Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-09-28
Gales and 3kstfhss.
THE BLIND SPINNER.

|
had lived up to his income-a little over
it-a great deal over it, and then came
thelend-debt, disgrace, ruin, vain remorse
and before long three fatherless ones
girls, reared in a foolish luxury, now left
TO face all the trials OF grinding poverty.
The mother had died many years back.
of broken heart, people said, for the
worst erroes of the father were mercifully
yelled from the children's eyes, and TO
them he was always 'poor papa" who
kissed them as he lay dying, and then
turned his face to the wall aud wept for
the wasted life he could never now expi-
ate-wept for his helpless children, rem
dered homeless by his own grievous
fault. ss7 ol
This happened q long time ago, or il
seemed SO to them-for sorrow makss
time seem long to US all--and now it had
come to this 'A
This" was furnished lodgings Ia an
questionable suburb of London.--that
great sea into which SO many troubled
hearts plunge, to hide from the eyes Of
those who have known them In brighter
days. $500 ,s3Hen
We must now sketch these three sisters,
in whom would fain hope to interest my
reader. t+N }@
Bessie first she was the eldest, now
just eighteen; tall and slender, dark
haired. dark-eyed, and grave beyond her
years. - - Z
Then came katie-and Katie was blind.
1t was the prettiest sight to see the devo-
ton of the other two girls to this afflicted
one. They are my two eyesm she
would say with that sweet smile often
seen on the face of the blind--a smile
that seems to hold all the light the sight.
less eyes lack.
| She had an intense nature, this poor,
| blind child; a nature that suffered more
than others in pain and rejoiced with more
exceeding Joy in gladness. She was now
seventeen and Alice, the wilful, naughty
darling Of the other two, was two years
younger.
Alice was a beauty, and bewitched you
with her saucy, violet eyes, and ripping
chestnut hair and cleaning pearly teeth.
They were very friendless those three
sisters. For one thing, the father had
not been one to make friends, or If he did
make them, lost them again with remark
able promptitude; and their mother had
been foreigner, so that English relatives
were few; and the few had offered help
in somewhat an offensive fashion. III
So the girls came TO London and took
up their abode at Mrs. Busby's furnished
lodgings, IL Paradise place.
| The stairs were steep, and Katie often
put her hand to her side after mountiug
| them; the rooms were small, and Bessie's
room, up at the top of the house, had .
slice cut off at one corner. and window
so low that il gave anything but satisfac-
tory light to dress your hair by-but then,
was there not a mirror in the parlor, in
which you could take \ glimpse of your
self. and if it did not depict you with .
swelled face, and one eye up and the
other down, why. you learned to make a.
lowaDces for these peculiarities, and 10
know whether your bonnet was straight in
spite of them so, take 1t all in all, it WAS
not bad sort of mirror.
Bessie was the clever one Of the family,
as far as accomplishments went. She
hoped, brave heart, to make something
comfortable by her musical powers. for
| she had been told that London was Just
the place to get on in but for all that the
sisters had been nearly six months in Par
adise place, and yet ouly now had Bessie
got her first pupil
"rve got pupil on the brain, my dears,"
said Alice, her pretty eyes sparkling with
merriment, as she looked at Bessie grsvely
pouring out the tea. "Oh, it's too delight
iul, Bess, my darling! Sure and its proud
| am of you this dayw
"And after all the pupil only represents
five shillngs week; but then it is be-
ginning, you see, and will pay half the
rent f-
The cold weather was going now. and
Katie and Alice were glad of that. for It
would be less trying for Bess. you see,
going in and out. when that crowd of pu.
pills they so confidently expected should
become reality. rsf LIf
So the snow melted and the little town
sparrows in their sooty jackets chirped
and twittered as merrily as any country
bird could possibly do; and Katie sat in
the sunshine at Mrs. Busby's front parlor
window, and thought it very pleasant to
listen to street piano playing "Il Bacio."
How often Katie thought of her dead
father! Naturally she from her affiictiop
had known least of his wrong doings; and
tendery she loved his memory, calling to
mind the feeling of his hand laid upon
her head as he lay helpless on his bed Of
pain, while creditors, like birds Of prey,
hovered about the house that ought to have
been hushed and silent.
- ne sun SnlueS warm ana DrlRnt, the
music out there sounds cheerful to me and
poor papa lies in his gravel" Thus ran
the thoughts of this gentle, loving heart.
As time went on. though the crowd of
pupils so confidently anticipated by Alice
aud Katie did not make their appearance,
three or four more were added to the orig.
inal one, and things seemed to 90 on pas
SADLY when Bessie took severe cold-so
severe that the others Supported by the
opinion OF Mrs. Busby) would not let her
leave the house. Then an event happened.
A visitor came to IL Paradise place.
young man In q velveteen coat, and
soft, wide, felt hat, that shaded an honest,
manly young face. with gray eyes and .
silky brown beard. a,s.r
This was Phil Washington, . struggling
artist, striving hard 10 make that ''sOme-
thing comfortable" OF which mention had
been made before. Phil taught drawing
at school where Bessie, too had some
pupils.
The young fellow came In somewhat
timidly to that dingy parlor In which Mr..
Busby's soul delighted, and Mary Ann. the
maid-of all-work (who. to Judge from the
icONrMUED on FoUlru PAGE.