, 1882-10-06

|.'.N Nf'.IA l'....' tlN '.l'A ~ NhkN, ttllNA
crotohuty ml haW-uraIrj h side
We hal rhummrl together FIR vcorI,
and took adjoining gooms iu q private
residence ol II,,u iiDi. It Wa, dur.
ing the first weeks occupancy OF Our
new quarters, while smoking ON tho
voraulu auj looking outup the noon
lit bay, t'mt the io.rSoing conversation
l'cmroi
hal never seen Tom so moved by
book IL h"appcared to be bya volume he
brought from the library one evening.
He iilgctcd, and wipcd his bald head so
much, and uttered SO many ex lama
tious, that | finally asked him what he
had come across to agitate him SO.
"A most affecting story, my dear
Jack. " he replied, "mOSt AFT citing"
at must be, judging by your man.
ner."
IF it would not disturb you, Ishould
like to read it aloud.
81 shall he very gial to listen to it,
Tom. My book is raiucr Gry."
Excuse IN" il rrld it badly. II
was always dillicultfor the to get through
well with anything that affected Inc. |
shant even attempt tine dialect with
which it uhpunls."
He clenryd his throat, turned himself
in his chair so ~ 10 face ne, AMI read
slowly, i'll Il nervous voice:
In one OE the OuisiirtS ot Edinburgh,
where the homes OF the middle classes
mingled with the novels Of the poor that
had former Y occupied the site, lived Il
family by the nume OF Compton. The
husband was builder. Though his
trade was fairly lucrative, the thrifty
wife let her spare rooms to lodgers, in
order to eke out his Income.
They had an only ch,ld, daughter
named Annie, 1G years old. Hrrunusu-
al beauty rendered her exceedingly at
tractive, but she was everywhere more
beloved for the sweetness Of her dlspo-
sition than for her compliuess. Her
molesty and kindness perpetuated the
admiration inspired hy her personal
charms. Among those who became
strongly attached to her was an old
woman known as Mother McNnvit, who
lived in II novel adjoining She was
past 10, childlrss, friendess and desti-
tute. She earned menger livelihood
by the labor OF her aged hands Her
sharp tongue and uurannny behavior
had alienated general sympathy and at
teption, AMI she dwcit alone. hating tue
world which had ut last Withdrawn what
little kindness it had ever shown to her.
DnR tl,a oil ha,,,t
feeling as the world thought it, or as
she herself wished it was. 1t had sim
ply been bruised and neglected till its
soreness made it angry aud defiant
toward all that approached.
All but one. The beauty and gentle
ness Of Annie had come upon it so ten
derly that its s'nSitjvencss and hostility
were disurmcd, aud it chung to the child
with an unnatural strength as the only
object it loved in Ill tn. desolate world.
The forlorn creature had once had chill
dren of her own, but she had buried
them all. She faucied that Annie looked
like her daughter Hetty. If she had
lived, she sad, her poor old mother
might not be 81 fors AIKEN now; but the
sweet BARN could not have been kinder
or dearrr to her than was her Hetty-
Annie, Got bless her for so she min.
gled their ton nnmcs tuy, thcr.
The devoted love of 'lln helpless old
womra va, r";urr,d ly IN warm an
affection "u Anu'r'o part. Her pity was
toucEed ~ tl" fur,nSruness and desti.
tuition sIc saw thei"nduess with which
she WAS ear, ~, Il aud iOllzed nwoke tho
deepest yuptth es in her nature, whils
the constant uu,orintiUn OF her name
with that uf the ,leul daughter finally
inur''ss,'d her wish the I, cling that shA
stNsl Ill the Snna relation to the be.
sss'ed mn' y Wit nature as sin.
cere as Annie's, to feel thus was to man.
ifest her sense Of iilial love i'll every pos
sible way. So marked and unremitting
were her attentions to the object of this
strange affection that her parents and
more intimate acqunintances We're wont
to address her spoltively as Mother
McNavit's child. The epithet did not
ottend her. Her love was too earnest
and respectful for her to be ashamed or
annoyed by any allusion to it whatever.
II the nickname produced any effect at
all upon her, it only strengthened the
tie that existed between Her and the
desolate old woman.
AT the dnte of this story the smallpox
was rayaging Edinburgh. The disease
was of an unusually violent type, and
the greatest CONSERVATION prevailed
throughout tho city. One day Mother
McNavit was ailing. The frightened
neighbors summoned physician, who
told them she WAS stricken with the con-
tagion. They informed her that she
must be removed to the hospital. The
intelligence appeared to inspire her with
q mortal terror. She begged and prayed
them to leave her where she was, but
they paid no heed to her supplications.
As a last favor she asked that before sho
was taken away they would let her see
her Hetty.Annie When Annie was
told of this desire, in spite of her natural
timidity and the remonstranCes OF her
frfaplg Cha ypapt T., tln trtnullpga baJ-