The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1888-10-17
LITTLE CABS JOURNEY.

Tho view from my window extended
across the courtyard into the interior of the
apartments occupied by the family of the
little Gabriel, who was Familiarity called
Little Cab by all in the house The father
was cutter in tailors shop; the mother,
a sickly woman, and already white haired,
though but Is years old, busted herself with
the housekeeping, and used up in that the
remnant Of her health. OF her five children
the three eldest had swarmed out from the
home; there remained only girl of Is, who
was dressmaker, and Little Cab, who was
hunchback. Born of parents who had
passed half of their lives in unwholesome
workshops, or in dark and badly ventilated
stores, Little Cab was the victim Of incur
able ricketts, His twisted spine brought his
shoulders nearly up to the level of his ears;
his slender and feeble legs bent under his
warped and badly balanced chest; he could
walk only when his form was held up in
peculiar corset From this distorted body,
which bulged out both front and back,
arose head, too highly developed in form,
but with face Of an exquisite delicacy and
of q singularly piqnant expression. Although
he was years old, one would have thought
him hardly 5, judging from his poor stunted
and twisted body; one would have called
him 90 at sight OF his thoughtful face, his
projecting brow and his great dark brown
eyes, SO sad and so precociously thoughtful
Father, mother and the big sister worshiped
him, because Of his loving manner and his
extraordinarily lively intelligence. The doc
tor had forbidden them to let him do any
work, but to distract him and to change his
surroundings they took him to n school,
where he limited himself to listening gravely,
yet retained all that he heard One evening,
after school hours, / noticed him under the
porch OF the house, sented against the wait
Ing room of tho janitor. His mother having
gone out to make some purchase, and his sis
ter not having yet returned from her shop,
no had found the door Of their rooms closed
on his return, and, leaning against the wall,
his eyes turned eagerly towards the street, he
was waiting with a thoughtful and pain
fully resigned looked. While ! questioned
hiy, his black eyes threw over me long,
observing and frightened chances. In tho
meantime the big sister arrived, all out of
breath.
aAhi my poor Gab,n shc cried, 81 have
kept you waitiugl You were growing inn
patient, humphf'
"No," replied Cab in a calm voice, clear as
silver bell, II was only saying to myself
that perhaps you did not want any more Of
me, and that you would not return. / am so
Y
sick and so wearisome."
"Ah, you bad boy" murmured the young
girl, as she covered him with kisses; then,
turning towards me with her eyes full of
tears, 'she is SO delicate,n she added, land SO
intelligent; no reasons out things just like q
grown up person. What pity he has so
little strength The doctor says that IL he
can go this summer to Berck, the sea air and
the sand baths would probably cure him.
But Berck is far away, and then there is tho
expense. After oil l am going to try to
mako enough to carry him there
And the brave young girl worked from
morning until night to lay up tho needed
amount. She wore herself out working over
her sewing machine; she cut, laid together
and sewed with hardly moment OF rest.
Well into the night heard tho sharp and
hurried movements of the machine, resem-
bling the abrupt rustling that grasshoppers
make In the fields; beyond the curtains, IL
Illuminated by the lamp, l distinguished the
hard working girl in outline. and thought
involuntarily of Hoods terrible "Song of the
Shirt
Everybody In the house knew the story OF
Little Cab, and the wives Of the tenants will
ingly intrusted work to the big sister They
stopped the child in the halls, on the landing,
in the courtyard; they fondled him, they
treated him with great tenderness, they sent
him dainties. He, always shy, recoiled from
the caresses, and, more uneasy than diverted,
meditated for long time on these sudden
marks of friendship.
s'Why does the lady on tho third floor give
me playthings," asked no thoughtfully of
his sister, "since sho does not know mef'
Then, after moments elaboration, ho
added, with a clearness Of perception that
was heartrending because Of tho glimpses it
gave Of tho hard thinking to which this
child's brain was subjected: SIT Is because
am a hunchback. no doubt.n
Much work came In and the little pile Of
savings In remote corner of q bureau
drawer grew steadily. July was close at
hand, and they had already begun prepare
tions for the departure-the purchase OF
handsome leather trunk, the making of
suit for the child--and little Cab. who was
In state Of wonderment, talked to his
schoolmates OF nothing but his journey to the
sen baths, when, at the eleventh hour, an I'M
fortunate accident came to throw everything
into disorder. The young wife of the gov
eminent clerk on the fifth floor had ordered
the dressmaker to newly trim her wedding
gown and to make 1t over in the latest fash
iona gown that had cost great deal OF
B
for the little dancing parties of the coming
winter. One evening Cab, playing with
the inkstand, let it slip from his poor, thin
fingers, and the ink unhappily trickled down
over tho satin Of the skirt. They did not
scold him-alasi no; the sight OF his face,
overwhelmed with dismay, gave too much
pain. The big sister uttered q cry Of terror:
silently, nervously, she sponged tho stuff and
measured the extent of the disaster. The ink
had outrageously stained over eight yards Of
the satin. To tell the accident to the Gus
toner ON the fifth floor and to excite her pity
In favor Of Little Cab was not to be thought
Of for moment; in the first place, the gov
eminent clerks wife was not rich, and her
wedding dress constituted her only supply
for her days Of frivolity and of ceremony;
then the dressmaier was proud and did not
care to acauaint the house with the calaIEi-
ties of her family. The most advisable and
dignifed way was to run to the Bon Marcho
and try to match the stuff Eight yards at
fifteen francs came to 100 francs-a formula
BILE breach In the money box and the savings
Tor the journeyl Well, il was done now,
and the sea baths must be given up for this
year. The dressmaker kissed Little Cab and
again set herself to work.
| In the winter that followed they strug-
| gled hard in Little Cabs household Tho
autumn had been rainy and Cabs health
had felt the effect Of 1t. His bones ached, he
had feverish disturbances and headaches.
The doctor, sounding the boys lungs, shook
his head and insisted again on their sending
/ the child to Berck Immediately on the re-
turn Of the pleasant weather. This time 1t
was settled that he should 60; cost what it
might, they would set out for the sea baths
| about the last Of Nav: and the sewing ma