Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1881-10-06

oll TIE uUTcIlCaFseu cAeCt a6 part
Of the piece.
/ filled the thirblc, and the child
took it to her little Creepy stool
beside the miller. I watched her
and presently saw her turn her
back to the audience and pour it
into a little haf-penny snuf-box.
She covered the box with a bit of
paper and screwed on the lid, thus
making the box pretty water-tight,
and put it in her pocket.
When the curtain felt, our man
ager came forward and patted the
cbild's head.
We'll, ny little girl said he,
syou are quite geniusl Your gag
is about the best thing in the piece.
We must have it every night. But,
my child, you mustn't drink the
whisky. No, no, that would never
do.'
oh, sir, indeed l won't; I give
You my word, won't!' she said,
quite earnestly, and ran to her
dressing-room.
sCramond Brig lad an unpre-
cedented run Of six nights, and the
little lady always got her thinble-
ful OF whisky aud her rotnd of ap-
planse. And each time I noticed
she corked up the former safely in
the snuff box. 1 was curious as to
what she could possibly want with
the spirits, and who she was, and
where she came from. / asked her,
but she seemed SO unwilling to tell
and turned SO red, that | did not
press but found out that it was
the old story-no mother, and a
drunken fatl,srs
Still, il was strange. What could
she want with the whisky-a child
like her It could not be for the
drunken father. l was completely
at fault. | took fancy to the lit
tie thing, and wished to tathon het
secret, for secret felt sure there
was. After the performance l saw
my little lady come out. Poor lit-
tie child there was no mother or
bro ther to see hef ho;le. She hur-
ried Up the street, and turning into
the poorest quarter of the town, en-
tered the common stair of a tumble
down old house. ! followed feel
ing my way the best l could. She
went mp and up, till in the very top
fiat she entered a little room. A
handful Of fire in the CRATE revealed
a sickly boy, some two years her
junior, who crawled toward her
from where he was lying before the
fire.
'Cissy, Pm glad you're home,' he
said 4 thought you'd never
come
She put her arms around him,
LAID the poor little head on her
shoulder, and took him over to the
fire again, trying to comfort him as
she went.
IS the pain very bad tonight,
Willie q
yes A sadder sYes,' [ never
heard.
willie, l wish I could bear the
pain for YOU
its cruel of father to bend me
out in the vet he knows how bad
am
'Hush !, Willie, hush ! be might
hear yon.'
i don't care ! I don't care !
wish you would kill me at once:'
The reckless abandon OF the
child's despair was dreadful
sHush hush he is our father
and we mustn't say any such thingl
This thro' her fast falling tears
Then she said, s1set me try ane
make the pain BETTER
The boy took off his shirt;
The girl leaned over and put he
arms around him, and kissed th'
shoulder, she then pitt her hand in
to her pocket and took out th'
SnnH box.
oh, Willie, I wish we had more
so that it might cure the pain
Having lighted dip candle, sh
rubbed the ch;ld's rheumatic shout
der with few drops of spirits, an
then covered mp the little thi
body, and, sitting before the fire
took the boys head on her knee
, and began to sing him TO sleep.
/ took another look into th
room, through the half-open door
my foot creaked +; the frightene
eyes met mine. put my finger
on my lips and crept away.
But, as | began to descehd tn
stair, l met a drunken rnah as
cending-slipring and sthmblin
as he came. He slipped and STUN
a bled by ME and entered tho room
! I followed to the landing unnotice'
and stood in the dark shadow Of II
t half-open door.
: 4 hoarse, brutal voice growle
r sWhat are you doing there G.