Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-01-13

sigh of utter weariness, and lifted his
head from his work, taking his magnify
ing glass from one eye MS he did 80.
Upon the table before him was large
steel plate, on which he had engraved q
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 expression
of proud pleasure involuntary upon the
face of Il man who has finished piece of
work satisfactorily became clouded.
"That poor child !" he muttered, and
listened to 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 a little figure
crouched upon the upper stair, the head
bent low over folded arms, the bare feet
tucked up under ragged skirts. The sob
bing, though distinctly audible, WAS evi-
IDENTIFY carefully choked down.
"Trixy p Martin said, in a low tone.
In moment the child was beside him,
with quick, darting motion that suited
well the slender figure, thin to painful
angularity, the face that was almost imp
ish in its look of want and precocity.
Martin Bruce, tall and strong, with a
handsome blonde face, bent low, and met
the gaze of large, intensely black eyes
swollen and inhamed by tears. Silently
he lifted the child, and taking her into
his own room, closed the door.
whats the matter now?" he asked.
81 dropped the biggest pitcher, full
of milk"
"Whew p
81 couldn't help it ~ sobbed the child,
GO it was so heavy that my fingers got all
stiff with ache, and before l knew it nv
wrists just gave twist, and down it all
went y
Whipped?'
"Oh, didn't she See y
And n ragged frock was slipped down
to show the sickening welts upon the thin
shoulders. Martin Bruce gavea shudder
as he looked, and going to washstand
brought some arnica, which he mixed in
cool water and tenderly bathed the
wounds with an old handkerchief.
"Does it hurt SO much ?" he asked, as
the poor child WINGED under his touch.
"Oh, my II mean, yes, sir But I
don't mind; know you'll make it bet
ter. Oh! !" and again the tears broke out.
81 wish I was dead !'
"You are too young to wish that,
Trixy."
"Tm fourteen, if 7 am little
"Fourteen How time flies 1t
seems only yesterday since first found
you crying on the stairs, and it is three
years ago. p
Trixy nestled close to the hand ex-
tended to caress her gently, ms these
words We're 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 taskmistress, who
had been Systematically tyrannical from
the first hour she had the child under
her rule. Overtasked, half starved and
whipped, Trixy was stunted, thin and
in appearance, while her ignor-
lnce in all useful knowledge was bal
'nced by precocity truly wonderful in
lodging her tasks and evading her pun
shments.
GA nasty, deceitful little baggage I"
Mrs. Hayes declared her to be, and it was
nournfully true.
Bnt Martin Bruce, who occupied one
If the back rooms Mrs. Hayes provided
or boarders, had been moved with ten
Ter compassion for the child from the
irst time he found her sobbing out her
misery on the attic stairs. Many an
range or packet OF cake had Trixy
aunclted in Mr.. Bruce's room, when she
'as supposed to be doing penance in her
closet, only by courtesy room.
iany cool lotion had been put upon
marting cuts and welts by Mr.. Bruce's
ender hands. Many tender caress and
ind word had passed the bearded lips
D comfort Trixy.
Others had come and gone, and been
ind one day and cross the next, rs the
rood seized them; but Mr.. Bruce never
aried in kind words and acts, though he
ften gravely reproved Trixy for her
cry conspicuous faults, and tried to cor
ect her vulgarity of word and thought. i
1t would be impossible to give any
lequate idea of the worshiping affection
lie child gave in return for this kindly
lterest. All goodness, all manly perfec-
on, was to her embodied in the tall, {
londe man who came between her and
Tand.s .scomforted her grief