Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-03-03


habitants as show themselves from time
to time always upside down, on its bal
comics and at its windows.
When / first occupied my room, about
six years ago, my attention was directed
to the reflection of little girl OF IS or so
Gas nearly as could judge, who passed
every day on u balcony just above the up
ward range Of my limited field of view
She had glass of flowers and a crucifix
on little table by her side, and as she sat
there, in fine weather, from early morn
ing until dark, working assiduously all
the time, ] concluded that she earned
her living By needlework. She was GER
talnly an industrious little girl, and as far
as ] could Judge by her upside down re-
Election, neat in her dress and pretty.
She had an old mother an invalid. who
on warm days would sit OH the balcony
with her and 1t interested me to see the
little maid wrap the old lady in shawls
apd bring pillows for her chair and a stool
for her feet, and every now and again lay
down her work and kiss and fondle the
old lady for half minute, and then take
up her work again.
Time went by, and as the little maid
grew up her reflection grew down, and ut
last she was quite little woman of,
suppose, 10 or H. can only work for
couple of hours or so in the brightest part
Of the day, SO had plenty OF time on my
hands in which to watch her movements,
and sufficient imagination to weave lit
tie romance about her, and to endow her
with beauty which, to great extent,
had to take for granted. SAVIOR
fancied that could see-that she began
to take an interest in my reflection (which,
of course, she could see as could see
hers; and one day, when It appeared to
me that she was looking right at mel
tried the desperate experiment of nodding
to her, and to my intense delight her re-
Election nodded to me in reply. And so
our two reflections became known to one
another.
1t did not take me very long to fall In
love with her, but long time passed be-
fore could make up my mind to do more
than nod to her every morning, when the
old woman moved me from my bed to the
sofa at the window, and again in the even
ing, when the little maid left the balcony
for that day. One day, however, when l
saw her reflection looking at mine, nod
ded to her and threw a flower into the
canal. She nodded several times in re-
turn, and 1 saw her direct her mothers
attention to the incident. Then every
morning I threw flower in the water for
good morning." and another In the even
ing for ''good night" and soon discov-
cred that l had not thrown them altogether
in vain, for one day she threw flower to
join mine, and she laughed and clapped
her hands as the two flowers joined forces
and floated away together. And then
every morning she threw her flower when
I threw mine, and when the two flowers
met she clapped her hands, and SO did I;
hat when they were separated, as they
sometimes were, owing to one Of them
having met an obstruction which did
no. catch the other, she threw up her
hands in pretty affectation OF despair,
which tried to initiate, but in an Eng
lish and unsuccessful fashion. And when
they were rudely run down by q passing
goudola (which happened not fnfrequently)
she pretended to cry and did the same.
Then in pretty pantomime, she would
point downward to the sky, to tell me
that it was destiny that caused the ship
wreck of our flowers, and i, in pantomime
not nearly SO pretty, would try to convey
to her that destiny would be kinder next
time, and that, perhaps, tomorrow our
flowers would be more Northumberland so
the innocent courtship went on. One day
she showed me her crucifix and kissed It,
and thereupon look little silver cruel
fix which always stands by me, and kissed
that, and so she knew that we were one
i'll religion.
One day the little maid did not appear
on her balcony, and for several days saw
nothing of her, and although I threw my
flower ne nsual No flower came m taen 4
comnanv However infer n time che re-
anneared dressed IN black and CRYING
often and then + knew that the moor
cbild;s mother was dead. ma far as knew
abe was alone In the world The flowers
came no more for many DAYS. nor did she
show any sion Of recognition. Int Kent her
eyes ON her work excent when She placed
her handkerchief to them. And opposite
to her was the old lady's chair. and I
could see that from time 70 time she
would Law down her work and gaze Mt II.
and then a flood of tears would come TO
her relief But ut last one tlay she roused
herself to nod to me. and then her flower
came. Day after day INV flower went
forth TO ioin It. and with VARYING fortunes
the two flowers sailed away as of wore.
But the darkest day OF all 10 me was
when a good looking young gondolier.
standing right end uppermosf in hts von
dola (for could see him in the flesh,
worked his craft alongside the house and
stood talking to her as she sat on the
balcony. They seemed to speak as old
fricnds-ir.deed. as well as / could make
out, he held her by the hand during the
whole OF their interview, which lasted
quite half an hour. Eventually he pushed
on, and left my heart heavy within me.
But soon took heart OF grace, for so soon
as he was out OF sight the little maid
threw two flowers growing on the same
stem An aliegory OF which l could make
nothing, until 1t broke upon me that she
meant to convey to me that he and she
were brother and sister, and that had no
cause to be sad And thereupon nodded
to her cheerily, and she nodded to me and
laughed aloud, and l laughed In return,
and all went on again as before.
Then came dark and dreary time, for
1t became necessary that should undergo
treatment that confined me absolutely to
my bed for many days, and worried and
fretted to think that the little maid and ]
could see each other no longer, and worse
still, that she would think that had gone