New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-04-30

q thing of beauty planted deep in her go,
& thing which to see once again and d
= would be as peep of paradise to sor
deyout believer. Consequently, when beat
on this November afternoon, she listen,
with avidity to her friends descriptions
what vlands they would indulge in, we
they ever to find themselves -eveling in II
floating capital of whole shilling; and ye
wheA pressed for her decision as to the riv
merits of "sassingers and puddin'," ar
"~ot kidneys and jammy things she ehOC
her ragged head and answered stoically:
az would rayther go to the the-ayter."
Her COMPANIONS stared. Their minds di
not rise beyond their stomache, which wei
indeed sufficiently empty to be needful I
mental replenishlng, but Barbara's We
emptier still. How came che to care fl
merely external delights? She vouchsafe
no explanation of the mystery. When 20
have come to middle age unnecessary word
seem waste both Of time and trouble, an
at twelve years old Barbara was yer
Barbara! Where is that drafted ~,
gone to-"
1t was Mrs. Butts voice raised to scream
ing pitch from the doorstep of No. 3. Ba,
bara heard, but merely crouched closer t
the gutter. Perhaps che thought it lnerel
signiiied another beating, and reasoned wit
a certain small child of her own calibre.
'If go I'll be whipped, an if 1 stay II
be whipped; 80 l think IN stay an, b
chds argument BpsbaEa stsve p spSwa
whipped. Another call or two, then
clutch on the back of her neck, and show
er of blows, and Barbara was dragged sum
marily from the gutter and shaken frs
on to her feet, and then nearly of then
again.
You wicked, owdacious. imperent chit o.
a gurl.' cried the laundress, not perhap.
unjustly. 81 know you heard me (whackl
saw you sneak out of the way (whack
whachl, an p'raps that poor baby burnt OF
scalded to death with me scutterin' arte,
| you (whack, whack, whack,. Oh you link
o. mischief you"
''Let me alone, then. l wasn't dom no
HARM" retOrted Barbara, amid manifold
writings in the strong grasp. "Why don't
you give me suthin' tU eat, I'd come QUICK
| enough them
Il dare say! Like enough, Miss Imper-
enoe, an your fine schooiin' a-losln' me nv
days work. Get in this minnit, an give
the baby his grUle while I'm cieanin' up.
not sharp; SO look alive.'
Barbara obeyed. Might was decidedly
right where Mrs Butts was concerned: and
Might led the way to the small back room
which. with the addition of a cupboard un-
der the stairs, was parlor, kitchen, bed
room, and all, for the united family. There
Barbara found broken clothes basket.
from which she lifted heavy and unwhole.
some looking baby, turned the basket M.
side down. and seated herself upon it. pro
decided to still the rOars which issued from
the infant lungs by the aid Of thick, gray
porridge.
Will it be believed that she never once
put the spoon into her own mouth instead
of into that of the vOracious infant? And
yet the mess, indescribably nasty to us,
was appetizingly hot and savory to her.
And the baby was too young to tell
Human nature is strange. Barbara had
not shed tear during the beating, though
to be sure she could have avoided it by the
simple act of obedience. Long before the
Cruel was done che was in floods of tears,
sObbing passiOnately with sheer hunger:
and yet she could have avoided that by the
simple act of rObbing her unwhclesome
little brother. Oddly enough, the one idea
was as strange to her as the other Nav,
when the unwhOlesome baby. being salts
fed, looked up to see where the tears came
from which splashing on its nose, and said |
pitifully, poor Bar! Poor " in baby Ian |
guage, Barbara Rugged him closer to her |
skinny little body and showered kisses on |
|
phizing as cher own precious chicksey,r |
and informing him that his mother was ia
beast-that she was"
Soothed by this lullaby, the unwholesome
baby vent to sleep; and Mrs. Butts. find
ing him in that happy condition on her re-
turn from neighborly gossip, ordered him
INTO the clothes basket again, and dis.
patched Barbara to get her bonnet out of
pawn for the convenience of meeting
going" on the morrow. Mrs. Butts bonnet
vas very sacred article of dress. 1t al
ways spent the week days in retirement,
only on the Sabbath, and not
hen if Mr.. Butts had been more than usu.
lily active in his patronage of the neigh
boring public.
1t was dark by this time, and the pawn
'rOker's where the bonnet was at present
locating" was at some distance; vet Bar.
ara felt rather glad than otherwise at the |
respect of an outing. The fog, which had
cen dense all day, was turning into fast
rlzzllng rain; yet she put on neither hat |
or jacket. The former had suocumbed in |
schoo! light; the latter was serving as
illOw for the baby. Barbara made light
f either circumstance, and departed at q |
rot
Skeggs alley is not many miles from the
trand. The pawnbrOker's shop was mid
'ay between the two localities. Barbara
ad redeemed the bonnet, wrapped it in an
Id silk handkerchief of ample size pro- |
lded by Mrs. Butts for the purpose. and +
as turning hOmeward when handsome
10 stopped in front of her with jerk: a
'dy came out of shop opposite, sprang i
Chilly into 1t, and was whirliag away in o
loment, the wheels spattering Barbara
18th mud as they flashed past her. She {
ever felt it, With a strange sound, some !
ling between a shrek and q chuckle she
ACE one leap. rolled on the pavement, and !
len, picking herself up, began to move off ,
,bbling and whimpering. IL
In that instant Barbara had secreted in | {
,r rags purse dropped by the now van
he'd lady, and with the histronic talent of q
born artistic was bemoaning herself over 4
imaginary fall. r
To stink up the nearest by-street en- c
one herself in doorway, and inspect /
es; and Barbara felt almost appalled, by
9 loose heap of silver which, as the clasp t
we way, ratified unsteady into her lap.
10 was IN too great terror of interruption t
on to count it over. The first thought i,
that moment the only one-was snow a
a get tuck in" And as visions of de- d
,htful eating shops in the Strand crossed
r minds eye, she hastily replaced the d
rse and it's contents in her bosom, leav- 81
, out one shilling only, and with this in b
: mouth, tr0tted off in quest of some 3
ing to eat. There are, however, other f,
lights passing even eating.shops in the il
rand. r.
Barbara was not aware of them. M
She was gluing her nose against win Il
full of eatables, filled heart and soul @,
tn the one pronoun (which" when two
n jostled against each other and her. IL
Why, Tom!' oI
Simpson! Where are you off to-" Il
The theatre" b,
The deuce! So am I. Lyceum9" 2,
7 vceumV q