Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-02-20
Gales arrD Skftfbfs.
ARseLD.s LANE.
BIZ JOAQUIN MILLEn-

that bouee of, SIR" Down from under
INV feet came cracked. piping little voice,
and oddly 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 Gluten
neryously about the little crutch. The
voice was that of child, but the face was
old. The little cripple held on to the side
of a 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 as if 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 a grave.
..What. you will not take penny like
the others. my child ?"
mo, because l amt beggar, if be a
cripple" =, boz. ., tho ,ow bench with
me and tell me all about yourself and
will give YOU whole bright sixpence all
tor yourself. Oh. don't be afraid; and
don't be ashamed to do it either, for
shall write it all out for a paper. and
shall sell it and get 100, maybe 1000 six
pences for it. Yes, l work; am poor,
too. | 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. while l work
and wander"
On the bench she clambered instantly.
l, too, was poor, and SO we we're on
level, looking each other pitifullY in the
face. The dogs lazily crept away into
their corners, the children looked at Us
curiously, and then slid away to spend
their pennies. The washboards kept up
their muffied sounds, and the coopers
changed away like far. faint echo of the
roar OF musketry more than 100 years age,
here in Arnold's lane. And what his
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 AIMS, to good Saint AIMS" And
here she touched her brow. her breast. left
right, crossing herself devotedly on men
ton of the good saints name, and bowling
her head. "Yes. papa will come around
the Horn, and take me to good Saint
Ann's"-brow, breast, left. right-"and
there will be miracle, and nv legs will
be straight and strong. and long like any
body's.
And have you never seen the shrine of
good Saint Ann, my child? Why, it is
only 20 miles away. You can see the
church from the heights of Quebec up
yonder."
mo. no, no, and if only could get up
there and see it away off, maybe that
would straighten my legs and make them
strong and long like anybody's. All, if
could only get up there and look at the
shrine of good Saint Ann''-brow, breast.
left. right, and bowling of the little head,
till hidden in the black mantle of hair
"Oh, if I could only get up there and see
out, and look once down at the shrine,
know my legs would be strong and
straight like anybody's.
took her in my arms after much coax
ing. for did not care to talk much now,
and carried her out to the light of the
sun. Then, climbing into carriage, in
half an hour we were on the summit of
the heights, looking away down the St.
Lawrence to the dim little white dot on
the bank. which is the distant shrine of
Saint Ann. place that has been visited
by cripp,es for 250 years; a shrine which
more than 100. 900 people sought last year.
Clutches that have been left behind are
piled up in little pyramids. Such. in
brief. is the shrine of Saint Ann. which
this little cripple, now praying silently at
my side in the carriage, SO longed to see.
IL feel lighter and better than for a
long time. All, good sir. and good Saint
Ann"-brow, breast, left right-.'and
when my papa comes from around the
Horn know he will take me all the way
down to the shrine of Saint Ann"-brow,
breast. left. right-"and she will make
my legs long. and strong and straight like
anybody's."
But for all her faith. it was clear to me,
as took her back at sunset and set her
down in the darkness. amid the roar of
washboards and mallets. that she was
sorely disappointed. Her voice was fee
bier than before. as she told me in a whis-
per that it was all her own fault that she
had not been out of this dark place for so
many years. She could not help look
thS az TIC suuchiht tls UuuStS.
and the clean people, and so could not
keep her mind and her eyes and her heart
all the time on the shrine far away down
the bank of the river.
but when my papa comes back from
around the Horn he will take me in his
arms and lay me down in the little bed on
the boat where they lay crippled children
when they take them to good Saint AIMS"
brow, breast, left. Highland 1 will
hide my face in my hands and hair, and
pray all the way down. Then he will
carry me on shore and into the church.
and will fall down at the feet of good
Saint Ann"-brow, breast. left. right
land pray, and pray until am as feath-
err. and I rise right up and my legs are
long and strong. and straight. like any
body's.
Then 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 the date of sailing. 1t was long
before. The child seemed to have no idea
of the lapse of years down there in the
darkness. And as for Cape Horn, she
seemed to think it was only some bend in
the river little distance off. I kissed
her, crowded shilling into her bony and
unwilling hand, as hurried away. and