The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-09-15
ONE LEAF, FROM LIFE.

ssultr city street, shifting from hand to
'hnn1 the heavy basket which he bears.
The hot bricks burn his bare feet, and he
looks mechanically for the bits of shade
chat may give him a moments GOODNESS,
'.ut be never thinks of stopping, and as he
tolls along he frames half audibly the words
ne is impatient to pour into his mothers
car 1t is q poor quarter of the city, and
there are sights and sounds at every step
Shat might arrest the attention of the phil
santhropist; but Willie Graham gives no
heed to them. He has been familiar with
them since his earliest memory, and he
Mas only very vague idea of any other
sort of life. He knows, indeed, that there
are people who live in fine houses. not
many streets away, who wear fine clothes
and whose children turn away from him in
scorn, often with unkind epithets and al
Eusions to his n1isfortunes, if he ventures
to approach them. But this is onlya sort
OF unexplored fairy land, and Willie does
humble street ana enters very plain brick
mouse, climbs two pairs of stairs and throws
open a door on the upper floor.
There, mother" he shouts; "look at the
wood I've got, and the man down at the
carpenter shop will give me more if come
right back. Find me some place to put
,shis, for the other boys will be there"
There were two occupants of the room
a WOMAN still young, but whose youth had
been chastened by care and sorrow, and O
pretty child Of three-a perfect copy in
youthful miniature of the pale woman who
rose from her sewing at the BOYS entrance.
"Oh, Willie, this hot day! 1t is too far
For you to bring the wood"
No, mother; see-I hardly swea at all;
and Nell can play with the blocks til you
'uans to use them. They'll be just lovely
TO build houses" And in his eagerness
t4he boy erected hasty structure, at which
Nell clapped her hands and then demolih-
:, ed it with a kick.
A few minutes later Willie was hopping
down the stairs, making earnest If not very
successful efforts to hum strain of song
caught from a neighboring window, while
j his mother resumed her weary toll.
Herself a child of humble circumstances,
! Mrs- Graham's dream of happiness in life
had been little but dream. Married at an
years she had been prospered in her new
sphere OF wife and mother. But sickness
came upon her husband, and though he
! fought bitterly for life it was of no avail.
The king of terrors conquered, and Mrs.
QaInham was left to care for Willie, then
IAN active boy of four, and brother two
yeas younger. This was her first great
trial, but others followed in rapid success
! sion. Scarcely had the fathers eyes closed
Fin death when Baby Nell opened hers upon
eettse world; then the younger brother sicken-
yed aud died, and Willie, falling from q Sec
dnd -story window, was taken up for dead
,Bnt she little life had vigorous grasp up
ION the shattered frame, and it chung there,
though to bear ever in the stiffened and
nearly helpless limb weight that could
mot be shaken of.
From these terrible blows Mrs. Graham
came back at last to life-a different life
from any she had previously known. She
twas helpless and alone in the world-no,
mot alone, for there were two dear little
.s,fshoots of her own life with demands
upon her that she must meet Were it the
purpose of this sketch to put forth model
OF heroic womanhood, Alice Graham would
stand revealed as such model; It is need
ed only to lift the curtain from that three
years Of devoted struggle to show how in
Che humblest walks of life the grandest
struggles are wrought out and victories
secured while the great world little heeds
eheir transporting. Mrs. Graham never
dreamed Of an! thing heroic in the course
sshe was pursuing. It was to her only plain
.daty to her children. a ceaseless struggle
with piercing poverty, the end of which
might come only with the grave. She paus-
ed q moment to encourage Baby Nell in her
diversion with the blocks that Willie had
brought, then resumed her needle, to be
interrupted by a rap at the door and the en-
trance of a we'll dressed woman. The Wis.
l1tor was stranger, and Mrs. Graham Won
dered for moment whether her coming
iportended good or evil, but she was not
left In doubt, for introducing herself as
Mrs. Grown, the wife of prominent ply :
Sician, the caller proceeded
A few of us women, with not much to
occupy cur time, have been arranging to
send some of the city children into the
country for a breathing this hot weather.
The farmers at a few stations in Rural
county will care for them for week, and
We have provided for their transportation
by rail. You have two little children that
We should be glad TO include
II cannot send my children" Mrs. Ora
ham quickly broke in. But it cost her a
pang at the heart as she thought how Willie
would enjoy the pleasures of such week.
We do not wish you to send them, but
TO take them," pursued Mrs. Grown. "a
few mothers must 70 to look after the chill
den on the way; you can do this and am
sure week of rest with your children in
the quiet of the country will do you no
harm
How kindly persuasive the tones were
aaow the nearer longed to accept, for bel
children more than herself, the earnest in
vitation Like the memory Of some sweet
dream, visions came back to her of the
green fields through which she had skipped
I'm girlhood, with all the panorama of beauty
that lived for her now only in faint lines Of
remembrance, for there was nothing in he,
present life to recall those days. The win.
DAVIS Of her two plain rooms gave view
only of the citys human wilderness, admit.
ted only its poisonous odors, it noise, dus
and heat. And to her life and the lives Of
her children there came nothing more
cheering and restful save only the love
that bound the little group with a CONNER
tie So it was with a culver in her voice
That Mrs Graham replied:
Il thank you, indeed; but fear canno
accept the pleasure you offer. should
very much like to 60 for the sake of tn.
children, their life is dreary enough, tn,
Lord knows. Then she stopped, and he
visitor pleaded her cause SO earnestly tina