The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-09-14

| uiONcI WtuJ OH, iOst III duulifuJiOu OI
this brave little girl, and Lofty began to
look about her.
The noise of the streets, the hurrying,
j0stling throngs, the cries and clamor of
the news.venders and street merchants
disconnected her little. In all her life
she had never seen such bewilderingly
beautiful things as the shop windows
displayed. 1t was as good as a trip into
fairy-land, and thrill of genuine pleas
ure caused her for moment to forget
the responsibility of the errand she had
taken upon herself.
1t was long time before she found
the location she desired, and then, poor
child, she fingered about the door with
the sensitive fear of novice. She had
pictured to herself so terrible an object,
terrible mainly because of the dignity
and power with which she had invested
the skillful occulist, who could do, it
seemed to her, almost what he would do
with disease,-she had SO pictured him,
l say, that the thought of meeting such
greatness, embodied probably, in the
form of tall, princely parsonage, who
could scarcely deign to look upon her,
caused her little heart to throb almost
to suffccation. At last she summoned
sufficient courage to pull the door-bell
A handsome, metherly looking woman
opened the door, for the doctors servant,
who usually attended to it was busy
putting the doctors horses in harness.
81 don't think the doctor can see you
now, little girl" said the housekeeper,
looking somewhat disdainfully upon the
small figure and homely cape.bonnet, in
whose difguring shadow the soft brown
eyes were almost hidden from sight.
Lottie faltered then. What should she
do in the great, crowded city if her mis-
sion had been in vain?
80, please let me speak to him just a
moment! i came all the way from
Thornville, and l haven't anywhere to
Co."
She burst into tears. The sob and the
pathos of the child's tones penetrated into
the interior of the house.
"Wh0 is it, Mrs. SandersonT spoke
up singularly manly voice, as some one
crossed the hall. ;.-s
"Only little girl, sir. She's come
good distance, she says, but as it's after
hours thought -
"Never mind; let her come in. I'll
give ueI minute or TWO.
Another second and LOttie, her brain
all in whirl, found herself breathless
and trembling in bright-lOoking room,
standing in the presence of slender,
light-haired gentleman, whose smiling
eyes, like two benignant suns, seemed to
send light and cheer into her poor, cold,
| frightened little heart.
well, anything the matter with your
eyes, little woman? Come here and let
me see."
Lofty, too much frightened to speak,
went forward mechanically.
They don't look like it. Suppose you
take off your bonnet and let me examine
them more closely"
Lofty pulled off the dingy head
dress, disclosing one of the sweetest and
fairest faces that heaven ever lent to
earth.
at isn't my eyes, sir, it's mother's,"
she said, falteringly.
'"Oh! And who is motherT'
It's Mrs. Gaddis, sir, and we live in
Thornville."
"We doa But that's long distance
from here"
"Only few miles, sir. / walked in
since yesterday"
Walked :, = coming, John, in few
came to the door. "Did you say you
walkedT
eyes, sir. I felt so bad for mother,
because she can't sew any more, and
that's the way she earns our living For
Betty is lame in the hip, and can't go
out to service, and mother, now she
can't see very we'll, cries good deal to
think she can't work, and that makes her
eyes worse. thought if you would give
me something for them that would cure
her, would thank you so much And
if you'd please wait till Pm grown up,
would surely pay you the money for it
I'd be certain to pay you every cent"
The doctor looked her all over, from
the curly crown to the coarse shoes, all
dusty and travel-worn. Then something
came into his eyes which he winked
away, and he put his hand on the child's
head.
"You're very brave little GIRL" he
said, and that was all.
She dared not raise her eyes to his face
while he drew on his long riding gloves.
She did not see the pressure of his lips,
and then the halfamused smile that
curved them, as he looked forward to
the growing up of the mite who stood
trembling before him.
"COmeP he said, in voice that made
her start and thrill to the heart with joy,
though che did not know why. But she
looked up and saw that he was moving
toward the door.
81 am going to see your MOTHER" he
said, smiling like prince, and o, what
pleasant eyes he had! They seemed as
If they might look life into poor eyes
that were dead.
"Seven years ago." he said, Z" / was in
Thornville, and wearied out with a long
walk. l was student then, and
stopped at cottage door and rested. A
sweet-faced woman, with little girl in
her arms, gave me some cool, fresh milk
to drink. Who knows but it was your
mother 2"
He took her hand in his, and TO the
surprise OF tho portly housekeeper, led
the little girl, with her homely fr0ck and
her old sun-bonnet, to his wide, sub
stantial buggy. Then, placing her care
fully upon the seat, he got in beside her,
and they went of together.
The afternoon sun sent his mild beams
over the country lanes and fields, when
at last little Lofty, her scheme triumph
ant, drove up to the cottage home.
They found the widow in terrible
CONSERVATION, and Betty, the lame girl,
crying; for news had just come that
Lofty had gone off to the city by herself
and the fond mother-heart pictured all
sorts of catastrophcs for her child. But
when the doctor told his story, and pre-
sented the brave little girl, the mourning
was turned into joy.
No pains were spared to restore sight
to the eyes, diseased from over. work and
tears. The doctor adopted the whole
family, in fact; procured help for Betty,
nurse for the mother, and the benefit
of good school for little Lofty. And
sometimes he tells her that he is waiting
very patiently for her to grow up, that
she may fulfill her promise, and pay him
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