Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-04-18
THE TAMBOURNE GIRL.


THE TAMBOURINR GIRL.
Karl and Bettine were playing before
one Of the houses IN Eaton Square.
Karl's hand organ was avery old fash
ioned one, which his father had brought
from Germany; and in the front of ii
there were grotesque little figures
that moved on wires. A pert little
lady, in red skirt and blue bodice,
danced hornpipe with dashing
young soldier in a scarlet uniform, with
a white cockade in his hat; and prim-
looking old lady sat in an armchair,
constantly taking pinches Of snuff from
a painted box in her hand. Then there
was sprightly little dairy-maid, who
tripped up and down with pail Of milk
poised on her head, and a basket OF
eggs on her arm and an old grenadier,
in blue coat and yellow breeches, whs
came nimbly up, and held out his cooked
hat to passers-by for pennies.
1t was-a very pretty sight to see them
moving all together; and, whenever
Karl and Bettine stopped to play, a
crowd of children were sure to collect
around them. But they put very few
pennies into the old grenadier's hat ;
and when Karl and Bettine counted
their money at night, they very rarely
found enough to get their supper, with
out thinking of having any breakfast or
dinner next day, except what some
kind person at whose house they played
might give them. Then every week
they had to put aside little money to
pay the rent for the little, dark, cheer
less bit of room they had in the very
dirtiest part of the city; and they were
so afraid of being turned out Of that, that
they very often went without their sup
per, when they had gained very little
money in day, to save that little for
their landlord.
| Now, for more than week, Karl had
been i'll this was the first day he had
been out, and they had been obliged to
spend all the money they had for food,
and the rent was due on the next day,
and not a penny to pay it with! Poor
little Bettine's heart was almost burst
ing with grief, as she looked at Karl, SO
pale, and thin, and feeble, and thought
what would become of him when they
were turned out of their miserable little
room, with no shelter, and with no one
to care for them in all the great city.
They had always been poor, but be.
! fore their father and mother died, the
poverty had not been so hard to bear,
for they did not feel so lonely and DESC
late then, and their father had been SO
hopeful and courageous, cheering them
always with predictions of happier
times.
All at once Karl began to play
"Home, Sweet Home" The organ
was very old and out of tune; but, fol-
all that, the air was very sweet and
touching, and, though Bettine had
heard it so often, the great tears began
to roll down her cheeks, and blinded
her eyes so she could not see her tam.
BOURNE, nor the group Of childish faces
that surrounded her. She had no re-
collection of any home, save the dreary
little attic where they stayed at night
she could not remember the ''Vater.
land," for which her mother had wept
and pined her life away and that tune
ALWAYS made me sad-made her think
how terrible it was to have not even
the memory of home.
| Suddenly the door of the great house
opened, and richly-dressed young
lady came out. She was evidently in
haste, for she did not even glance al
the little tambourine girl, nor at the
figures in Karls wonderful organ, but
swept hurriedly down the steps to the
elegant carriage, with glittering trap.
pings and sleek bay horses, that await
ed her.
But, as she passed, something fell
from her arm at Bettine's feet, drop
ping with metallic ring on the pave
ment. Bettine stopped and picked il
up-a gold bracelet, set around witt
stones that ghttered and flashed in the
sunshine so that they almost blinded
her eyes. She turned quickly to lool
for the lady, but already the liveriet
coachman had sprung to his seat, and
the carriage was whirling down thu
street far out of reach Of her voice.
Then she glanced at the group gath
cred around the organ. All the eye.
were fxed intently on the moving
figures, and no one had seen her pick i
up.
Here was relief from all their trou
bles. She knew the bracelet was valua
: BILE: it would pay the rent, and buy 70
5 Karl-poor, sick, patient Karl--th'
strengthening food, and medicine, an,
, freedom from care, which he so mucl
needed. For one moment fierc
temptation ragged in poor Bettine'
heart; but she thought Of her mother
and put it proudly back. No, sh
a could not die Of hunner unrso fho,