Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-12-02
kELLIE'S NOBLE DEEDS.
BY ABBIE G. M'KREvER.

"Thimble Alleyl Oh, what dreadful
place; but there's no one can mend my
laces 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 a near
companion, "all shiny-like and soft.
Whoopeel if nanny had some o her
Biddy O'Brien."
she! he! hi Tim," roared the other,
"the idee of dinner out o finery."
II meant to sell it, you know well enough.
wonder who she isY"
But in the meantime Nellie Strong had
reached the ifth floor and stood, almost
out of breath, gazing about the wretched
hallway where poverty held sway.
"How can they live SOP" she thought.
"What horrid odors, and there's half
dozen babies crying below. Poor little
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 woman sat mending
some costly lace. In n corner on n cot re-
clined pale, young girl. There was no
fire in the room, although the air was keen
and frosty.
"Good morning, Mrs. Smith. 1 called
with some work; 1 wanted this lace mended
particularly before the bali, and so sought
you out myself.
'Yes, Miss Strong; be seated, pray. Let
ME look at the lace, please|
Nellie took the one vacant chair ana
turned her bright eyes upon the pale young
girl on the cot.
"Are you an invalid?" she gently in
"Oh. YES; I 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 wallsp"
almost all my life. 1t isn't so bad for
me as YOU would think. The neigbbors are
kind, and mother brings me a flower now
and then, and we talk of what might be if
could grow stronger. Talk is cheap"
smiled the invalid.
"I don't think / could do this before
| Wednesday. Will that answer. Miss
| Strong?"
"Oh, yes," said Nellie, carelessly, at
| does not matter at all. But tell me, Mrs.
Smith, have you ever consulted good phy-
sician about four 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'."
"Ohl" exclaimed Nellie, "whose baby?"
AN Irish womans 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 moment, Miss Strong"
"Yes; but may not 60, 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 straw bed lay little six-months-
odd baby diving. as was evident at a glance.
"He's the third one" sobbed the poor
mother. ~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 babyl"
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 wild fit of weeping. You're
| that kind, mum, don't know how to thank
YOU. It'll be the first dead child that
could ever pay for its coffin. Oh, how
sweet he'll look all in whitel"
As they passed out of the room OF death
a party of men came up the stairs bearing
limp form between them.
"what is it?" asked Nellie, Of Mrs
Smith, drawing closer to her.
"Some accident, evidently. What hn
happened, Peter" she inquired of one o
the men.
"Mr. Swasher fell from the building,
matter of twenty feet, and we think boil
his legs are 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
see sorrow and suffering around us con
tinually."
And she wondered why the lady followe
her up to her room again.
81 wish," said Nellie TO the invalid girl
ayou would allow me 10 send you our fami
ly physician; he is one OF the best In th
!. city. / think he con help you"
: "Oh, IL you only would" exclaimed th
: mother. dLulu might be helped, hay