The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-07-04
CAMILLA.

raul Omlb0 was poor OlQ man. he
had a back room in the top of a noisy
lodging-house, where he slept nights and
munched his meals of bread and cheese
Cor bologna sausage, when he could af-
ford it), and from whence he crept, as
harmless and unnoticed as fly, down to
the corner of the dingy street, to the
little music shop of Carl Bermann, a
music settler somewhere in Soho.
There he tinkered all day on broken
violins and other instruments, never abb
senting himself for a moment, save on
Saturday afternoons, when he went to
the house of small tradesman, to teach
the piano to three or four very stupid
girls. Sundays, he curled up in his den
and amused himself-nobody knew how
until Monday morniug.
There are few certainties; he never
went to church but he picked ragged
children from the pavement when they
fell near him, and gave them half
pennies when he had any; shared his
dinner often with a NANCY, dirt cur,
who acted as a sort of escape valve for
the ill-temper of half the men and
women in the street; and he reused Pat
Ryan from his midnight snooze in the
gutter, and literally carried him home
to Norah and the children.
AS for honesty, as nelghbor re-
marked, eff he found five shillings in
the streets, he'd wear out ten shillings
worth of strength and shoe-leather to
find the owner"
One cold, dark night, Paul was re-
turning from his work, with loaf of
bread under one arm and violin under
the other, and nearly fell over small
object crouched on the step.
'sBless usl what's thisT" cried Paul,
striving to regain his equilibrium.
"OnIyme, sirp and the small object
stood up, and became very pale, thin
and ragged child.
Are you hurt, little girl?''
" No, sir"
cold p
4sNothing.a
"Why don't you go homer
"I amt got any,
"Dear mel Where's your mother ?"
SIN heavenl
At this Paul was dumfounded, and
seeing that great tears were stealing
down the child's wan face. he thrust the
violin under the arm which had held
the bread, and, putting the other around
the tiny figure, he said, ooh, Pye got a
home, real jolly placel Come up and
SEE" s5ss
And this is the way old Paul came to
have a neat little housekeeper, and to
be buying calico gowns and shoes out of
his poor salary. go
People wondered at the sight of this
bent old man, hitherto alone and un.
cared for, now walking daily to his work
with his hand upon tie shoulder of the
odd yet pretty-faced girl, looking at her
with honest pride Frightening his eyes,
and laughing as loud as. she whenever
the Joke came in. But old Paul looked
unconeerned, evaded the questions OF
the curious, and learned to love nothine
in this world better than the little wait,
Camilla.
There were many, many days when
rheumatism drew Paul up by the fire in
the old back attic, and drew the very
last penny out of the dilapidated purse :
but brave little Camilla, never for.
getting how near death she had been on
that bitter night Of their meeting.
always found word to ward off hunger, =
and courage to keep ther both bright
until help came.
The winter of 1856 came in like a
lion, as many poor wretch we'll re.
members, and with the blast came PauPs
enemy. lie turned, one night, a sad
face from his warm corner in Bertman's
shop among the yiolins, and hobbled nm
the cold street feeling the approach Of
the old rheumatic pains, and wondering
what would become of his poor little
Camilla.
His excitement carried him up to the
last flight of stairs, and, hearing
Camillas voice, he paused to rest and tC
listen. She was singing in that swee
and expressive manner that made he
voice seem to him the sweetest anC
purest he had ever heard. At the ent
Of another stanza he took breath, ant
another voice said:
"Child, you astonish me. Either
am poor judge of music, or else you
voice is the finest ever heard. Yo1
are right in preferring its cultivation t
anything else."
An electric thrill shot through oil
Pauls frame, and quickened his bloc
to rapidity that quite carried away hi
rheumatic pains, and in twinkling
was up stairs and in his little attic.
he was terrified at the sound of
voice; but the sight of handsome an
polished gentleman, with diamonds