New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-12-12
DEB.
BY ELIZABETEH STUART PHELPS.

| ELALabEISh SkL Ahl fhELRs,
The solemn Androscoggin bell was ring
ing the mill girls in by broad sunlight on
noon, when there came knock at the door
and behind it the young lady of whom
heard. Deb was startled by the knock, an,
frightened by the young lady. 1t was no
often that visitors came to Brick Alley, an,
it was still less often that Brick Alley hat
a visitor that knocked.
This was young lady for whom Deb
mother did fine washing. Deb's mother
wiped her hands and placed chair. and IL,
young lady sat down. She was a straigh
lady, with strong feet, and long brown
feathers in her hat, and soft brown glove.
upon her hand. She had come, she said
with that Cluny set, which she found sht
should need for party this very night in
deed she was il 80 much haste for it tha
she had hunted Deb's mother up-whict
was a matter of some ditficulty-as she
never had the least idea where she lived
before, and how crooked the stairs were
But the lace was very yellow, as che saw, and
would she be sure to have it done by nine
O'Clock tonight and
| And then, turning her head suddenly, the
| straight young lady saw poor, crooked
| Deb in her high chair with wonder in her
| eyes.
II wonder if frightened her," though,
Deb. But she only wondered and did not
| speak.
EYES," said Debs mother, 1.-The eldest
Fifteen. Ill try my best, ma'am; but
don't know as l ought to promise She
spoke in business-like tone, and turned
the Cluny lace-a dainty collar and pair
of soft cutfs-about in her hands in bust.
| ness-like way. A breath of some kind of
scented wood struck in little gust against
Deb's face. She wondered how people
| could weave sweet smells into piece of
lace, and if the young lady knew; or if she
knew how much pleasanter it was than the
onions that Mrs. McMahoney cooked for
dinner every day in the week but Sunday
upon the first floor. But it gave her quite
enough to do to wonder without speaking.
standing up very straight, and looking very
sorry, "HOw long has she been-like-
thatl'
Born 30, said Debs mother; she's lest
set in that chair ever since she has been big
enough to sit at all, Would you try gum
on these, miss"
"But you never told me you had Grip
pied child I"
The young lady said this quickly.
you have washed for me three years and
you never told me you had crippled
child"
"You neverlasked me, Miss said Deb's
mother.
The young lady made no reply. She came
and sat down on the edge OF Deb's bed,
close beside Debs chair. She seemed to
have forgotten her Cluny lace. She took
Debs hand up between her two soft, brown
gloves, and her long brown feathers dropped
and touched Deb's cheek. Deb hardly
breathed, the feathers and the gloves, and
the sweet smells of scented wood, and the
young lady's sorry eyeslsueh very sorry
eyes.-were so close to the high chair.
Fifteen years r repeated the young
lady, very low, sin that chair-that nobody
ever-poor little girl But you could ride"
said she suddenly.
II don't know, ma'am," said Deb, 81
never saw anybody ride but the grocer and
the baker. amt like the grocer and the
baker. 1 amt like the grocer and the
baker,"
you could be lifted, ! mean," said the
young lady eagerly. There is somebody
who lifts your
mother sets me generally" said Deb.
"Once, when she was very bad with lame
ankle, Jim McMahoney set me. He's frat
toor-Jim McMahoney."
II shall be back here,' said the young
lady, still speaking very quickly, but speak
l shall come in an easy Sleigh with warm
robes. If you will have your daughter
ready to take ride with me l shall be very
much obliged to you"
The young lady finished her sentence az
if she did not know what to say, and so
said the truest thing she could think of.
which is what we are all in danger Of doing
at times.
"Well, I'm sure!' said Deb's mother.
"Dabitra, tell the lady"
But Dabitra could not tell the lady, for
she was already out of the door, and down
stars, and away into the street. And, in
deed, Deb could not have told the lady
has never told the lady-can never tell the
lady.
If all of the blue summer skies, and the
gold of summer sunlight, and the shine of
summer stars fell down into your hands at
once, for you to paint scrap. books with,
should you know what to sayl
Into the poor little scrap-book of Deb's
life the colors of Heaven dropped and
blinded her on that bewildering, beautiful,
blessed ride.
In just an hour the sleigh was there, with
the easiest cushions, and the warmest robes
straight young lady. And Jim McMahoney
was there, and he carried her down stairs
to .'set" her. And her mother was there
and wrapped her all up in an old red shawl
for Deb had no "things" like other little
girls. The young lady had remembered
that, and she had brought the prettiest
little white hood that Deb had ever seen,
lily bud between the shining wool, but Deb
could not see that; and Mrs. McMahoney
was there, pairing onions at the door, to
wish her good luck; and all the little Nc
Mahoneys were there, and all the children
who did wonder, and the grocer turned in at
the alley. corner, and the baker stopped as
he turned out, and everybody stood and
smiled to see her start. The white horse
paved the snow, and held up his head
Deb had never seen such h0rse-and the
young lady had gathered the reins into her
brown gloves and the sleigh bells cried for
joy how they cried! and away they went,
and Deb was out of the alley in q minute,
and the people in the alley hurrahed, and
hurrahed to see her 20.
That bewildering, beautiful, blessed ride!
HOW warm the little white hood was! How
the cushions sank beneath her, and the fur
robes opened like feathers to the touch of
her poor thin hands! How the bells sang
to her and the enOwdrifts blinked at her
and the icicles and the slated roofs, and
sky, and the peoples faces smiled at her,
whats the matteri" asked. the Young
lady; for Deb drew the great VOLTS robe
over her face and head, sat so for Q minute.
still and hidden. The young lady thought
she was frightened
but | only want to cry little" said
little first
When she had cried little she held nm
her head, and the shine of her pretty white
hood grew faint beside the shine of her eyes
and her cheeks. The bewilderinR, beauti.
full, pleased ride!
Streets, and . crowd, and church spirea
were In 1t-yes, and Q wedding and a fu-