The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-12-29

oehcf Hhu lOFe, peal Oh D6IlS Cl8SQeQ
out merily from neighboring steeple,
n greeting to the holiday incoming.
/" The dear old chime, fatherl" cried
Faith. CLARK let ia hear it out.
Please take me to the shop door, where
the wind will bring 1T near z"
He found a warm wrapping, and fold
ing h,r tight, led the way to the door
opening on the street.
hand, and shivered as the icy atmos-
phere broke on them.
Silently, silently, the feathered snow
was falling through the dim, deserted
street. Very fair and pure it is in its
myriad flakes, like flying down; but,
very chill and subtitle when it wraps
mantle round the PROSTATE human
form.
my God!" cried John Bright, sud
denly cit can't bel"
He let fall Faiths hand and darted
down the step. He swooped down into
the drifted snow, and brought up the
tiny, dark thing he saw lying there.
"Oh, father, father" cried Faith, in
tones strangely old with anguish "not
stray child tonight"
But it was q stray child, on this
Christmas eve, when other babes were
safely housed, and Nesting in warm
beds. A stray child, keeping her holi-
day upon the frozen breast of mother
earth.
They bore her in from the darkness
of the night, the bells still ringing out
their joyful peal they Graded her upon
soft pillows, and chafed her thin limbs,
Faith pouring tears into the cordiaIs
they forced between her teeth. The
chime had long ceased when the
stranger opened eyes like faded violets
once more upon the living world.
Are you warm, now, little girl 2"
Faiths voice asked, tenderly.
"And how came you to freeze on nv
steps Z" said John, speaking gruffly, to
hide the tremble in his own tones.
The little vagrant began to shiver and
shrink away as he spoke, while look of
piteous fear came over her.
ooh! please, sir" she faltered, "I
was a-lookin' at the shiny things, and it
was warm behind The box"
"Warm the blessed lamb! Hear
that, will you'll" shouted John Bright.
" You mustn't talk now, little chap, only
I'd like to know where your home folks
might be found. Mother an father, you
know, or brothers an sisters, an such"
I hain't got none," said the child,
turning over on her pillow, and gazing
with weak wonderment into the great
bed of glowing Goals.
=" Gran'ma, praps3" suggested John.
looking downcast cor pastors and
or somethin' like those in the
Eh, Faith 2"
Mary" said the little vagrant,
family nodding her head. "I don't
belong to nobody, please mister"
"But where do you live, my poor lit
tie girl?" came in Faiths matronly
torres, as she stood, sober and patient,
still chatting the tiny discolored feet be-
meath the covering.
"I lived down in Bill Tibb's cellar
last week, but Bill got Gagged by the
perlice, and we cleared out. Bill was
orful drunk, and fit an fit, but they
found the tickers he stole. I dasn't 90
back that way and I took to corners, an
sich."
The child's piping voice had become
thinner and weaker still during this
speech, and sank away to mere thread
as she finished.
John Bright stroveto resist it, but was
finally compelled to walk away to the
other end OF the room, and stand there
grunting and swallowing hard for some
while little Faiths clear eyes
were brimming over.
"Oh, father, father !" she sobbed
"think of having no home but that, and
nobody to care -
While she wept, the stranger child
was looking about with those wistful
eyes Of hers, and taking in the various
objects OF the scene with m effort. The
gaze came back and rested upon Faith.
81 saw you onst," she said.
"Where, little chap 2" asked John.
noting this with delight.
"She was sittin' in winder roun' the
corner, and she had shiny thing on her
head. and wings"
"It's Mr.. Barker's Christmas angel
she's thinking about" shouted John,
in an ecstasy. "The one you saw, my
pretty, all made of wax, you know. II
it amt natural fancy, I'll be dog'oned,
Faith; but who'd thought it 2"
He was arrested by the change coming
over the child's face, as if all her
strength were spent, and the frail tenn
pie were tottering to its fall. The trans
parent lids closed weerily upon the
sunken eyes. The wan lips met in q
thin, blue line, and the little hands re-
laxed.
"She is sleeping, father" whispered
Faith.
John felt the fluttering pulse of heart
and wrist, and his face grew grave.
cts something else, fear, my child.
Worse than that, my little Faith"
Midnight passed, and the snow with
out kept falling noiselessly. Indoors,
John and little Faith held their patient
vigil. She had refused to go to bed.
and all through the ebbing moments sat
tenderly ministering to tho little suf.
ferer.