Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-03-19

| pretty SICK. Sne O0en OeallnS ABOUT III
the storm. The snow WAS all over her.
| noticed that she had on clean calico
dress. She stood just whore you're
standing, ms'am, while made the entry.
1t took the snow some time to melt, fer il
had seeted some. She looked almost as
il she was in a white dress, she 8ss so
covered. She had her hair done up neat.
too.
thought Ia 60 and see her in tho cell
myself. So went down. She walked
very slow, and seemed weak.
Tired, Doherty ?" said /.
Lieutenant" she said, folks used to
call me Nell. Nobody called me Do
berty till | begun TO come to the police
station. don't think anybody called me
that till Id been into the house." says she.
Then said, for | thought I'd pacify
her, if | could, "ere you sick tonight,
Nell ?n
"Oh, nay Godw says she--iust like
that. Then she threw up her arms over
her head and began TO sob and take on.
Bu, shs didn't swear. She teit too sick,
take it. So We put her in with the rest,
and she got into the corner aud sat
crying.
1t was not tilll9ward midnight that she
begun. They didat get we'll in snd qui-
eted before that. But every nov and
then the men would cali: Sin Us TO
sleep, Doherly ! sing us .o .ecp"
The storm set in hard toward midnight.
beats heavily here upou the Office win
dows as You see, ma'ami and we get q
pre.;y clean sweep OF the wind on sc-
count OF the street running 10 the
whsrves. sent down once to ask how
Doherty seemed; but the officer reported
that she was quiet, and he wished the
rest were. They're all in, men, women,
he said. in concert, crying ou' "Sng
US to sleep, Doheriy."
Pretty soon she began. coald hear
her plain above the roaring of the storm.
She begsn-Doherty begau-,hst poor
misetab able-croetur-sh thar had once
been woman ike other wcnCn folks
excuse me, maam; bot she'd been on our
books good many years. Aud I've
heard her sing such things never liked
TO bO taken by surprise, as Doheriy took
me. You're not surprised very easy in
such a place as this at anything your fel-
low sinners do.
But about midnight, when the storm
was at ils thick and the cells were grow
ing still, Doherty, she sat up and began
TO sing 3 hymn. She sang:
"shall We gather at the River"
My boy sings that at Sunday School, and
my wife, she strikes it up the hrs. thing
on the cabinet organ every Sunday night.
Doherty sang it all through:
AT the margin OF the river
Washing up lis silver spray,
We shall walk and worship ever.
All the happy golden day"
Those are the words. thought perhaps
you wouldn'L know them. Folks sing
them q great deal in the Baptist church.
Before you could cock pistol i. was
quiet as the grave all through this place.
Toe officers looked Rt one another. All
the men walked up. The women. they
got together 10 hesp about her. The
Cap'n ssid to me: "DohertY's singio &
hmm tunes" said l thought we'd go
down and see; and down We went.
When We looked il at the grating /
wish ma'am you could have seen those
men-ragged, rough, red, drunk. Some
of 'em taken in awful crimes. No don't
wish you had seen them. Bu! there they
set, as silent ss row Il angels on the
judgmen, day, listening to hear that
woman sing. One snd another, they
said: II used to sing ihst song myself
He was up for ssssp, and battery. Bad
ly beaten, too, himself, about the face
He crept along The wall, | noticed, on
his knee. to get where he could hear her
better. When she stopped, ne hollered
OUT
Give Us some more, Doherty :"
And the rest said -
"Doherty, give US another psalm tune!
Bat one of the women said -
Come, Nell! Sing us to sleep with
the hymns
So then she began again; and she gave
it to 'em, one upon another fast and clear
Heaven knows where the creetur learned
'em. At some Protestant Sunday School
may be, where she'd wandered in st holi-
days. They go good deal on account
of the Christmas presents.
We all got round her therc the mer
inside and the officers witEoul and lis
tened for awhile. / don, think | eyel
heard her sing so in all my life. Doberty
had fine vri"e and no mistake. II she'C
been respectfully born she'd have been q
great singer. that woman, take it; ant
the folks would have been running tC
opera and to concert halls to hesr her.
So there she sat and sung. She Sc
up in one corner, with her chin upon bel
hands. aud noticed nobody, but stereC
straight on before her. Sbo saug Near
er nv God, to Thee" and she sang %