The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1878-03-27
Lille Apple Woman.

"hNS NANGN tANNaH
as the earliest sunbeam set the church
spire over the way into a twinkle
and danced down stairs, singing ai
gayly as a lark; for that day she was
to have holiday and holidays didn't
come very often to her. Miss Ship
the millner, with whom she lived
for Tilly had neither father or moth
er-was kind to her in her way, anC
gave her plenty to eat and drink, Q
comfortable little room enough tc
sleep in, and dressed her in quite Q
dainty fashion, by altering her owr
fnery for her wear.
You would really have imagined
her to be a petted inmate of one o.
those great houses in the park, ifyou
could have seen her tripping along
past them, with her bright holiday
face and graceful little figure. Miss
Ship had told her that she might 60
just where she wished, and do just
what she pleased for all day, and she
felt as light and free as the air, hel
arms unembraced by the burdenSome
band-boxes, and her brain unencum'
bered by any perplexlng messages
Then she had a good many bright
pennies in her pocket, given her by
Miss Ships customers, who were
pleased with her obliging ways and
sweet face; and she could ride into
the country if she liked, where the
yellow stars in the grass were as
thick us if it had rained dandelions
all night, and sparrows made every.
body glad with their gladness, She
had great mind to do this, for it
was a warm, fragrant, though damp
and cloudy, April day, and she hadn't
been out of the old seaport town for
SO long a time; but the wharves and
the ships, and the water had a great.
er charm for her, after all; so she
gave up her idea of a country ride,
and bent her steps toward the water.
Every hour she could get she spent
upon the wharves, listening to the
quaint songs of the sailors, watching
eagerly the ships that sailed in and
sailed away, and scanning every
bronzed face that appeared upon
their decks; for Tilly had half
brother who was a sailor. To be
sure, he had sailed away years and
years ago, and everybody thought
that he, with the ship he sailed in
must have been lost, for they had
never been heard from since. But
Tilly couldn't help hoping that he
was still alive, and would some time
come back to her again. She could
remember him, distinctly, though
she was very wee thing when he
went away. She could remember
that he was very tall and very brown,
and used to take her on his knee and
tell her funny stories and sing her
funny songs. Her poor motherbroke
her heart about him, almost; and
they scarcely saw happy day after
he went away, for father died long
before, when Tilly was only a few
months old, and they were all alone
in the world.
Tilly was sure she would know
him if she were 10 meet him any
where, for she had his picture. He
had it taken just before he went
away, for his mother, and before she
died she gave it to Tilly, and told
her never to part with it; and then
if Jim, who would not know where
to find her, should ever come back,
she might meet him by his resem-
blance to the picture.
There were more sails than COM
mon, she thought, tapping like
white wings in the frolicsome spring
wind, as she hurried down the long
street that led to the water, but there
were clouds in the sky, that looked
very much like shower. While
she was stopping to consider wheth-
er she should go or not she noticed
an old apple woman, seated before
her stand over the way, in evident
distress. Her face was all screwed
up as if she was in pain, and she
kept rubbing one of her shoulders
with her hand. Tilly's tender little
heart was touched in an instant,
and, crossing over to theold woman's
side, she purchased a few apples,
and then ventured to ask her what
- Al u. ...IIa.