The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-03-22
About Jamie


Hy svA u. rArPA,.
Jamie sat at the window. watching.
To was nothing new for him % sit there
and 90 watch. As Ear back as DE could
remember, which, 20 be sure, was not
so very far for be was but nine years
old be had sat by that window and
watched-he knew not what iOr-Uuul
the sun went down. Then the mother
would lft the little lame boy in her
strong arms, and put him 10 bed, care
fully, If not tenderly. She gave him no
goodnight kiss, but she tucked the
clothes warmly about bin, and told
him 90 call her if be wanted anything.
Then she went out into the other room,
leaving the door aiar, and sewed until
the hickeriug of her one candle told her,
too, 20 90 90 bed.
Jamie and his mother lived in q teue-
ment-house. Their neighbors called
them weil-to-do, because she earned
enough TO pay for the two rooms in
which they lived. They were very small
rooms in a crowded house, with low
ceilings, and on the damp, shady side
OF the street; but then they were on the
first floor, and one of them looked out
into the narrow street, and that was
enough to give them an air Of gentility.
Then, too, Jamie's mother did not mine
gle much with her neighbors. She went
out 90 hard work i'm the morning, leav-
ing Jamie's dinner-only a brown bowl
of bread and miik-within his reach,
and did not return until night. So
after a while the neighbors began 90
call her proud and stuck-up, and would
never think of stopping In a minute TO
gossip as they did in the other rooms.
Jamie's mother did not mind this, for
she was away all day; and Jamie him
self was rather glad, for be remembered
iudistinctly how, when they first came
there, the women used % come in and
look so iuquisitively SO everything iu
the room, and ask him such t.resome
questions. Then the men, although
their words were hearty and kind, were
rough, and he iustinctively turned from
them. And so 30 was that be was al-
most always alone, and, as he had never
bad company, did not feel lonely.
He would have told YOU that DE had
a great many pleasures. First Die had
a book of fairy stories, that lady for
whom bis mother had worked bad sent
him, and he could read this over and
over again, and never be tired. Then
he bad q knife, and when that sbaru
pain in his back was better for little
while, be could cut weiri faces out oi
the pine wood that he asked his mother
to bring him, to represent the people in
his fairy stories. And then be had the
window "HOw could n boy be lonely,
when he bad a window that looked out
into the street?n jamie would have
said. For 10 was q lively little street,
and really did its best 10 amuse him.
There was almost always something
passing, If 10 was only "a bakers cart;
q an. .Hrrn~
black carriage, with great black plumes
and two black horses, drove up % the
house opposite. jamie knew there was
sick man there, and be thought they
We're going TO take him 10 ride. By
and-by the men came ont, carefully
carrying something long and narrow.
Jamie tnoughJ bow sick the poor man
must be, 10 have 20 be covered up with
that thick, black cloth, which hung
down so heavily; and be thought THAI
d The man had known that there was "a
liiie lame boy watching him, who
wanted % go 90 ride so much, perhaps
ne would have pushed The black cloth
away aud told The men 90 give Jamie.
ZOO place iu their fine carriage. But
they drove away, and Jamie never san,
the sick man again.
But what be liked best was fo 500 f1,s
children coming from school They
were only the poor ragged children
VINO lived around the street: am the
rich ones went another wav. Same
times their faces were not clean. sill
they we're little children, and the little
child loved them. Ashley passed. they
often used 10 look in the window. M
deed, 10 was so low and so close 20 the
street that passer-by could hardly
help looking in. Gradually some Of
them fell into the habit OF always look
ing in with a nod and q smile until
they felt disappointed il the wan, white
lace was not there 20 smile back again.
This did not often hanDsn. for oIfro-l.-b
tie uags came oileuer and Ofteuer when
jamie was strong enough % sit IN only
a iltAe While, yet he ALWAYS knew yrl,ar
It was time for The children f0 mass ana
Nould drag himself paiufrIv fo ~
window, aud nod sud smile.
mere was one little girl who ravar
forgot MIN, and he iu turn b-ran ~
watch especially for her, and ta r.sI -l,e1
MS Gay was not complete E he had nof
seen her. alter a while, a- the davs
grew full Of summer, and th. ..f-. .i.-rr
was open an the time, she usea s,ru.
times % stop few minutes on her --.,
home % talk Co The little lame bow. a-,-i
tell him about her school. and wE.t
they had done that day. An The FttIe
treasures that are de1r 10 child She
shared with jamie. Sometime. Do was
only a bit OF c0lorei glass. or half "a
dozen beads on @ string, or piece of a
broken toy that she bad picked up In
the street; but they We're dear % her.
and jamie loved them because she did.
One day she came % the window with
her little hand so tightly shut that
Jamie knew it must Doe something very
precious Aud SO 10 was. Pretty soon
the little hand slowly uncIosed and
showed nothing but two scarlet beans.