Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-02-07
TRIXY
&c Finished at last I"

Il lulSuSu db ldSp
Martin Bruce spoke the words with a
sigh of utter WEAKNESS, and lifted his
head from his work, taking his magnify
ing glass from one eye as he did SO.
Upon the table before him was large
steel plate, on which he had engraved
design requiring the most delicate and
careful work, and to which he had given
several days of continuous labor. AS
he looked at it, completed, the express
sion of proud pleasure involuntary up
on the face of q man who had finished
a piece of work satisfactorily became
clouded.
"That poor child!" he muttered. and
listened to a cry of suppressed sobbing
coming from above his half opened
door. With the cloud still upon his
face, he went to the landing and looked
up the narrow staircase leading to the
attic. As he expected, he saw little
figure crouched upon the upper stair,
the head bent low over folded arms,
the bare feet tucked up under ragged
skirts. The sobbing, though distinctly
audible, was evidently carefully choked
down. zt...s..s- en-
"Trixy |" Martin said, in low tone.
In moment the child was beside him
with a quick, darting motion that
suited well the slender figure, thin to
painful angularity, the face that was al
most impish in its look of want and
precocity. y
Martin Bruce, tall and strong, with
handsome, blonde face, bent low, and
met the gaze of her large, intensely
black eyes, swollen and infamed by
tears. Silently he lifted the child, and,
taking her into his own room, closed the
door.
whats the matter now :" he asked.
I dropped the biggest pitcher, full
of milk" .-.4 .....
"Whew ~
CT couldn't help it p sobbed the
child, sit was so heavy that my fingers
got all stiff with ache, and before knew
it my wrists just gave twist, and down
it all went !'' :.
"Whipped?"
"Oh, didn't she! See !"
And ragged frock was slipped down
to show the sickening welts upon the
thin shoulders. Marin Bruce gave
shudder as he l7oked, and going to
washstand brought some arnica, which
he mixed in cool water and tenderly
bathed the wounds with an old hand
kerchief. -... E..
"Does it hurt much?" he asked, as
the poor child WINGED under his touch.
"Oh, my II mean yes, sir But [
don't mind; 1 know you'll make it bet
ter. Oh T. and again the tears broke
out 81 wish was dead T.
"You are too young to wish that,
Trixy."
"I'm fourteen. if I am little
Fourteen !! How time flies! 1t
seems only yesterday since found you
crying on the stairs, and it is three years
ago!'' d.
Trixy nestled close to the hand ex-
tended to caress her gently, as these
words were spoken-the only hand in
the big boarding house that was ever
filled with kindness for her. She was
one of the New York waits from an
almshouse, bound out to cross task
mistress, who had been Systematically
tyranical from the first hour she had
the child under her rule. Overtasked,
half starved and whipped, Trixy was
stunted, thin and miserable in appear
ance, while her ignorance in all useful
knowledge was balanced by precocity
truly wonderful in lodging her tasks
and evading her punishments.
s nasty, deceitful little baggage :"
Mrs. Hayes declared her to be, and it
was mournfully true. ..a5s
But Martin Bruce, who occupied one
of the back rooms Mrs. Hayes provided
or boarders, had been moved with ten
der compassion for the child from the
first time he found her sobbing out her
misery on the attic stairs. Many an
orange or packet of cake had Irixy
munched in MIR. Bruce's room, when she
was supposed to be doing penance in
her wretched closet, only by courtesy
room. Many a cool lotion had been put
upon smarting cuts and welts by Mr..
Bruce's tender hands. Many tender
caress and kind word had passed the
bearded lips to comfort Trixy.
Others had come and gone, and been
kind one day and cross the next, as the
mood seized them; but Mr.. Bruce never
varied in kind words and acts, though
he often gravely reproved Trixy Cor her
very conspicuous faults, and tried to
correct her vulgarity of word and
thought.
It would be impossible to give any
adequate idea of the worshipping affec
ton the child gave in return for this
kindly interest. All goodness, all man
ly perfection, was to her embodied in
the tall, blonde man who came between
her and her tyrant, and comforted her
grief.
Fourteen" he said again. Trixy,
1t is time you were at school, If you are
ever to go +"
Away from you 2"
90 [ am going to Paris"
Utter blank misery fell over the childs
ace.
sTo PARISH" she whispered. with
white, shaking lips.
"Yes, Tri1y, for three years. You
will be quite woman when I come
back"
"Yes," faint and shuddering.
"And I must get you away from
here"
.sIaa. - 49,.