The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-02-08

stood a woman, bent enough, Wrinkled
enough for a veritable fairy gedmother
sShe wore d dress of silk and lace; her
! zfacer was as. yellow as the yellow gold
that linked itself about her skinny throat
and hel1g the great bright stone that
flashed ana sparkled all .oRer1her claw
ike fingers. =. -,
Before Annie in any wise recovered
frenAths Surprise OF her presencs she
spoke in sharp, rasping voice:
$50 you are Annie Bruwnssare you?
And q we'll ll-lookingswoman, so one looks
only at yottr facea But whit has my
slsbepasschildHo do with this filthy reem,
this stlHnble7down house, this forsaken
street, and al this miser you seem part
and parcel OF? Fake your bat5jjt,s Annie,
hnd come with me. Tousizii he lady,
Eehild, as Your mother was before YOU,
even if she did die in the poor-house,
and I, hand tied, 5000 miles aiFay.'a,)
"But John?'f gaspeI Annie, when
SURPRISE Wolldlet her. speak, ass
sHsAnd what Of Johnps cried the gold
witch. shafplys3ssT sedfsr. you home
such. as YOU neverlefen dreamed of, rich
dresses, food and jewels; has your John
given you such things?'a Win he ever
give them to your
Il ''John is my husband,ithe father of
my baby. father of the two God gave US,
and took again; Icsnnot leave him, you
know; tlllg. ILa, E,I.s /,
Il know nothing OF the Kind, cried
the sgoIdvWitch. :s..Ypp are my nieces my,
own sisters child; year John, whoever
he may be, As no kinsmaR ofamine; [
want nothing of him; you say two of
your. children are dead; JsoMSH the third
ione be in this reeking atmosphere; it is
Esufocating me already. You have no
fright to kill your child, no right to re-
fuse him chance such as he will reyer
have agaifi. As for your John you
may send him a. thousand dollars tor
night. He'is a man; they are all alike;
he had rather have the money than you. y
The last two arguments were strono.
ones. and. illness and poverty had made
| Annie weak. Pierre was more feeble
resistance, ipoEe golden promises, and at
last she yielded. .,s.ss...gr
Strange and bewifdered enough she
felt when the prancing horses, stood be-
fore thesgreat uptown hotel where OBJ
sedhious walters stood on every hand.
NOV rest, :. cried the gold-witch,
\ whose viii and word seemed a law unto
i Others. }1asa ,a1aa as.L ssala 2stsi z
i So She rested. The bed was white
and downy there were laces and ribbons
auttering around it; but, in spite of the
i saftness and whitehess, the child that
lay on her Bosom wept and walled with
a. .low.3 hesrtrbreaking cry. and at last
the baby, who UP to that day had never
spoken any word Or tried to- speak,
opened its little quivering lips and called
1 out loud and clear. Il 3 "a
Papa! papap'
1t was, as though the voice of God
spoke to the mother. She sprang from
the bed and folded her worn cid shawl
around about herself and boy. Close
hesidewthe door sat the goId-witch,
soundly sleeping. Il With bated breath
and noiseless steps she stole past the old
woman. Down the grand stairway and
through the lofty halls she sped, boxing
neither to, the right hand nor to the left.
She reached her home ct last, dark
and,disnlal as to outward surroundings,
bright with the memory Of former Joys,
sacred to the memory of former sorrows.
The fire was out, the hearth was dark.
A monentl later and glad Aame leaped
and sparkled, the sleeping baby was left
to its fate While hfslmesherE eonYerteda a
few hQafded silver. pieces. that were to
have bougiit her a dress into tea, sugar,
crackers, hot FoHs, and while the fit Of
recklesshess WaslstrDag upon her a pint
kof cranberriss fer old times sake. u.
Her-sheRping completed, howrAnnie,
asst were, few home! How that despised
turkey was forgiven for having passed
Through old H Huxley 3 hands, and tucked
| into an oven as warm and comfortable
as any highEtoned1turk could desire!
How the potatoes danced and tumbIed
and at last absolutely burst themselves
with pride at being allowed to participate
in this mestsldxtuAlntsrepastl- How the
EoEanherries cracked and,spurted in their
sFfoud. demand for sugar! 4 How light the
rolls were and howistr5n9 the tea!
After tlal dinner was well underway,
Annie had time for a vigorous putting TO
sieAts OF tie ldisordered rodln. tifneseKen
bfo make the baby sweet and clean. as
she washed herself, in very best dress,
i the pretty, old fashioned Empress cloth
4 that had borne with some degree of
! gentility the wear aad tear Of. the last
flour wears. asa sgevas slsss 4al ls5iAasssf
So John come home to tidier wife, a
sweeter baby, aneater room and grander
dinner than he had dreamed dsf In "a the
years IN which he had 6een'slitifng down
hill with such dfscouraging rapidity.
Then Annie, asked pardo6 for her I'M
kkindreeaptionpf the hrewn and luscious
fttirkey, and 4seeiFed IL with her pretty
head hidd@g on his Ylllpg shoulder,
and while in such safe retirement, man
agedNto confess and receive pardon for
the morning sssins, also. {
| Hyouwil belieyegit those poor young
married people were 50 taken up in for
tgiKing ant making love to each other
Ethas they never heard their baby cry,
and it was great surprise when at last
they came to themselves to see their
small child in the arms Of a nice old
lady in a nice black dress, who was
I kissing and crying over it, much as its
grapdmother Or aunt might be supposed
60 do. t~'NS ~
sm You blessed .child,n said the old
7 laay hooking ataArnlie. A.vOu are all