-
row, and aid in such a manner as the
case calls for. She is certainly not an
object of charity in the ordinary
sense-but-why multiply words? L
can place the matter in your keeping.
You can Judge and manage with del
icate tact. Ny kind would spoil in
bungling."
How well he knew the rather rigor-
GUS exterior of his old maid sister,
covered . heart, tender and warm,
mind above harboring little iealeusies
or blind condemnation.
The first though III her mind the
following morning was this strange
charge.
''Who knows how sadly this woman
needs q woman's sympathy and aid?"
she said to herself as she sat beside
her brother on their way to her.
He left her there, knowing she was
familiar with poverty and feared no
harm in her missions of mercy, this
not being her first trial by very many.
Passing through multitude of dir
ty faces, both old and young, agape
with curiosity, very likely hunger also
as bad whisky was cheape: than bad
bread, Miss Foster reached her desti-
nation.
She found everything as her broth
er described, clean, what there was;
only a few of the most necessary ar
ticles; three chairs, a table, bed and
a stove, not Filly's best either.
Seated at the table holding q child
of about eighteen months old, on
her lap, was the young woman in
question.
Putting the child from her she rose,
placed chair for her visitor, and in a
ladylike and dignified manner asked
her how she could be of service.
''That remains to be seen," pleas
antly replied Miss Foster.
II came at the request of my broth
er, Doctor Foster, who called here
last evening, to see if we could serve
you"
The young woman looked at Miss
Foster, and that lady returned the
gaze. An invisible power established
confidence between the two.
'God knows 1 need help some
way" replied the young woman. tax
ing the child on her lap again, ca
ressing its silken hair meanwhile.
care you alone?'
''Yes' Susie, and I are all that are
left; the others all died with the yell
low fever at Memphis a few weeks
ago. a kind soul who used to wash
and help about the house at home
brought us with her to st. Louis, un-
til the horror was over. This is her
room, a1d the people you see around
this place are her friends. I amaper-
feet stranger, not one dollar do we
own; grateful even for this shelter
until we can return and gather the
remnants my dead parents Left in the
confusion and distress. Grief for the
dead and care for this little one is all
that is left me in this wide world. YOU
can we'll imagine | thought of moth
ing but safety Tor ourselves, when il |
was to be obtained, and fight from
the horrors Twas helpless to mitigate.
OH shall l ever eveIS be able to for
get?" II - I
''You are only one of many, poor |
child, who must carry in their hearts !
the memory of this terrible time. III
you are friendless, the God who per
mitted your sorrow will also heal it, 4
and new friends VIII rise up to help /
tho worthy and nrotacE the OrDbau