Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-12-01
A RIVER MYSTERY.
Chambers Journal.
rom Chan.er's Journal.

and very dirty place, and one particular
house in It's principal street stood for
ward into the road Sc
yeral feet it's neiehbors:
its upper story quite overhanging the
basement This houae was Sc old that it
almost tottered when the wind blew-as
it often did at Mile end-even in spite of
the wooden props, themselves re item now,
With which it had been buttressed up.
But In spite Or perhaps because of its
age and discomfort and general dilapida-
ton, it was beautifully mellowed and
harmonious in the tone of its coloring.
Tufts OF vivid green moss, and yellow
ana gray lichen at intervals carpeted and
softened the red tiles; and hegay clumps
ct orange wall-flowers filled up the gaps
left by departed bricks and morter; thus
throwing over the actual decay and rot
tenness gla,norons veil Of picturesque
beauty. Within, this house.was cruelty
Old and cold and comfortlcss; the beauty
of decay was all outside, and only its
stern reality existed within the frail and
draEghty walls. There were ten rooms
IN this house, which gave shelter 70 seven
families. The noise and brawling were
incossant, never seeming to stop night or
day, for when at last the sickly children
were asleep, the night was made hideous
with the drunkenl blasphelnies and low
quarrels of the degraded men and wo-
men: and the reeking air was thick and
heavy with gin and tobacco and disease.
In one of these rooms-it was in the
projecting upper story, which through
an unusually wide window commanded
view all up and down the street-lay
on straw pallet on the floor, barely COW
! cred with an old patchwork quilt, boy
Of about IA, who, judging from his con-
slant cough, labored breathing and en-
aeiated limbs, was in the last stages of
consumption. Beside him on the narrow
bed lay a girl a few years older then her
brother, fast asleep. She was pale and
thin and dirty2 but there was rare
beauty in the firm soft curves of the
mouth ard chin, anil in the lower
broad brow, up from which was swept a
thick tangled mass of curly brown hair.
Tears glistened on the long brown lashes,
| and the eyebrows were knit together in a
painful frown, which suddenly relaxed
as the sick bow watched her with tired
sunken eyes, and a sudden glowing smile
| lighted up her face.
"She can allus dream, and escape to the
beautiful world she tells me about,' he
muttered with wistful, impatient sigh ;
"and can never even sleep.'
| eyes, she was dreaming, but not so
deeply. but that the movement and sigh
of her brother woke her. "Whaten's the
trouble, Harry dear2 Be 20 worse to-
night?"
20 no" he said, and 81. he'd again. 81
was just a wonderin' where 70 was, 70
smiled so; and I longed to be there too"
80 Harry, l was way off out o. sight
o'house an street an such like, all the
trees an the flowers an the river spak to
me, to give me comfort"
"Ah! the valley, said the sick boy;
''that,s where l wants to go, as used to-,
fore was took bad. If I could sleep,
p1aps could go too" Here he was in
terrupted by a terrible fit of coughing,
which only left him strength to gasp fee
bly, for water
on the windo w-sill, and in it was little
water. The girl rose to get it; but as she
was handing it to her brother the door
opened, and their father staggered in.
For an instant he looked at his children,
and in drunken fit of senseless passion
struck the girl savage buffet which
made her reel, and shattered the cup into
fragments in her hand.
The girls brow flushed crimson with
anger and pain, and her brown ewes flash
ed fire. "Yo miserable drunken brute ~
she said.
"None o yer SARGE, gal, or I'll kill yerp
and he glared at her dangerously, with
arm uplifted to strike.
"Father, father!' commanded rather
than implored the sick boy, sitting up
with an effort, and holding out thin pale
hand between them while hectic red blaz.
ed in his cheeks and vivid light shone in
his pale blue epes, "Don't yer strike her
don't yer strike her, Or God will strike yo,'
There was q strange, almost unearthly
look in the boys spiritualized suffering
face that awed the man into temporary
soberness.
AS he paused with arm uplifted, looking
at his son, an expression of shame and un-
certainty crossed his features; he hung
his head, avoided the boys intense eyes
and his a ms slowly dropped by his side
"Father," said the boy in a gentle,
tone, you've hurt her-yo have, and
she's so good to yo."
The man shifted uneasily from one
foot to the other. and looked up at his
daughter, who was standing defiant ano
angry, with a dull red mark on her cheek
, and neck. When her brother spoke, bel
face softened and her lips quivered; she
| knelt suddenly by the bed and put bel
arms round him, saying in apiteous voice
as the big tears tell on his yellow hair
SITS no for me I mind! It's for yo
Whaten will 20 do the night through
withouten water2 There's no a drot
more i the house nor the street"
The boy said nothing as he stroked hi
sisters brown head, but the wistful long
ing look in his eyes, and the half sigt
. he could not Iepress, showed how mucl
he needed the water The man looked
, at them for a minute, and then the fume
Of the gin he had taken overpowered hin
again as he reeled to the opposite corne
of the room. where he fell on an old mat
. tress, and in moment was last in dee]
drunken sleep. The boy closed his eye
; YEARLY and turned his face toward tn
wall. The girl kissed him and settled
r HIM as cnmfoltably as she could, the
, rose from her knees and went to tn
g window. which she partly opened Til
: moon was high and full, and the stree
withont lonka6 "a hriuht 40 6av