West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-07-04
SPRING IN THE Alley.

She stopped and told him that the Spring was
born;
A ring of triumph in her fresh young voice :
For she, poor child, was in her life's glad
morn.
And the soft sunshine made her heart re-
"wcrt thou not longing for the SPRING." she
But the pale sufferer sadly SHOOT, HE head.
And gazcd with supkcn eyes upon her face.
Till its pure beauty filled his soul with peace,
Ihen smoothed her locks, and I'm fond cm-
brace,
Clasping her slender form, he whispered:
Cease
To sing the praises of the young Spring row-
crS;
Child of the narrow court, they are not ours :"
Ger tho Respondent sufferer bending low.
Nlll her fair trcsses swept his throbbng
With tender Rlistening eyes, and checks aplow
win JOY and hope, she softly told him how
NN ol very TAR away, the golden bees
"ooeu the white clusters OF the hawthorn
trees.
She spoke of twittering birds. and raised her
bright with tho glory OF poetic thought.
10 the dark ceiling that shut out the skies,
Ana lowered upon her, ms she vanity sought,
With words OF loving sympathy, TO cheer
The hickcring life that suffering made so dear.
For oh, that life, unlovely though IL seemed.
=. Was the dear object OF her fondcst love;
volumes OF witching poesy she dreamed.
Morn, noon and evening as she bent above
His weary form, yet neither light nor bloom
could tempt her footsteps from that dingy
room.
OFT when she heard his hollow cough, she
In the sim midnight-how it wrung her
heart!
Yea, she could hear i even when she slept.
And often wakenCd with feverish start
bcsecchiug God, in many a fearful prayer,
To case the pain that she so longcd TO share
Blithey she caroled when the morning sun
Rose o'cr the alley like a blushing bride;
Or grave and silent, like some meek faced
Piled she her needle by the sufferers side
Ana oh, ~ was so sweet to toll for him
III hgr hands tremblcd, and her eyes grew
Till from those weary hands her work would
And her dim vision could distinguish
Save the black spiders crawling on the wall.
Ana the dead vloleis shc herself had bought
WIN the Few CoppoTs she had stored away
from her poor scanty earnings day by day.
For when before the market-stan she stood
her little purse Clasped tightly I'm her hand
enc needs must purChNse-tor each dewy bud
seemed ike messenger from fniryland;
Ana well her fine poetic fancy knew
Inc sheltered places where the violets grew.
Ana when she raised them TO her eager Inns
w I'm the pure rapture OF a little child,
The dcwdTopS twinklcd on their azure Tins
I'M me Young dreamer bent her face and
smiled
With the sweet consciousness that they would
bring ''
Into the meanest Stun a breath OF Spring.
returning home her Joyous footsteps fell
LlLike the soft pattcr of the summer rain;
ana on, one weary sufferer knew il we'll
And monncd u welcome from his bed NJ
pain. W
Close 70 his breast she crcpt, and kneeling
there, 'e
He twined the vioiets in her sunny hair
laid 'N'
One thin white hand upon her worn gray
dress: ''
"Dcar child!" ne murmurod while tho CO.,
beams played
. ~ hide-and. seek amid each wandering tress
Withdraw the blind-let IN the rosy morn:
a. 100, am grateful that the Spring is born!"
-hdnhD tOrTeSter, M Chambers JOuTnGL