Smyrna times., 1886-05-05

llO SASLCAg ahAAO JAaNaAAE5 SAASA-
coat near his heart, he started in run.
He ran all the way to Oak street
five blocksl, turned the corner into
the alley, where he lived, got to the
cellar door, and then, with his hand al
most on the latch, fell down.
Oak street. Basement door. Old
tumble-down brick rOokery. That
was where Nance lived. Nance was
away playing policy. She was tooth
less. blear-eyed and looked like the
picture of one of the witches in Mac
beth. The captain of that precinct
said that she had married, about
dozen years previous, a consumptlve
man who came of good family and was
emploved on one of the cheap story
papers. He was what they called
genius; that is to say, he was intelli-
gent and weak, wrote ballads, ate
opium, drank whiskey, struggled with
poverty, became the father of two
children and died. After that Nance
look to whiskey to drown her troubles
and cares, and in few years had
drowned all womanhoOd, respect and
everything that was elevating or good
in her. and was now drifting to the
drunkard's grave She came up to
the cellar door in Il semi-intoXicated
condition and saw little Martie lying
there.
We'll Pm blowed," she said, if the
kid amt full, l hope l may die.
What's the good Of raisin' brats any
how. if they are going to disgrace their
[ - ~, lil-n tbaf -
Then she stopped, picked the little
fellow up and took him inside the dirty
room. which contained a brOken-dOwn
stove, two chairs, minus one leg each, a
box that substituted as table, and a
pile of rags and straw that did the SER
vice of bed.
He got weakly upon his feet when
he was inside, and tried to make out
what had happened to him; and he
.put his hand inside his coat to see il
the flowers were there.
Now, you're a blOOmin' precious
amt you ?" she said, as she staggered
into an old chair; ito go and ge
drunk on Easter morning. Whats
the matter with you? are you g0in9
to have the tremPns like your father 2
"Old woman" said the boy weakly
as he fell down upon the pile of straw
where mis- little sister was sleeping
Ego and get a doctor; Pm hurt
What's the matter nOW;" criet
the woman. making an effort to 60 t
him. "Who's been hurting yo
now?"
He put his bloodless hand on hi
side. Get a doctor as fast as yo
can; Pm hurt in here | feel bad"
She looked at him moment, Wer
, unsteadilv to where he had falleI
, stopped over him taking his littl
, face between her braWny hands, an
! started back when she saw the DlooC
! "Who's done it?" she cried SON
: tenderness suddenly springing up
f her and some Indignation.
Pm hurt" he whispered, an
p turned over on his side.
> In moment she had pulled herse
/ together with fright, and gone off f,
assistance.
p No sooner was she out of the roo
# than the boy touched his little sist
# tenderly and tried to wake he
IS Sis, it's me. She's gone. Here
= your breakfast. | cribbed it in Il
cake shop when they didn't see m,
and he pulled cruler from
- pocket broken and wet.
- - TShe child put her thin arms abo
:, his neck and tenderly kissed him, a
! in a moment the poor little childr
- =, were claspcd in each others arm
- - She was all in this world that
- loved, and it was a pathetic sight
: see him cling to something that COZ
a love him, as if the doomed and II,
~ lected life got mysterious stren2
~. from her.
", Then lie carried the little child
Nv tenderly as his weak arms would p
~ nit and placed her on the floor.
~ He sat down beside her-a lit
~ haggard, blue-eycd girl-and putt
-. - his little arm around her,
III placed her golden-crowned head vi
~ his bosom and watched her eat
i. cruller, while he picked up
~ ~ broken crumbs aud put them in
10 ~ mouth.
81 Look at these, sis;'' he said, as
W. W. placed the flowers which had eau
" him SO much pain, in her hands. .
w ~ Easter"
Mo so Sho took them and pressing then
~ ~ her thin lips, smiled as she nest
g" closer to him, and whispered, /
"a ter" Then she began to prattle,
~ ;' the cold, wrctched room began to tt
-, - on some kind of glory it had ne
- known before.
od LAY "Tm agoin' to lay down." said
'0O in a whisper as his strength was net
gone, " cos Pm tired. Come on and
- tell you about Easter"
iu9 She followed him to the pile of stI
i"O nn tenderly kissing the flowers and en-
-o'' ing the delicate fragrance that ci
-. from their tiny blossoms as she wen
Iu They nestled in each others n
nc ne like two kittens, on the pile of str
nay and placing his blood-stained lips c
Iou ol to her tiny ear, he told her the bea
ley full story of Easter morning that
iN had heard the street preacher desc
sho silo early that day before he met with
io 'no accident. How the angels came
.oin rolled away the stone, and allowed
y 4" babe that was born in mango
NC, straw, but who was now a man,
oe left the tomb, where he was bul
iesU @ and went away to the beautiful h
lei in Heaven, where he was waitin
grant all that would love Him
'hu' try to be good. Just as he had
-. ished telling her in his own wa
.3W' stream of golden sunlight cam,
olue through the dirty, dirty window,
'anC showered around these little crea
leU halo of halfgolden light, an
ne those sunbeams the angels of
=. came and carried the little news
inns soul away to the one who rOs'
Easter morn.
e9ods The doctor came in late that
oUI5 noon. He found Nance rolled VI
som bundle of rags in the corner,
I'D drunk. He looked at the pi
.yvav straw. Martie was dead, and ar
srr- his neck were the warm arms {
,ossi- r little sister, and on his cold {
and were the only tears ever shed fol
in this world.
ance
$, ne EpiscOpalian Railroads.
leeu- Rev. Sam Jones, in his sermC
ran Religious Railroads" gives an 8