The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-03-30
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BY ELIzABETH STUART PHELPS.

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BY ELIZABETH STUART PHELPS.
| The solemn AndroscOggin bell wal
ringing the mill girls in by broad sun.
light one noon, when there came 8
knock at the door and behind it the
young lady of whom I heard. Del
was startled by the knock, and fright
ened by the young lady. 1t was not
often that visitors came to Brick alley
and it was still less often that Brick
alley had visitor that knocked.
% This was young lady for whom
Deb's mother did tine washing. Deb's
mother wiped her hands and placed a
chair, and the young lady sat down
She was a straight lady, with strong
feet, and long brown feathers in hel
|. hat, and soft brown gloves upon her
hands. She had come, she said, with
that Cluny set, she found she should
need for party that very night; in
deed, she was in so much haste for ii
that she had hunted Deb's mother
up-which was a matter of some diff
culty--as she never had the least idea
where she lived before, and how crook
ed the steps were! But the lace was
very elbow, as she saw, and would
she be sure TO have it done at Q O'Clock
tonight? and
And then turning her head sudden
ly,. the straight young lady saw poor
crooked Deb in her high chair, with
wonder in Der eyes. s o asaa6
=" 81 wonder if l frightened her" J"
thought Deb, but she only wondered,
and did not speak. senifs, r.s5 sss
els this your" z-z7-=-.z=7 =
- es," said Deb's mother, "the eld-
est. Fifteen. I'll try my best, ma'am /;
but | don't know as l. ought to prom-
ise."e She spoke in q business-like
tone, and turned Cluny lsce-a dainty
collar and pair of soft cuffs-about in
her hands in a business-like way. A
breath of some kind of scented wood
struck in a little gust against Deb's
face. She wondered how people
could weav e 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. McMa-
honey 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.
"Fifteen! J" repeated the young lady
standing up very straight, and look
ing very sorry. GLOW long has she
been-like-that ?"
"Born so," said Deb's mother "she's
just sat in that chair ever since she has
been big enough to sit at all. Would
you try gum on these Miss 2"
sBut you never told me you had q
crippled child !"
The young lady said this quickly.
"You have washed for me three
years, aud yeu never told me you had
crippled child!"
"You never asked me, Miss," said
Deb's mother. ~ s.
The young lady made no reply. She
came and sat down on the edge of
Deb's bed, close beside Deb's chair.
She seemed 10 have forgotten her
Cluny lace. She took Deb's hand up
between her two soft, brown gloves,
and her long brown feathers dropped
and touched Deb's cheek. Deb hardly
brcathed, the feathers, and the gloves,
and the sweet smells of scented wood,
and the young lady's sorry eyes-such
very sorry eyes !-were so close to
the high chair.
"Fifteen years !" repeated the young
lady, very slow, Gin that chair-that
nobody ever-poor little girl! Butyo
could ride" said she suddenly.
sI don't know ma'am," said Deb. "I
never saw anybody ride but the grocer
and the baker. amt like the grocer
and the baker,"
"You could be lifted, l mean." said
the young lady, eagerly. "There is
somebody who lifts you?"
"Mother sets me, generally" said
Deb. 3Once when mother was very
bad with lame ankle, Jim McMa.
honey set me. He's first floor, Jim
McMahoney."
81 shall be back here" said the
young lady, still speaking very quick.
| ly, but speaking to Deb's mother now
"In just an hour l shall come in an
! easy sleigh, with warm robes. If you
will have your daughter ready to take
a ride with me, l shall be very much
obliged to YOU"
The young lady had finished hel
sentence as if she did not know what
to say, and so said the truest thing sht
could think of, which is what we al,
all in danger of doing at times.
"Well, I'm surc!" said Deb's moth
er. "Dabitra tell the Lady"
But Dabitra could not tell the lady
for she was already out of the door
and stairs, and away into the street
And indeed, Deb could not have told
the lady-has never told the lady-cal
never tell the lady. g; Isai7
| If all Of the blue summer skies, AM