Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1886-12-24
Sslsrf Rsabing.
From the Aldlne.
GOING HOME TO CLOUD-HEAVEN.

GOING HOME TO CLOUD-HEAVEN.
Dear, dear, but it was cold on
Christmas morning. The air Was
keenly bitter, the snow was crusted
with ice, and everything was miserably
wintry and chill. Turie Quilty drew
her thin legs up onto her chair, and
sat on her feet With pathetic idea OF
warming them. As she sat, her fin,
gers. though numb and cold, knitted
busily, and her thoughts flew as fast
"A penny for bread, and where are
We: Nowhere. Nothin' for milk,
nor sugar, nor coal, nor jelly, \ egg
Yesterday for Tim, and nothin' else
Yes, Tim, coming
The half muttereI monologue re
solved itself into this cheerr, sweet.
toned "ies, Tim, coming The small
feet were placed stitfiy down on the
floor, and Turie was in motion. AS
suredly "in motiou." for such comical
getting over the floor could not be
styled walking One hand was tlung
above her head, one foot tried u ele-
vate itself to the same height, and the
other twls'e ed itself alung, and through
the open door Of her bare garret room,
into one more comfortable, but poor
enough NJ the best. \ whirl Of sec
ond on one toe. and breathless the
girl looked down on white fIce living
so tired and weak on the pillow
Then the own;r Of the white fac,
spoke proudly:
That was sumner"
"les, Iiin't fall. nor tumble. nor
scrabble u bit, did |: C1rinne say:
that If can ouly get little fatter,
can soon earn shilling week
Think OF that, Tim, What did you
want"
Tim looked down nervously. before
he answered with patient yet child,
ishly wistful tone:
Il thought maybe it was most din
ner time, aud didn't smell no ire,
and | thought YOU was gone out-that
was all !"
It. aswell for his tender heart tha,
he could not See her face as she stoop.
ed to move the one bit OF carpet Sc
that its brightest coiors should Ii,
where he could see them. That fac
was full of dlsmay; AID 1t wa, gIite n
moment before, with n little t~irl aud
spring. she regained her feet, and All
swered cheeril,:
"You great baby, 1t was not the
dinner you wanted, but me- Don't
you never 60 for TO saw you re hungry,
| must 60 out, but Ill give you a
q cracker"
with a graf show Of hustle and
fuss, she produced one from stone
jar, carefully conc Aaling that it was
the last and only one. Not daring to
look at him again, she danced out
and shut the door. All the life died
out of her whirling figure, and she
sank down in the farthpst corner ol
the bleak garret in oGtspoken gri f.
"Oh, Tim; oh, poor Tim. He's
hungry, and I've nothin' to give hln';
and sobbing IN a subdued way, she
strove TO think calmly.
They were orphans. Tim crippled
and i'll from birth. Two years before,
her father had fallen from scatfold,
and been brought home to them
dead. Turie picked up scanty liv.
ing by selling the laces and crochet
tides, in the day. that her hngers
wove so d, frly at night. Some three
years bef're, the father. then car
penter in minor theatre. had be
Iriended a ballet girl and in return
Mademois lie Corinn- Mary Brad
had commenced TEACHING Turie tc
dance. Through all their poverty and
want the lessons had continued, and
Turie had been an apt pupil. a great
grief to Corlnne was the fact tia,
Turie couldn't, or wouldn't, grow fat
shd many were the cOmlcal cOnsulta
tions held with Tim on the subject
Turie, ntertained the shrewd idea that
more fool would solve the difficulty
but she kept this idea secret, md tn,
Others bad not yet stumbled on it
Fortunatel y, Corinne bad been away
with her troup in the north country
towns, or Turle would have gore tl
her, sure of kindly help. Poor little
woman /; the Christmas Day was not !
very hopeful or happy one. Tim''
rapidly Ialiug health had kept heI
more at home of late, and her stocl
Of pennies had dwindled to one.
With resolute look dawnln!
through her tears, she started up ant
wrapped her ragged shawl about her
A straw bonnet, without trimming o
any kind, and SO large that it Slipped
down and rested on her ears, she fils
tened by tying an old veil over it
From under this ludicrous headgea
beamed the same resolute face, as sin
ran down the stairs, through the mar
row street, and out into a broad thor
oughfare. Watching her chance, sh
crossed the crowded street, went int