Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-05-08

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creaking wooden stair, to the door
which Polly had the key. and the 9th
side of which they called home"
1t was room that, to unaccustomt
eyes, would have looked very blank an
bare and desolate, for the bed was only
long low wooden frame with II couple ,
blankets aud a checked quilt upon it. Til
table was box and other furniture thel
was none. save couple of rough stoo
aud a cupboard; but over the mantel she
there was nailed up little gallery of poi
TRAITS, with ii setting of china ornaments
faded daguerreolvpe of Il pretty woma
with baby in her arms, common pho
tograph of a lal in hussar uniform, wit
" For Dear Mother.n scrawled beneath il
and an alarming black head that bore tn
name of Father though the eyes mus
have been very clever and loving indee
that could have traced any resemblance
hetween that outline and the tall, quiet
consumptive man, who had lived out hi
weary life among the uncongenia souls il
Groves Alley.
Well, it had not affected him so yer,
much after all, and they were kind peopl
IN their way. They used to step on tiptoe
when they remembered, past the door o
lne room in which he lay propped up b,
pillows. gazing patiently out at the sun
rises and sunsets that just glmmered owe
the roofs of the other houses. When ht
died, and the "miSsus" fretted for him
and money was slow to come in. they
cheered her up and helped her, these rough
folks, and forgot that they used to consider
her =" fine when they brought her d" just Il
drop of Cruel. dearie,' or ~ slice of bread
for the childer," and sat up for an hour OF
Two when the fever came upon her, and
saw that she was decently buried when
she died.
After that, time was a miserable blank
to Folly for some weeks The baby was
fretful, and Pollys arms were unaccu>-
TONED, f'r mother used to nurse him al
ways; and Dickie used to cry Mt nights a
good deal, until the folks in the alley club
bed together and bought him blacking
box, and he began to earn pennies. By the
time Polly had learned her way to the
pawn shop, aud the room was beginning
to look empty, and the children were not
SO neat rs they had been; but. through all
the misery md neliness and want. there
was something beautiful growing into the
little home-a kind of glory springing up
in Polly's life that made it grander and
nobler than it used to be, when she was
little and selfish, and mother cared for
her.
Tired and worried, she sat down this
evening on one of the broken stools, and
hnshrd the fractious baby to sleep, soften
tr HI ,,c, G.I
while Dlckie leaned against her knee lis
lening. Then she laid him softly in the
bed tucked him in, and she and Dickie
took down the ragged Bible and read
verse, and then sat Il long time in the
darkening room, thinking. Well, Dickic
was thinking of the lady's face he had
seen IN Grosvenor square, and of the nine
teen shilings and sixpence; and PLY
with her tangled head laid upon the sill,
and her tired hands crossed on her lap,
Was wondering where the pennies were to
come from tomorrow, and if-She raised
herself suddenly, and went over to the
Fireplace to lean her head upon the wall
nndor mothers picture. rs she had IL way
Of doing when she was very tired. But
II it must 90 top-if she must come in
Tired some evening and have no mother to
20 to, even picture-if she must wake
up in the night, and creep over the sleep
nS boys, and have no spot on the wall to
which to turn and be comfortedp Why,
hen must bear that too, thought Polly,
md | shall grow used to it.
Polly, said Dick, suddenly, where's tho
money!
Oh, I've put it in u box, said Polly
lown at the very bottom; and we must
AXE 1t out with ns every day, Dick, until
we see her again, you know, to give her
he change.
shall go to bed. said Dick, yawning;
lel me, Polly, I'm so tired.
So Polly forgot herself and her own
rouble, and helped him undress; and
hen she drew the curly head on to her
red shoulder and sang to him as she had
lone to baby until he fell asleep. And if
Ter arms ached as she laid him gently
Town, and if she fell asleep over her pray
rs, and if her restless baby kept her
vakeiul till the gray morning dawn, who
Vas 10 know it save He who neither slum-
'ereth nor sleepeth, and. perhaps the dead
mother whose name she sobbed in her
leep before the sun fell on her face and
woke her?
So the hot July days came and went,
md brought pleasure us well rs pain to
he little room in Groves Alley.
The room was emplier than ever. and
ood was scarce, and bread was dear; but
hen baby was beg inning to walk. and the
un WIS not so hot, SO that Dick was not
o tired and cross; and Polly. in her love
If making believe, had developed talent
or mimicry that caused many shril
augh to echo through the empty room,
md even to find its way down the crooked
tairs into the court.
Set the door open, mother, little Billy |
)'Flannighan, the cripple, used to say
here's Polly Marker at it again. And i'll
le could have crept up to The children's |
,arret he would have seen Polly with the |
blanket tied round her as skirl, and pea
ock's feathers in her hair, making believe |
o the a'lmlring Dick that she was the
ady OF Grosvenor square going to court.
She laughed more than she used to do at |
lrst, thi, brave Polly; but when the play |
vas ended, and the boys were in bed, hav-
ng laughed themselves to sleep over their |
upper, Polly would turn resoute away,
'ut her share by into the cupboard, ami
reep cold and hungry into the blankets.
10 rs the days slid into weeks and the
utumn weather set in, Dick grew strong.
# and healthier, and The baby flourished;
'ut the folks in Groves Alley shook their
eads over PolIy's thin face with its hectic
lush, and said aside to one another that