West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-01-08
SHOOTING STARS.
The Good Fortune Which They
Brought TO u Little Girl

II was Christmas Eve The stars
sparkled very brightly, forthc heavens
seeing so many lights on earth. in pal.
ace, cottage and hovel, did not wish to
be niggardly. and lighted twice as many
stars a. usual.
n poor little girl OF eleven winters
was trudglng homeward through the
streets OF Hamburg Her frock was
thin and the wind was icv. but tho
chlld was cheerful, for Paul Senatoriu
| hau given her bright cight-shilling
| piece Tor sweeping paths and performs
lhS various other little services i'm prep
matlOn for the Christmas feast ot the
rich mans mansion.
And as the little one wa, returning
nome thinking of her poor mother and
OF the cold and cherries room which
awaited her, she suddenly noticed a
shooting star, and then another, and
sac remembered that She had heard
| That II one makes a wish at such n mo-
ment 10 Is certain to come true And
when another star fell She cried rs
quickly a> She could: Luck and bless
lng' Luck and blessing for my poor
mother
just at this moment, while she was
looking at the stars, she ran against
something, and when she looked for
ward she saw before her biz fa, man
who held his hands before his stomach
and cried: Mercy on me! What be-
hayior for the public street,
The gentleman had Just come out
lrOm line dinner at the hotel above.
tie was a bachelor, and ALWAYS a rood
lINer' but to-day hc had given himself
moro liberty than usual, for il was
Christmas time. "Why don't YOU look
cat. you dumb girl? Why did YOU run
against my stomach?" said the man,
Grossly, and grasped her arm so tightly
That IL panied her.
The poor child wept with fright, and
M broken sentences tried to explain
now she had been watching The shoot
ing stars and wishing blessing, for her
mother, and had thus neglected TO no
tice heE way
Nonsense. Nonscn.cw ,aid the ocn-
tlcman, "all superstitions and .hooting
star--they give nothngI'
Just then Il great meteor Shot
through the sky, with loud report and
a light which was reflected with bril-
hancy from the ice-covercd river near
which the child and the man were
standing
"Saprsti.' cried the frightened zen
tlcman, who had Travelled and under
stood many strange language: "onc
would think that that fOrcbOdes some
thing"
Then he looked curiousiy into the
pale, sweet face Of the girl, and the
moon which was just pecping over the
top Of the ncighborin0 palace helped
him TO see more clearly. His heart be-
came moved, tor the features uf the
child awakened mcmOric- Of his own
childhood, Of merry Christmas ard q
long-forgotten paradise.
ln every human heart there H. "a spot
where hope, love and pity thrive. In
some hearts the spot is large, iu some
smaller, and in many it has become un-
fruitful ground This was the case
wi.h the respectable gentleman Of our
little story.
But when ne looked into the eve. of
the child he began to feel some return
in0 touches of emotion; and aftcr
little time the spot in his hear became
more green than it had been for many
years IL was SO peculiar that il stirred
him. but not unpleasantlv.
What Is your name, little one1' be
asked, with mild voice, "and whore do
YOU live?'
Then the child told him that she was
called Susie, and that her mother was
washcrwoman aud lived beside
uclghboring alley where the sun never
shOnc, even i'm summer
Come said the gentleman, II will
take YOU home. and If all that YOU have
told me is true, then shall the promise
Of the shooting stars be- true also;
comet
Then they went through the goose
market and straight ahead until they
reached the narrow streets where tho
poor people live then on until they
reached an alley full Of miserable
houses.
Here is the place, said the little
one. and -pr1ng forward and stood be-
side q low door which opened into
passage through which the gentleman
could not pass without STOPPING and
stopping was something which be new
or did willingly Mother IL iu there
8nd has p fire in the stove" continued
the child, can sec through the
cracks
And 50 II was The poor woman who
bad washed and scrubbed for the rich
people during the livelOnQ dav. I'm order
to make thc houses bright and clean for
Christmas was now celebrating tho
holy Eve herself. She sat upon n low
stool before the little stove. pleased
with 'he iire which she had kindIcd
and tho stove was pleased, too for this
was thc first fire which 10 had felt for "a
long time.
Upon the rlcXety table lay tiny
spng oi evergreen, q few apples and
NUT, and little yellow wax taper. for
o surprise bU Susie.
thc woman looked mp in astonish-
mont when the geutlcmanly stranger
entered the room, and as she rose 20
greet him, shc put her hands suddenly