Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-11-02
ARNOLDS LANE.

enough in English, TOO, from swarm OF
children there. And of all the extended
hands, imploring pennies, her thin hands
were not seen except to clutch nervously
about the little crutch. The voice was that
of a child, but the face was old The little
cripple held on to the side of low bench
with one hand, as she looked up at me with
her great pitiful eyes from under the most
wonderful growth Of hair ever seen. 1t
looked az il this child buried 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 grave.
"What, you will not take penny like the
others, my child"
mo, because l amt a beggar, if be a
cripple"
''Then sit here on the low bench with me
and tell me all about yourself and will give
you q whole bright sixpence all for yourself,
Oh don't be afraid and don't be ashamed
to do it either, for shall write it all out for
paper, aud shall sell it and get 100, msyb
/ 600 sixpences for it. Yes. | work l am
poor, too must go in queer places all over
the world like this and get stories, and sell
them to get bread for my little kids left
alone, like you, while work and wander.
On the bench she clambered instantly. /,
too, was poor, and 30 we were on a level,
looking each other pitifully iu the face. The
dogs laziy crept away into their corners
the children looked at us curiously, and then
slid away to spend their pennies. The wash
boards kept up their muifled sounds, and the
coopers changed away like far, faint echo Of
the roar of musketry more than 100 years
ago, here in Arnolds lane. And what a his.
tory was here She had been born away up
at the top of the heights of Quebec. 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, slid down, down, down, into this
"But papa will come back from around the
Horn; and he will take me down to Saint
Auns, to good Saint AIMS Aud here she
touched her brow, her breast, left, right,
crossing herself devotedly on mention Of the
good saints name, and bowiug her head.
''Yes, papa will come round the Horn, and
take me to good Saint Ann's"-brow, breast,
left, right and there will be a miracle, and
my legs will be straight and strong, and long
like anybodys."
And have you never seen the shrine OF
good Saint Ann, my childy Why, it is only
twenty miles away. You can see the church
from the heights of Quebec up yonder."
mo, no, no and if only l could get up
there and see it away of, maybe that
would strengthen my legs and make
them strong and long like anybodys. All, il
could only get up there aud look at the
shrine Of good Saint Aun'-brow, breast,
left, right, and bowing Of the little head,
till hidden in the black mantle of hair "Oh,
| if l could only get up there and see out, and
look once down at the shrine l know my
| legs would be strong and straight like any
body's."
took her in my arms after much coaXing
! for did not care to talk much now, and car
ried her out to the light Of the sun. Then,
climbing into a carriage, in half an hour We
were on the summit of the heights looking
away down the St. Lawrence to the dim lit
tie white dot on the bank, which is the dis
tant shrine of Saint Ann, a place that has
been visited by cripples for 2j0years shrine
which more than 100, 600 people sought las
year. Clutches that have been left behind
are piled up in little pyramids. Such, il
brief is the shrine of Saint Ann, which thiI
little cripple, now praying silently at my side
in the carriage, so longed to see.
81 feel lighter and better than for long
time, ah good sir, and good st. Ann"-brow
breast, left, right-'and when my paps
comes from around the Horn know he will
take me all the way down to the shrine of St
Ann"-brow, breast, left right-''and sh,
will make my legs long, and strong and
straight like anybody's."
But for all her faith it was clear to me, al
took her back at sunset and set her down il
the darkness, amid the roar of washboards
and mallets that she was sorely disappointed
| Her voice was feebler than before, as she tolC
me in a whisper that it was all her own faul
that she had not been out of this dark place
for 80 many years. She could not help look
To-. 81 r., ~. ha 10,
the clean people, and so could not keep he
mind and her eyes and her heart all the tim,
on the shrine far away down the bank of th'
river.
"But when my papa comes back from
around the Horn he will take me in his arm
and lay me down in the little bed on the boa
where they lay crippled children when thel
take them to good Saint Ann's"-brow, breast
left right-"and will hide my face in M
hands and hair, and pray all the way down
Then he will carry me on shore and into tn
church, and will fall down at the feet o
good Saint Ann'-brow, breast left, right
"and pray, and pray until am as feather
and rise right up and my legs are long ant
strong and straight, like anybody's."
Then l asked her all about her father. She
told me all she knew, and that was so little
However, got the name of the ship and tn
date of sailing. 1t was long before. Tn
child seemed TO have no idea of the lapse o
years down there in the darkness. And a
for Cape Horn, she seemed to think it wa
only some bend in the river little distane
oH kissed her, crowded shilling into he
bony and unwilling hand, as hurried away
and left her there in the damp and darkness
with her crutoh. went to good lady whor
know-we all go to women somehow whe
we want a good deed done-and told he
about this queer little girl with her boundlef
faith in the miracles of Saint Ann.
'There will be miracle; there shall be
miracle !" cried the stout-hearted Protestan
lady, with tears il her eyes, as told her ho'
eager the child was to go down to the shrin
of St. Ann. "But," continued the goo
Protestant lady, sit will not be such mir
Gle as those faithful Catholics believe in bu
1 will tell you what it will be ;" and here Sd
lowered her head and whispered slyly "He
father shall be found Yes her father wi
come TO her, and that will be the miracl,
, Oh, do not fear for me, or doubt for an il
} slant that there is a God. We will take tn
little girl, take her tomorrow, to the shriI
, of Saint Ann, and my word for it, her faith,
will come for her from his long voyage arouu
the Horn; for this is the only kind of mir
: eles we have now"
Aud 80 it was agreed that we two shou
take the child to the shrine together. Mea
} time, the practical Protestant, who did n
believe in miracles of to-day, busted hersC
} in trying to get track of the poor abse
father, II was nearly week, however, b