Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-01-23
!TIBBY AND TOSEY.

| lWIslluS tue uSufe Vi puberty I'LL ner
fingers ached before she discovered that
it was not the gas-stopper, and then laugh
ng sleeplly at all her mistakes. She
even remembered the first dream of her
sleep, which was something about char
itY diamonds, chicken.salad, lanccrs, and
Ice cream waltzesI
No; there was no doubt that she had
gone through all this: yet there she was,
| staring in at the windows of the great
ballroom, and the ball was just commence
ing. Could she have gone to sleep on
the window-slll in some ysterious man
ner. No; she was outside and standing
in the air, with somebody holding on to
her hand
"Oh, dear" thought Kitty mournfully,
| II must have drank some WINE somehow.
How strange it is! I wonder how I came
| here! But what cold hand holds mine
it's not papa's, for it makes me SILVER.
He must be horrid. won't look at him.
Sop
There did not seem to be much need OF
the resolve, however, for tho person who
| held her hand did not move nor seem to
care whether she saw him or not, but
quietly looked in with her. so, at last,
like most girls, Kitty's curiositv got the
better of her, and she cautiously glanced
out of the corners OF her eyes.
Besides her she saw an old man. His
beard and hair were long and white, and
dropped about his neck and shoulders,
like falling snow. Upon his head was
| lightly placed crown as of fros+-work
SO delicate was its texture. Robes, long
and dark, and cold to look st, fell in
broad folds from his shoulders, and were
held to his waist by girdle of twink
ling stars. lie was gazing in at the
brilliant asscmblage with sad, melan-
choly LOOK upon his face.
Kitty looked at his robes.
'How very old tashioned!' she thought
:'and aged, very aged
"Yes,' murmured the old man: .''old,
very old. - 80
Kitty started. He read her thoughts,
evidently. She was sorry now she had
thought it. he looked so sad.
"Who are yous" asked Kitty timidly:
"and why have you brought me here?'
81 am the Cold Night" said the old
man, slowly turning his eyes toward her.
His eyes were sharp and piercing, yet
full of kindness. "And have brought
you here that you might see how great
your charity IS, for l head this was a
eharity-ball.'
Eyes" said Kitty nervously.
II am friend Of the poor,' continued
the Cold Night; ;'and l love to see chart.
ty.' He looked back into the ballroom
as he spoke. "You see all your friends
here?''
Eyes" said Kitty, frightening up, and
gazing inside with something Of a proud
look. ''Therc's Flory Hall right before
the window now. She has those beauti-
full solitaire diamonds in her ears. Oh,
dear, how bright they look. wish I had
| Them
"But you had the handsomest DRESS"
said the Cold Night, sadly.
"0h, yes exclaimed Kitty, quickly.
1T was Of the richest silk, and cost sew
eral hundred dollars Papa was so kind
And was it bought for chality2" ask
ed the Cold Night.
'Why no, tor me, of course" answered
KITTY, in surprise.
"But the ball is for charlty2"
| Kitty began to be bewildered By SO
much catcchising; and she was much re-
| licved when he led her away.
i They descended to the grand entrance,
where he pointed out two little beggars,
a boy and girl, who fiddled and sang,
and asked penny Of all the rich people
descending from their carriages.
"You passed them by tonight"
eyes, but they are horrid beggars, y
SAID Kitty. The Cold Night was silent:
and Kitty vas afraid she might have
said something wrong, so she added:'
"And common street fiddlcrs."
But the Cold Night said nothing.
They both watched the little duo, Tos.
ey and libby, the Cold Night said, and
drew nearer to hear what they would
say. People, rich with money and great
in charity, carefully passed them by, Tor
they were ragged beggars, and fddled
and sang. It was cold, very cold; and
Tosey played very, very slowly, while the
breath of Tibby's quiverin. plant disap-
pearcd dispairingly in the frosty air. The
wheels of carriages seemed to creak in
sympathy as they crushed down in the
snow. Yes, it was cold indeed, yet they
iddled and sang untiringly, while the
rich people alighted and passed up the
grand entrance, after glancing contempt.
uously ut the poor little duo, who fiddled
and sang as the brilliant dresses .disap.
Ipeared in the distant doorway; but final
ly stopped as the last carriage drove away.
!. II suppose we looks too awful said
Tosey,, wetting his lips and feeling
vacantly in the small pocket, which God
knows, had not seen SO much as q
: dime for many and many day. =.
! Eyes, said libby, "but I does feel SO
hungry, and sang so loud, and I tried
so hard" 3D. ! ~>.<
libby slightly sobbed and silently
used small piece of her shawl to wipe
. away a large tear. go. i"
"Don't cry said Tosey, TREMENDOUSLY
"let's move on, and perhaps we'll find 8
little somethin'. Oh, If we only had q
few penniesp' ~ 49,. i. )
Tosey took Tibby's hand and they
started to move away. -..,..
ooh, Mr.: Cold Might replied Kitty
!: sorro wfnlly, .slet me, give them some.
thing poor little th1ngsl'' 7 .~ ,,. -.
"But they are beggars." - answered the
, cold night. = -: -.
! Kitty looked ashamed. She coulj
: feel herself blush, even though she was
cold and shiyering, The Cold Nigh
handed her silver piece. -. 81 +
eyes, said he; drop it, even if it il
, wasted. See what they will do. -. :
Kitty took it quickly and dropped i
! before them. Right at Tibby's foot fel
/ the money, which she would have passet
! unnoticed if Tosey had not exclaimed;
"Oh, libby, there's a dimep' an,
, picked it up. -:s - r. r ~ p.
. libby ciasped her hands in delight
: danced up and down and then looked in
= : to his hand. TO be sure that it was reail
! there. TWAS surely. So ~ 4 E. i
e won't we have hot potato, though,
said Tosey. So e *:sS=t z s.
s. ~And big roll, and some butter, am
some meat, and just . very little piece Q
pief'' IS. ..5.
libby named each of them on the end
of her fingers, but stopped when she "a
) to her thumb, fer the money was HI gon
81 by that time, and the thumb was quit
+ large. s3.
But how did il como therea'' aske
Tosey.
.Gould it have groweds'' suggeste
j libby. =
8 No, : said Tosey.
Fell from the SKYE
s3uess not, = said Tossy, obviously.