Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-05-23
A LITTLE QUEEN.


And drunk her baby signs,
You would have been her firing maid
As Joyfully as l.;
Content TO deck your little Queen
And let the world go BY.
They used to go past our house every
fine day, summer and winter-the man,
shabby, emaciated as with long sick
ness, and with feeble hesitating step,
and an old-young face that was far from
prepossessing the child, beautiful, re-
gally dressed, seated in summer in
pretty carriage tastefully decorated; in
winter, wrapped1n soft fur robes in her
little sleigh that was hung with musical
bells, and drawn always by the faithful
servitor, who from much practice seemed
to have managed the difficulty of going
two ways at once; ut least, he walked
forward and looked backward, and never
fell over anything or endangered the life
of his precious charge.
do not remember who it was told us
that the man was servant or whether
we gathered it ourselves from him, as we
stopped to notice the beautiful child.
We were two old maids, sisters, and with
enough of an income to enable us to live
in 4 genteel neighborhood, but not rich
enough to be able to associate with the
owners of the more splendid dwellings
around us. We were, however, quite too
rich to be patronized, so the good people
left us severely alone. This explanation
is necessary to account for our interest
in all that passed our door. We had lit
tie else to do but to speculate on people,
not in a general gossipy way, but in that
semi-romantic strain of expression which
people are apt to acquire who live much
alone.
So we made n history Of our own for
the little Queen, as we called her, and it
certainly seemed to fit her. She was, we
decided, the only child of very rich par
ents, and this faithful man, who was not
exactly a servant-not being in livery, or
as well dressed as servants in such FAM
| lies usually are-was n sort of attachc to
the little Queen, and kept to attend her
because he was so very fond of her
maids not being trustworthy out of sight.
We felt that she came of long line of
heroic ancestry-there was no ditch wa
ter in those veins that traced her pearly
skin, and the fearless blue of her lovely
eyes was that of conqueror. Then the
small shapely ears, the dainty hands and
|
fact that no ladies every appeared on the
street with her told the story of select
humanity by right of birth We were
Just enough tainted with inherited aris-
tocracy ourselves to approve of the baby's
lineage
But, strange to say, we never became
well acquainted. The man had quiet
way of going right on with his little mis-.
tress, and whenever we saw our bright
bird she was on the wing. She would
smile and throw us kisses and toss hel
fine, richly-dressed doll in her arms foi
us to see, and then her patient steed
would start into gentle trot, and tho
little equipage would be gone, and il
would seem to us two lonely women a.
if cloud had shut ofl'the sun.
1t went on this way for years, and the
baby could walk and was quite largo
child, with long, curling, golden hair
and the fairest complexion i ever saw
with the color of dog-rose on her cheeks
and just brimming with health and hap
piness. The man was always with her
seedy, dejected-looking, but absorbed il
the child, often looking at her with {
sort of rapture in his face as if he i'm
agined she might vanish in Heaven Will,
he watched her, and when he touched
her to arrange her wrappings, doing it il
a deprecating way as if he were not hal
good enough. Inever saw such devotion
even in lover, and but this is not o
myself.
Three summers and winters we say
these two go past our door, in their littl
happy journeys, where one was blest il
giving and the other in receiving, whcl
they both disappeared Days went b,
and they did not come; the trees whicl
were bare and leafless bloss0med out il
living green; birds sang-where was on
little Queen? Sister and took turns il
watching for her, but we were dsar
pointed until one morning early, when
looked up the street saw, not the littl
carriage with its pretty burden, bu
the man attendant running distracted
toward me. AS he came near ] saw tina
his face was white and haggard, his ey,
lids red, lips compressed; he would hav
passed directly along but l called t
him.
"How is the little onep'
every SICK" he called back, and spe
on his way.
He had reluctantly told me once tbs
her home was on the corner of certai
streets above us, but was not familia
even with our own locality, and had onl
. an idea that it was distant, perhaps tw
or three blocks. Now | caught up
wrap, threw something on my head an
hurried away, determined to know if tn
beautiful child was in danger, and fee
ing no fear of intrusion, for to those pee
pie | would not be of the slightest in
portance; but hoped some of the dome
tics would kindly relieve my anxiety, {,
|, too, loved the child, and was devoure
: with secret fear that should never Sc
her again.
Ii was a long way there. walked an
walked, and at last stood at the nun
Der. And then | felt sure of what
had begun to suspect as soon as | sa
IS TO what part of the city my footstel
tended-the man had given me his ow
address, not that of his little charge
this humble cottage, was, no doubt, h
own home.
). Yes; even while | stood at the gate d.
a batting as to the necessity of my going
Z at all, he brushed hastily by me and cl
!. tered. lie had bottle in his hand, an
' did not notice me, and as he left the do,
open followed him in my great anxict
to know of the sick child's welfare.
Good heavens | had stepped into
room in the center of which was be