The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1876-12-21

peared to be no person, and then, sum-
moning all her determination, she
entered, lifted n loaf, and fed The
shopkeeper saw her from behind his
counter. He cried loudly, ran after her,
and pointed out to the people passing
by. The girl ran on. She was pursued,
and finally a man seized the loaf which
she carried. The object of her desire
taken away, she had no motive to pro-
coed, and was seized at once.
They conveyed her to the Office Of the
police a crowd, as usual, having gath
cred in attendance. The poor girl threw
around her despairing glances, which
seemed to seek some favoroble object
from whom to ask mercy. Atlast, when
she had been brought to the court of the
police office, and was in waiting for the
order to enter, she saw before her a little
girl of her own age, who appeared to
look or her with a glance full of kind
ness and compassion. Under the i'm
pulse of the moment, still thinking of
the condition of her family, she whis-
pered to the stranger the cause of the
act of theft,
"Father and mother, and my two
brothers, are dying for want OF bread"
said she.
"Where?" asked the strange girl, anx-
iousIy.
She had only time to give the address
and add the name of her parents to the
communication when she was carried in
before the commissary of police.
Meanwhile, the poor family at home
suffered all the miseries Of suspense.
Fears for their children's safety were
added to the other Affections of the
parents At length, they heard foot
steps ascending the stairs. An eager
cry of hope was uttered by all the four
unfortunates but, alas a stranger APP
peared in place of their own little one.
Yet the stranger seemed to them like an
angel, Her cheeks had beautiful
bloom, and long faxen hair fell in curIs
upon her shoulders. She brought to
them bread, and small basket Of other
provisions.
"Nour girl" she said, "will not come
back, perhaps, to-day; but keep up
your spirits See what she has sent
you"
After these encouraging words, the
young messenger of good put into the
hands of the father five francs, and then,
turning round to cast look Of pity and
satisfaction on the poor family, who
were dumb with emotion, she disap-
peared
The history of these five francs is the
most remarkable part of this affair. This
little benevolent fairy was, it is almost
unnecessary to say, the same plying
spectator who had been addressed by the
abstractor Of the loaf at the police office.
AS soon as she had heard what was said
there, she had gone away, resolved to
take some meat to the poor family. But
she remembered that her mamma was
from home that day, and WAS at a loss
how to procure money or food, until she
bethought herself of a resource of a
strange kind.
She rccolIected that q hairdresser, who
lived near her mothers house, and who
knew her family, bad often commended
her beautiful hair, and had told her to
come to him whenever she wished to
have it cut, and he would give her
louis for it. This used to make her
proud and pleased but she now thought
Of it in different way. In order to
procure money for the assistance of the
starving family, she went straight to the
hairdresser's, put him in mind of his
promise, and offered to let him cut off
her pretty locks for what he thought
them worth.
Naturally surprised by such an APP
plication, the hairdressor who was a kind
and intelligent man, made inquiry into
the cause Of his young friends visit.
Her secret was easily drawn from her,
and it caused the hairdresser almost to
shed tears of pleasure. He fcigned to
comply with the conditions proposed,
and gave the bargainer fifteen francs
promising to come and claim his pur-
chase 1T some future day.