The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-12-02
kELLIE'S NOBLE DEEDS.
BY ABBIR G. M'KEEvER.

~Thimble Alley Oh, what a dreadful
place; but there's no one can mend my
lsces equal to Mrs. Smith. Little boy, does
Mrs Rachel Smith live here?"
"Yes'm, fifth story, first door to your
right" and the ragged urchin eyed the fine
lady with wide, open eyes.
-Lor, amt she some| he said, to near
companion, call shiny-like and soft.
Whoopee! if nanny had some o her
fnery we'd have n holiday dinner well as
BiddS OBrien."
HE! he! hi! Tim," roared the other,
~the idee of dinner out o finery."
Il meant to sell it, you know well enough.
wonder who she ISL"
But in the meantime Nellie Strong had
reached the fifth floor and stood, almost
out of breath, gazing about the wretched
hallway where poverty held sway.
"How can they live so?" she thought.
~What horrid odors, and there's n half
dozen babies crying below. Poor little
things" then she knocked on the door be-
fore her.
Come in, called out woman's voice.
Nellie pushed the creaking door open
and entered the small, bare chamber.
At its one window a woman sat mending
some costly lace. In corner on a cot re-
clined pale, young girl. There was no
ERE in the room, although the air was keen
and frosty.
Good morning, Mrs. Smith. called
with some work; 1 wanted this lace mended
part cularly before the bali, and SO L sought
you out myself.
Yes, Miss Strong; be seated, pray. Let
me look at the lace, please?"
Nellie took the one vacant chair and
turned her bright eyes upon The pale young
girl on the cot.
"Are you an invalid?" she gently in
quired.
"Oh, yes; have been one always.
never could walk, but do not suffer much
NOW"
"You don't mean to tell me that you have
lain here all your life" cried Nellie, and
never saw anything but these bare walls?"
almost all my life. 1t isn't so bad for
me as you would think. The neighbors are
kind, and mother brings mo flower now
aud then, and we talk of what might be if
could grow stronger. Talk is cheap"
smiled the invalid.
81 don't think / could do this before
Wednesday. Will that answer, Miss
Strong?"
"Oh, yes," said Nellie, carelessly, sit
does not matter at all. But tell me, Mrs.
Smith. have you ever consulted good ply
stefan about your daughter
81 have often wished to do SO, but could
not afford It..
Just then little tow headed, dirty faced
girl of five or six years thrust her head IN
the doorway.
"Please, Miss Smith, the baby's worser.
Mother thinks it's dyin."
"Oh!" exclaimed Nellie, "whose baby"
@An Irish woman down stairs. An at
tack of Group; the weather has been cool,
and the little fellow caught cold.
Yes, Mary, I'll come. You'll excuse
me a moment, Miss Strong"
ayes; but may not go, too-poor little
baby"
And timidly drawing her silken skirts
about her, she followed Mrs. Smith into
the room of the Irish washerwoman, where
upon a straw bed lay little months
old baby dying. as was evident at a glance.
"Hes the third one," sobbed the poor
smother. "fve only four left, and his father
couldn't stop work long enough to see him
die, his boss is that hard on him. My
baby oh, my baby!"
Nellie drew out bill from her purse
and placed it in the poor mothers hand.
you'll need things for-for the funeral,
she said. softly; take it. I'll come and
see you again"
lord love your sweet face" cried the
woman, with a wild fit of weeping. "Your re
that kind, mum, don't know how to thank
could ever pay for its coffin. Oh, how
sweet he'll look all in whitel"
AS they passed out of the room OF death
party of men came up the stairs bearing
O limp form between them.
"What is it2" asked Nellie, of Mrs
Smith, drawing closer to her.
"Some accident, evidently. What ha'
happened, Peter" she inquired of one o.
the men.
MIR. Swasher fell from the building, {
matter OF twenty feet, and we think boil
his legs arc broken. There comes the doc
tor"
poor man." sighed Mrs. Smith. :"
don't know what will become of his family
he was their only support. You look mex
pressibly panied. These things are com
mon enough to all large tenements. w
sec sorrow and suffering around us con
tinually."
And she wondered why the lady FOLLOWED
her up to her room again.
IL wish, said Nellie to the invalid girl
you would allow me to send you our fami
Nv physician; he is one of the best in th'
city. think he can help you"
"Oh, if you only would!' exclaimed thu
mother. Lulu might be helped, hav
always believed"