The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1883-09-15

'In0 CduuOu DallS lOES tAS COIuoI Va |
that house off, Sir" Down from un-
der my feet came cracked, piping |
little voice, and only enough in Eng
lish, too, from the swarm of children
there. And of all the extended hands,
imploring pennies, her thin hands
were not seen except to clutch ner-
vously about the little crutch. The
voice was that of child, but the face
was old. The little cripple held on to
the side of low kbench with one hand
as she looked up at me with her great,
pitiful eyes from under the most Won
derful growth of hair ever seen. II
looked as if this child, buried here in
this place, had stopped growing long,
long before, and that her hair had kept
on growing as it is said sometimes of
persons buried in a grave.
nWhat, you will not take penny
like the others, my child ?''
"No, because I amt beggar, if 1
be cripple"
HThen sit here on the low bench with
me and tell me all about yourself, and
I will give you whole bright six
pence all for yourself. Oh! don't be
afraid and don't be ashamed to do it
either, for T shall write it all out for a
paper, and I shall sell it and get 100,
maybe 1000 sixpences for it. Yes, I
work I am poor, too. I must go in
queer places all over the world like
this and get stories, and sell them to
pay for bread for my little kids, left
alone, like you are, while work and
wander"
On to tho bench she clambered
instantly. ], too, was poor, and so we
were on a level, looking each other
pitifully in tho face. The dogs lazily
crept away into their corners, the chill
dren looked at us curiously, and then
slid away to spend their pennies. The
wash-boards kept up their muttied
sounds, and the coopers changed away
like far, faint echo ofthe roar of mus
kerry more than 100 years ago, here
in Arnold's Lane. And what a history
| was hers! She had been born away
up at the top, on the heights of Que.
bee. Then her father lost his ship, and
went away around Cape Horn as a
mate. The mother then died, and
then she began slipping down, down,
down, till this little cripple, with no
legs to speak of, no shape or form,
only the great big soul that was in her
little body to help her, till she slid
down, down, down, into this!
"But papa will come back from
around the Horn; and he will take me
down to Saint AIMS, TO good Saint
Ann's." And here she touched her
brow, her breast, left, right, crossing
herself devoutly on mention of the
good saints name, and bowling her
head. eyes, papa will come from
around the Horn, and will take me to
good Saint Ann's''-brow, breast left,
right-sand there will be miracle,
and my legs will be straight and
strong, and long like anybody's."
! "And you have never been to the
lshrine of good Saint Ann, my child
Why, it is only 20 miles away. You
can see the church from the heights o.
Quebec up yonder."
"No, no, no, and if only could ge
up there and see it away off, maybe
that would straighten my legs ant
, make them strong and long like any
body's. Ah, if could only get VI
there and look at the shrine of gooe
Saint Ann"-brow, breast, left, right
r and bowling of the little head til
hidden in the black mantle of hair
f'Ou, IL COuiOA ouly SSC Wy IhSAS hh>
see out, and look once down on tn
shrine, I know my legs would b.
strong and straight like anybody's.'
took her in my arms after mucl
l coaxing, for did not care to tall
, much now, and carried her out to tht
light of the sun. Then, climbing int
carriage, in half an hour we were OF
the summit of the heights, looking
away down the st. Lawrence to tn
dim little white dot on the bank
which is the distant shrine of Sain
T Ann, place that has been visited b,
cripples for $50 years shrine whicl
more than 10000 people sought las
year. Clutches that have been left be
hind are piled up in little pyramids
4 Such, in brief, is the shrine of Sain
4 Ann, which this little cripple, nov
praying silently at my side in the cal
l riage, so longed to see.
"I feel lighter and better than for
long time, ah, good sir, and good Sain
:. Aun''-brow, breast, left, right-ssan
when my papa comes from around tn
Horn / know he will take me all tn
;, way down to the shrine of Saint Ann
e brow, breast, left, right-''and 81,
d will make my legs long, and strong
! and straight like anybody's."
! But for all her faith, it was clear
: me, as I took her back at sunset an
set her down in the darkness, ami
the roar of washboards and mallet
that she was sorely disappointed. HI