The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-12-04
A RIVER MYSTERY.

but such town? 1t was very old town
and a very dirty place, and one particular
house in its principal street stood for
ward into the road Sc
veral feet ! its neighbors;
its upper story quite overhanging the
basement. This house was so old that it
almost tottered when the wind blew-as
it often did at Mile, end-even ii spite of
the wooden props, themselves rotten now,
with which it had been buttressed up.
But in spite OF perhaps because Of its
age and discomfort and general dilapida-
ton, it was beautifully mellowed and
harmonious in the tone Of its coloring.
Tufts of vivid green moss, and yellow
and gray ichen at intervals carpeted and
softened the red tiles; and hevay clumps
of orange wall-howers filled up the gaps
left by departed bricks and morter; thus
throwing over the actual decay and rot
tenness a glalnorous veil of picturesque
beauty. Within, this house was cruelty
old and cold and comfortless; the beauty
Of decay was all outside, and only its
stern reality existed within the frail and
draaghty walls. There were ten rooms
in this house, which gave shelter to seven
families The noise and brawling were
incessant, never seeming to stop night or
day, for when at last the sickly children
were asleep, the night was made hideous
with the drunkenl blasphemies and low
quarrels of the degraded men and wo-
men: and the reeking air was thick and
heavy with gin and tobacco and disease.
In one OF these rooms-it was in the
projecting upper story, which through
an unusually wide window commanded
view all up and down the street-lay
on straw pallet on the floor, barely Gov
cred with an old patchwork quilt, boy
of about Il, who, judging from his con-
slant cough, labored breathing and en-
aciated limbs, was in the last stages of
consumption. Beside him on the narrow
bed lay girl few years older then her
brother, fast asleep. She was pale and
thin and dirty? but there was a rare
beauty in the firm soft curves of the
mouth and chin, and in the lower
thick tangled mass Of curly brown hair.
Tears glistened on the long brown lashes,
and the eyebrows were knit together in
painful frown, which suddenly relaxed
as the sick. bow watched her with tired
sunken eyes, and sudden glowing smile
lighted up her face.
'She can allus dream, and escape to the
beautiful world she tells me about" he
muttered with a wistful, Impatient sigh :;
land I can never even sleep.;'
eyes, she was dreaming, but not so
deeply. but that the movement and sigh
} Of her brother woke her. "Whaten's the
trouble, Harry dear? Be 20 worse to-
night?" ..-aI.::'. o..
20 no. he said, and si.hed again. II
was just a wonderin' where 'vo was, yo
smiled so; and I longed to be there too"
20 Harry, was way off out O. sight
o'house an street an such like, all the
trees an the flowers an the river spak to
me, to give me comfort j. .s,.,..s ,'- l.g
'Ah! the valley, said the sick. boy
''that's where wants to 60, as used to,
fore was took bad. If I could sleep,
p'1aps I could go too.' Here he was in
terrupted by a terrible fit OF coughing,
which only left him strength to gasp fee
bly, for water" ''.. '.*'+ 5H.t 'l.@.sa 20 n,
A cracked cup without handle stood
on the windo w-sill, and in it was little
water. The girl rose to getit; but as she.
was handing it to her brother the door.
opened, anu their father staggered in.
For an instant he looked at his children,
and in drunken fit of senseless passion
struck the girl savage buffet which
made her reel, and shattered the cup into
fragments in her hand. ssua -a
The girls brow flushed crimson with
anger and pain, and her brown eyes flash
ed fire. 'Yo miserable drunken brute!'
she said. ~ tt&@Es
':None O yer SARGE, gal, or / II kill yer!'
and he glared at her dangerously, with
arm upliftcd to strike. .,.> .t..-
Father, father!' commanded rather
than implored the sick boy, sitting up
with an effort, and holding out thin pale
/ hand between them while hectic red blaz-
ed in his checks and a vivid light shone in
his pale blue epes, "Don't ycrstrike her
don't yer strike her, or God will strike yo!'
There was g strange, almost unearthly
looksin the boys spiritualized suffering
face that awed the man into temporary
soberness. 5
AS he paused with arm uplifted, looking
at his son, an expression Of shame and un-a
certainty crossed his features; he hung
his head, avoided the boys intense eyes,
and his arms slowly dropped by has side
"Father,"' said the boy IN a gentler
tone, you've hurt her-yo have. and
she's SO good to yo.'
The man shifted.uneasily from one
foot to the other, and looked up at his
daughter, who was standing defiant and
angry, with dull red mark on her cheek
and neck. When her brother spoke, her
face softened and her lips quivered; she
knelt suddenly by the bed and put her
arms round him, saying in piteous voice
as the big tears fell On his yellow hair:
'sIt's no for ME I mind! It's for 70.
Whaten will 20 do the night Though
withouten wateI9 There's no drop
more i the house nor the street.n
The boy said nothing as he stroked his
sisters brown head, but the wistful long
ing look u hiseyes, and the half sigh
he could not repress, showed how much
, he needed the water. The man looked
at them for minute. and then the fumes