The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-06-04
LITTLE MANS FORTUNE.

Come in," called Miss Morrin i
her pleasant voice.
So the door opened and Little Nan
song-and-dance artistic, appeared O
the threshold
Her thick red hair was twisted in
tight knot on the top of her head,
row OF curl-papers fringed her fore
head, little dabs of powder were LEI
on her cheeks, her calico Mother Hut
bard was faded, and there was a lon
rent in the skirt. She came timidl
into the room and laid large whit
envelope down on the table.
'.lt's fur you," she said, quickl
turning away. Il heard you tellin
Mrs. Spratt twas your birthday"
Then the door closed upon Littl
Nan.
Miss Morrin laid down Emerson an,
took up the attractive white envelope
1t contained a birthday card, a yer,
( pretty card. On one side were a land
scape and a solitary bird on the brancl
of tree, and on the other wer,
! printed the following verses:
There's gloom without, but there's chez
within,
Rollicking shout and rafting din.
They kiss, good luck! with rare good will!
Each lucky Jack has darling Jill.
It's a tritie hard, (as think youT seel.
On lonely, scarr'd old bird like me-
"A lonely, SCARF d old bird like mer'
repeated Miss Morrin to herself
Yes, L am getting to be an old bird.
am 80 to-day and James is 50. We
are both growing old and are no nearer
being married than we were ten wears
ago. Twenty-Five is rather late in life
to enter upon long engagement. But
l would rather wait for James than
marry millionaire. Dear James! He
thinks it is his duty to stay in Maine
and preach to those poor, uneducated
people when he might be pastor of a
rich church with salary large enough
to support US all. Of course it is his
hrst duty to care for his mother and
sister. Unfortunately l am poor too.
wish had few hundred dollars to
buy a claim or grub-stake some poor
prospector. If l was man | would
take pick and go up on the noun
tains and dig; but being a woman all
l can do is to wait. 1 wonder what
made that child give me this card. |
never spoke to her until this morning.
They say she dances at the THEATRE
and with shudder at the thought Miss
Morrin went on reading Emerson
Downstairs in the Office of the Grand
Hotel old Billy was smoking his pipe.
He wore long boots that came to his
knees, corduroy pants, and a flannel
shirt His broad-brimmed felt hat
was tipped over his eyes. He had
tilted his armchair against the wall
and thrust his hands into his pockets.
Its her birthday, and | give her
card, Little Nan was saying. ..She
said good mornin' whenI met her on the
stairs. Hain't she sweet? Bet your
life! 1t was a stuunin' card. There
was bird on tree and the bird was
sayin' po'try. It said somethin' bout
bein' SCARF d old Bird
ftBy gingerr" exclaimed old Billy,
you've went and done it this time.''
she was an old maid-a regular 7 Yankee
schoolma'mp Why didn't you pick out
a nice piece bout young love and for
get-me-don'ts, and all that kind O.
thing"
1T was mighty pretty card and
dirt cheap" answered Little Nan dis
consolately. ''She wouldn't think 1
was pokin' fun at her, would she?"
looking up anxiously.
''Reckon not,'' said old Billy, ''you
wouldn' t find it out if she did. She's
an up and down lady. This ere
camps no place for her. There hain't
another one of her kind to keep her
Ought to send fur her sis
ter, or cousin or somethin.' Don't
see what brung her way out here to
keep school"
Little Nan gazed in the fire with her
large blue eyes.
''She hain't like us, she said slowly.
"She hain't a bit like us. "
The school children were trouble
some the next day. Miss Morrn tried
coaxing, then scolding, and finally was
tempted to resort to corporal
But shs was slight and
frail, and there were some large boys
in the school. On her way home at
noon she decided she was still far from
being tit for minister's wife. There
were letters from Maine on her table.
Old Mrs. Jones had died at last-she
was 93-and there had been a church
sociable. Sister Mary had saved
enough egg-money TO buy herself a
black cashmere dress. She thought of
having it made with killed skirt and
a polonaise. 1t was long time since
Mary had bought a new dress, Miss
MOrrin remembered. just then a wo-
man clad in velvet and sealskin passed
the Grand. Six months before, this
same robust female had been glad to
wash flannel shirts for the miners.
Her ''old man. had just struck it
rich. And down in Maine Sister
Mary was selling eggs and boarding up
every nickel in order to buy herself q
plain cashmere dress.
please ma am" interrupted Little
Nan, having knocked again at Miss
Morrin's door. "Will you come and
look at old Billy? He's talkin' to him
self aud his face is red as the deuce"
The what?' said Miss Morrin,
shocked.
Il said his face was red," repeated
Little Nan, innocently.
Miss Morrin silently followed Nan
across the hall to small room plainly
furnished. Old Billy lay quietly on
the bed, a patchwork quilt over him,
and his head on dirty pillow. He
looked up as they entered.
''Good mornln, he said with an eff
fort. ''It's so dark can't see YOU"
III raise the blind" said Miss Nor
rim.
Then pass" murmured old Billy.
''He thinks he's playin' poker" ex-
planned Little Nan, in a whisper. "He
don't know what he's sayin'. Would
you mind sittin' with him while / git
the doctorP"
As she left the room old Billy put his
hand on Miss Morrin's arm. For a
moment he was quite himself.
"Please git me pencil and bit of
paper" he said eagerly. "Quickl"
Silently Miss Morrin rose and crossed
the hall to her room. When she re-
turned she handed a sheet of tinted
and long Faber pencil to
the sick man.
. With On affnrf old P;llr, -..1 IL.