The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-08-11
- Z
I|)()'IsI.
ONE LEAF or MANY FROM A REPoRr-
ER's NOTEBOOK.


In the quietest, most restful spot In q city of
the dead, far away from the noise and dust of
the city Of the living. Dotsy's life was q
short one, and, from what the reporters knew
of it, not a happy one; oh, no! not at all q
happy one
It was one night last winter that Dotsy first
became known to the reporters; @ cold night.
q rainy night and windy night. 1t was dur
ing q momentary lull In the fierce patter Of
the rain that the door of the station office
opened and woman came in with Dotsy In
her arms.
"Shure, It's meself,'' the woman said, ad-
dressing the clerk, the turnkey and the re-
porters; tits meself that didn't want to come;
the police station isn't for the likes of me; but
she do be crying SO, and saying her fayther
was calling her, and mayhap he is, God
knows; but she do be crying that hard that I
couldn't do nothing with her, and SO brought
her to see II he was here-its Drunken Jim
mean, and it's the baby here, Dotsy, his
daughter, who wants him. Mayhap you
couldn't let him go, a,olU could you?"
"No," the clerk said, she couldn't let him
go because he wasn't there, and he 1couldn't
let him go II he was. He'd be brought In
during the night, though, he reckoned; he
was always being brought in, and sent down.
and let out, and brought in and sent down
and let out again; if he had his way, he'd
send him down TO the Parish Prison once for
all and keep him there. Yes" he said further,
in reply to the womans appeal to that end,
'sthe child could stay il the sergeant said so !;
he didn't object"
The sergeant 'ssaid so,'' and Dotsy, who
had been alternately looking from the woman
to the clerk and from the clerk to the woman,
the fire, made com Portable with the turkeys
great coat, and told to go tosleep.
she WIS at10t u zee hing Quiet SO Wo-
manish. and with such weary look ON her
pale, pinched face; she was probably five,
certainly not more than six years of age, and
have gone down pretty rapidly and fallen
from pretty high place, for there was moth
ing about her that would Indicate any connec-
tion with him.
tive about herself; though all she could tell
was, Mes Dotsy, papa's Dotsy; that's ell
papa called DOtsy, and me can't go to sleep
till papa comes: me never does"
She sat there in the armchair for full
hour, her eyes wandering from the fire to the
door and back again. starting up occasionally
with q look of expectancy when the door
opened, and sinking back again in the chair
with a look of disappointment when it closed,
but not on him, her papa"
It was while the rain was coming down
hardest and the wind shrieking tiercest that
an officer came in and asked for the stretcher.
"No," he said, as he warmed his hands at
the fire, she didn't want it for anything par
ticular; only, to bring, in q body. Man, dead
He aud another officer brought in the body,
carried it back through the office to the hall
way, where the bodies are always put, and
then the turnkey turned it over on its back,
and started. Good God don't let the young
for the last time It's Drunken Jim" otis my
papa" The turnkey was too late. Dotsy,
unobserved, had come in. "Its my papa, and
he's asleep, . and, kneeling by the stretcher,
'.he's so cold Never mind, papa, Dotsy make
throwing the faded thread-hare garment over
him. snow you're warm. Hush-h- h, to those
standing around, "don't make noise; papas
asleep; when papa wakes up he'll kiss Dutsy.'
She would not be moved, and SO the turn
the belief to the reporters you'll think me
awful soft" got an old blanket, put it over
what was left Of Drunken Jim and tucked it
in close. There little one" he said, 'he's all
right now Just as warm as can BE-; now let
go to Sleep.
Dotsy did go to sleep, cuddled upon the
floor, her hand resting on the cold dead face
of her papa and her head on the stretcher
pital. The clerk said that towards daylight
he had heard her moaning, and had taken her
from the body. From that time she had beer
talking to her papa about flowers and
things, and her eyes were bright and he1
her to the station had come in, had said there
was no one to take care OF her, had cried
when she said it, and then, as stated above he
had sent Dotsy to the hospital
Well, as / said before, she died the other
The reporters were about leaving the hos
pital after having obtained the statement OF
a man dangerously hurt, when they were
told that Dotsy was dying, and they went
into. the ward in which the little form, more
wasted than ever, lay.
God has been good to her in this last sick
ness" the nurse said. .'The doctor has been,
to her fevered mind, her papa; and oh ! how
she would speak to him; it would have made
you cry sometimes to have heard her.
then she extended her little arms upward
and speaking to something or some one she
alone saw, she said "Papa papa! Me
wants my papa No! no! Me can't go till
such piteous, despairfng tone, and that was
all. Her little arms dropped and the nurse
gently closed her eyes.
"Was Drunken Jim @ very bad MANI" the
nurse asked.
"'Wen," she was told, nothing much can be
said against him, except that he was drunk
enough"
''Yes, that's bad enough" the nurse re-
peated, .'bad enough, and good men, a5 e,
and good women too, would say that Dotsy
say what they will, If he is not there, heaven
is not heaven to Dotsy. He may have been q
bad man-Go knows-but God is good, and
who can tell but that for Dotsy's sake
Drunken Jim was made white as snow, and
met her as she passed the golden gate. I
him, oh! SO much, and God is good.'
CITY ECADES.
A, Heidenfelder, for being, about to fight q