The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-03-04
A PHANTOM BRIDE.
by the Author of TUE IcE CAR
NGvAL.n

CemDer evening, when IN less llian
eight-and-forty hours the arrival of
hoary Father Christmas ngland's
ever-welcome annual guest-may he
confidently anticipated.
Moreover. he promised to make his
appearance this season in the full pano-
ply of frosty splpndor. The stars twin
killed. like gems tonight in the clear
cloudless sky; pendent icicles, clear as
crystal, glistened from every available
spout and Overhanging cave; even the
City pavements were. for once in a
way, thickly-cdtlted over, like slices of
colossal bride-cake. with hard-trodden
frozen snow, and men, women and chill
dren murmured one to another, rs they
rubbed their hands ur drew their com
forters tight and tighter vet about their
ears, that there seemed indeed at
length some prospect OF enjoying a
Christmas of the good old sort, as in
1.-THE dear old times
Through the Fleet-street crowd tall
emaciated woman pushes along rs best
she may an old. weather-beaten, dilapi-
lated piano-Organ, mounted upon
wheels. Very close to the curb she
steers her course, because of the cabs
and carts and horses hoofs which mem
ace her in terribly close proximity ON
the one hand. and of the frowning pc
destrians and gruii-voiced myrmidons
of the law on the other, of whom she
stands, indeed, in yet deeper awe.
This woman wears patched and
frayed threadbare velvet bodice, with
furnished metal buttons, and some
strings of cOlOred beads about her
throat. Large brass rings in her ears,
and scarlet cotton handkerchief fold
ed cornerwise across her head. are
vaguely designed to invest the wretched
creature with some aroma of foreign
interest; but she none the less first saw
the light in Il miserable purlieu of Shelf
field spent her infancy in the gutter,
childhood, youth and middle-age in due
course i'm the streets-the only home,
indeed, which it is ever likely she will
know unless she varies existence by a
spell of the union, hospital or Jail, ere
she shuilles off the mortal coil, and with
ii red handkerchief, beads, and other
foreign attributes all ut once.
Yet is it the trick of her trade to re-
spond, "T'ankee, t'ankeel" as she drops
n curtsey on receipt of halfpenny
from the generous passer-by; and, if
Intercepted as to her nationality, she
contents herself by an incoherent muir
mur of, ME no talkee English, sarl" or,
"Mees;' which species of verbal CHI
canery presumably Conduces to larger
profits than straightforward reply in
that broad Yorkshire dialect which is
her native tongue.
The woman stops at last and glances
round; then, "Gretal Greta!' she Kisses
in low peculiar monotone, hast n
mind Z be left loaiin' heer? or Wilt
keep straight long-side?"
Thus apostrophised, lean impish
figure (which had come to standstill
N..,ss IN. L..
barrow of a lame vendor of hot chest
nuts). gave a sudden start as though a
pistol-shOt had been discharged in dan
gerous proximity to its ear; then sham
bled sulkily towards the woman, its
| forelinger up to the knuckle in its
mouth its eyes still directed lOngingly
towards the glowing charcoal-stove,
with the tin-tray of charred treasures
supported above.
The woman waited until the child's
| head was within convenient distance of
her arm when she struck out straight
from the shoulder in sporting par
lance, and Handed Il fierce backhander"
on the nape of the girls neck.
Then a bitter cry escaped the poor
| blue lips. as much, nay surely more,
| from bewilderment than pain; for pain
/ Greta was well used to bear in silence;
!
| stunned by the uneXpectedncss of the
| blow.
"Wheer's tn tambourine?' growled
the woman.
The girl held up this instrument of
warfare. which emitted tinkling pro-
test ere il was tucked away again be-
meath her arm. Just look wheer'st
goin,' or TIL be wurser fur ye," the
woman further supplemented, and then
pushed on as before; the girl--deiiant
now, whilst her ear still tingled-tol-
lowed reluctantly.
Immediately in front of the Friyolity
Theatre however, once again she
paused; q brougham and pair had
drawn up before the doors, and Greta'S
eyes caught so dazzling an apparition
in satin and lace within, that she forth
with lodged under the very noses OF
the horses, and took up her stand open
eyed, open-mOuthed, beside the snowy
wheel regardless of the magisteria
wave of stout policeman's arm, in
tended as peremptory Move on
Then out she stepped, that radiant
being, with trailing silken draperie'
and floating ribbons narrowly escaping
contact with the miry curb; her colder
plaits, in which great diamond butter
lilies cleaned and glistened, seeming Il
weave a nimbus around her queenl,
head, the perfume of the flowers in he
hand casting a subtle fragrance ON TIL,
surrounding frosty air.
Until this vision of loneliness wa
lost to view Greta remained LITERAL.
unconscious of the world beyond, an,
not until the last fold of those brocad
ed-skirts disappeared within the ell
trance doors did the child's gaze rever
20 haui1a har-thn 1a1u'
escort, tall young Englishman, VIII
had returned for some forgotten triil
in the carriage and now stood with hi
hand upon the door, giving final direC
tons to the cOachman on the box.
Meanwhile he CHANGED to jerk fror
his buttOnhole a white moss rOse-bu,
and feathery fern, which fell at Greta'
feet-Only, however, to be Instant
rescued from the mire by her cage
claw-like hand.
Hey! it wur beauytiful!n such wa
her mental comment, as with the il
stinctive habit which in her case, haC
indeed, become second nature" sll
hurriedly concealed the flowers beneat
the ragged tartan shawl knotted abou
} her waist. But even as she did so, sll
: glanced up again in the young man
face, and it seemed TO her even "beal
/ tifuller" than the flowers; beautiful
Ter" than the lady's; beautiful, in trutl
as those of the angels in that faro
J world of which one still Sabbath evei
| ing she had heard minister" in
white "nee'loth' preach to meagl
; crowd on Barnes Common not vel
long ago.
/ Impulsively she stretched her sma
hand forth again, and plucked at Il
/ skirt of 9TH gents light overcoat; |
Turned nnicklY. To see the child hOldiI