Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-03-24

sovereign impaired novel dignity, land
a ha'porth of milk, and this to change,
Mrs. Nixon"
Mrs. Nixon rung the coin down on the
counter in a business-like way, and then.
ookcd sharply at Polly for minute, and
said ssYou're rich, aren't you. my dear
and where did it come from?'
ooh, we've got it to change" said Polly
"and we are to keep the sixpence."
"Well! you're honest children" said
Mrs. Nixon, kindly, 'and takes after your
mother; so there's your dinners, and
there's the change-nineteen blessed
shillings and sixpence."
They took the slices of bread and bacon
out into the sunshine, and ate it sitting on
the pavement and they fed baby by turns,
while Polly kept the money tight in her
hand then, when the feast was over, they
arose slowly up, and went away down the
dark alley, where men and women stood
about in disseminated groups. up creak-
ing wooden stair, to a door, of which
Polly had the key, and the other side Of
of which they called "home.'
It was room that, to unaccustomed
eyes would have looked very blank and
bare and desolate, tor the bed was only
long low wooden frame with couple
of blankets and checked quilt upon it.
The table was box, and other furniture
there was none, save couple OF rough
stools and cupboard; but over the man
tel-shelf there was nailed up little gal
lery of portraits, with setting of pea
cocks feathers and background of CHI
ma Ornaments faded daguerl eotype of
a pretty woman with baby in her arms,
a common photograph OF lad in hussar
uniform, "For Dear Mother" scrawled
beneath it, and an alarming black
head that bore the name of "Father'-
though the eyes must have been clever
and loving indeed that could have traced
any resemblance between that startling
outline and the tall, quiet, consumptive
man, who had lived out his weary life
among the uncongenial souls in Groves
Alley.
Well, it had not affected him SO very
much, after all, and they were kindly
people in their way. They used to step
on tiptoe, when they remembered, past the
door of the room in which he lay propped
up by pillows, gazing patiently out at
the sunrises and sunsets that Just glim-
mered in over the roofs of the other
houses. When he 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 forget that
they used to consider her sine when
they brought her '.just drop of Cruel,
dearie," or ga slice of bread for the chill
DER" and set up for an hour or two when
the fever came upon her, and saw that
she was decently buried when she died.
After that, time was miserable blank
to Polly for some weeks. The baby was
fretful, and Polly's arms were unaccus-
toned, for mother used to nurse him
always; and Dickie used to cry at nights
a good deal, until the folks in the alley
dubbed together and bought him a
backing box, and he began to earn pen
MES. By that time Polly had learned her
way to the pawn shop, and the room was
beginning to look empty, and the child
rem we're not SO neat as they had been;
but, through all the misery and loneliness
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
hushed the fractions baby to sleep, soften
ing her voice to kind Of mournful hum,
while Dickie leaned against her knee
Then she laid him softly in
the bed, and tucked him in, and she and
Dickie took down the ragged Bible and
read a verse, and then sat on for long
time in the darkening room, looking out
of the narrow window, and thinking.
Well, Dickie was thinking Of the lady's
face he had seen in Grosyenor Square, and
of the nineteen shillings and sixpence;
and Polly, with her tangled head laid
down Qpon the sill, and her tired hands
crossed on her lap, was wondering where
the pennies were to come from to- morrow,
and if--she raised herself suddenly, and
went over to the fireplace to lean her
head upon the wall under mothers pic
ture, as she had way of doing when she
was very tired. But it must 20 too? If
she must come in tired some evening, and
nave no mother to 60 to, even a picture
# she must wake up in the night, and
creep over the sleeping boys, and have no
spot on the wall to which to turn and be
,omferted? "Why, then, I must bear
hat too" thought Polly, "and I shall
grow used to it"
polly" said Dick, suddenly, "where's
the money!"
ooh, I've put it in the box" said Polly
-'sdown at the very bottom and we
must take it out with us every day, Dick,
until we see her again, you know, to give
ler the change"
II shall 60 to bed," said Dick, yawlng;
help me, Polly, I'm SO tired"
So Polly forgot herself and her own
troubles, and helped him to undress; and
hen she drew the curly head on her
and sang to him as she had
lone to baby until he fell asleep. And
# her arms ached as she laid him gently
down, and if she fell asleep over her
prayers, and if the restless baby kept her
wakcful till the gray morning dawn, who
was to know it save He who neither
nor sleepeth, and, perhaps,
the dead mother whose name she sobbed
in her sleep before the sun fell on her
face and awOke her?