The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-07-11
creaking noise that caused Larry to look
around toward the door. He thought a

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around toward the door. He thought a
customer was entering, but it was only
the snuff ascending'to Granny's brain.
The poor, with kind of instinct, gen.
orally ask help from the poor, and gener-
ally show their sagacity. But the little
smoky shop, snuff, and smell of behring's,
and handling of pennies had shriveled
and dried out the charity, if she ever had
any, out of the old woman's heart.
"Well, Larry" she said, at length,
"Ill fill her basket, and if ye make good
sales every day, at night I'll give ye loaf
of bread.'' ~.. ,s-.~.
Larry thought this was munifcent As
long as Ned and he had loaf, and door
steps to sleep under,they could get along.
The bright face and pleasant voice of the
orphan boy put many dollar in the old
woman's till, and kept life in the two lit
tie brothers.
Ned, in the meantime, began to pick up
odds and encs. He hunted in front of
coffee houses, through heaps of oyster
shells, thrown out by colored walters, and
sometimes, in the land fisheries, found
enough unopened for mess. He scraped
the empty hogsheads, by the grocery
doors, for something to butter his bread
with. These growing boys had craving
stomachs, that leased them for food, the
same as their better-to-do neighbors.
But after. a while their sleeping apart
ments became known. Sharp servant girls
and crossgrained gentlemen ordered them
from their rests with cuff, or q threat to
send them to the workhouse. The poor
fellows lived on like toads-they hardly
knew how or why. only they lived.
They saw the great city in all its lights
and shades. Larry went to fine houses
and poor, to hotels, depots, boats,asyl ums,
hospitals, schools, stores and shops, to sell
his matches, pins and gingerbread toys.
Ned's business grew. He threw in coal,
and carried parcels when opportunity.
offered. And thus time passed. <z, I 1. :
The great cathedral of the city cast it's
shadow far over the street. Beyond, the
moon threw silver light upon the ada
cedt houses. 1t was early autumn, but
warm as summer. and as old Mrs Stiles
stepped in her nightgown and cap to the
window to fasten the shutter, she glanced
up toward the church clock Che started,
rubbed her eyes. Did she see light in
the church tower or not? She reckoned
she must be mistaken, said her prayers,
and went to bed.
Some time after this. Miss Watt, a
maiden lady, was sitting on her front por-
tico one evening about 10 o'clock, star
gazing. Was that pale light streaming
from the belfry? She thought so, and
went in to call her brother; but when he
came out it was as dark as we'll be-
haved belfry ought to be.
About this time the gardens in the
neighborhood of: the church became in
tested with pigeons. Down they would
fly among the Grape myrtles, and pome-
granates, and jessamines, as mad little
crew as ever were Matched. Then the
birds would futter and fuss, and fly in
1ocks to the steeple, and cover the gilt
tering cross until it's arms would change
from gold to gray. A, gentleman: close
by, putting together the strange conduct
of the birds and the Examinations of
which the'ladies had whispered, conclud-
ed to become a detective and see what the
matter was. He got permission to inves-
tigate. 81. .....-,.. -.
|. He. and a friend looked weird enough
that light as they passed through the
dim cathedral by the light of their Ian
terms, wound up the the stairs past the
organ loft, then up narrow, crooked lad
ders to the tower. What did they see
there? A robber, a corpse, specter?
Only a blanket and comfort, pair of
we'll worn shoes, bottle partly full of
milk, and some bread and cheese.
In one corner lay the living occupant
"a wee, stupid Guinea pig. Perhaps the
conquering invaders who drove the blue
winged natives from their territory had
been lett down in basket by fairy
from the loop-holes of the belfry out of
the walls of the gray old church, as the
princess long ago came from her prison
tower. The gentlemen watched and wait
ed, but whittier the tenants of the tower
had gone, and how they had come, they
could not find out. Only, like birds
which discover when their nest has been
handled, they returned not to claim their
property, but left their bread and cheese
to the church mice and to the Guinea pig
that lay huddled in his corner.
Christmas Eve was cold and bright.
The cathedral had been open all day, and
at six in the evening ladies and gentle
men came to festoon the walls
with evergreen. Two pairs of bright
eyes looked in on the pillars wreathed
with holly and ivy, and the brilliant light
allured the homeless wanderers, who
entered the open door.
They warmed themselves by the fur
mace, and watched the elegant gentlemen
and dainty ladies twisting their tendrils
Of smilax and sprays of ferns into letters,
and tracing beautiful words upon the
walls. Then thew wondered how + would