Milford chronicle., 1889-01-18


Eyes, sir" continued he, ..yer wouldnf
think ter look at me that l could have
sich dater Sich pretty little thing,
/, with hair fur all the world like gold, and
eyes that made me think o. the wiolets,
I and sparkle in 'em when she laughed
that all the spangles liver yer sec couldn't
beat. Yer see, sir, was pretty well on
in years when Mamie was born. She was
christened Mary, but we alters called her
Mamie. My little gal warn't morn year
old when the missus wuz took i'll with a
fever and died, and there wuz left with
a baby on my 'ands; but lor' bless yer, sir,
took as natrel to t as if I'd been a nuss
hall my life. Brought her through the
measles and whooping cough as right as a
trivet. Manys the hour she's sot on that
ere stool there er watchin' me. Some
times she'd be as still as a mouse and
then agin she'd chatter like a little mag
pie. She had kurus fancies, had Mamie,
when she warn't no higher than that ere
table.
Daddy, ses she, one day, does han
gels alters ave wingsf"
"'Yes, deary, ses l. i alters heer tell
they had
"'Then, ses she, when die, daddy
Of course it won't be for big. long while;
little gals don't die very much, does
they2-In tell God | wanter see my
daddy, and I'll fly right down here and
peek in the winder and sprise YER
Eyes, sir, that's the way she'd talk
sometimes, and somehow it made me feel
as if some one wuz er pressing a weight
on my chist and l couldn't breathe. Do
you know, sir, perhaps it's foolish, but l
blieve she do come to that winder and
look in at her old daddy sometimes-ony-
ways, it's bit cOmfurting to think so.
How came to lose herr That's wot
I'm comm to, sir. Yer see Mamie was
born, as / may say, in the perfeshun, in
this very theayter. Why, what do you
think, sir, afore she could toddle bought
her a Noah's bark, and wot hanimal
I would yer blieve she picked out fust? A
'orse, sir All, sir-it was born in her
l had alters a leanin' arter hacting, but
| yer couldn't keep Mamie away from the
! 'osses. Was / afeard of her getting hurt?
/ Well, no, sir, carn't say as I wuz. Yer
/ sec the grooms and hall tho boys wuz
/ uncommon fond of Mamie and took a heap
Of care o. her.
"Well, sir, when my little gal was
about 0 years old, Dan Maxwell wanted
to break her in to ride with him. At
first / wouldn't hear tot but Mamie wuz
so wistful fort, and Dan wuz sich q
| great, strong feller and l knowed he'd
be that keerful Of her as if she wuz made
Of gold, 80 l let Mamie have her way.
There warn't to be no whip used.
wouldn't ha' stood that, but lol', sir,
there warn't no need OF. The child took
to riding like duck to water. When l
see her name on the posters in big letters,
couldn't elp feeling bit proud, and
livery night when she was on, l used to
get some one to mind the door, while
slipped round in front Sich er picter as
she looked in her bit o. white dress all
covered with spanglesl And how they
applauded her, siri She got most q basket
of oranges livery night too"
Here the old man paused a moment and
drew his hand somewhat shamefacedly
across his eyes.
"Well, one night I couldn't git round
in front until iist as they wuz doing the
finish; for that Mamie used to stand on
Dams shoulder, with one little foot out.
and with her bits o 'aIds throw kisses to
the audience. You've seen how it's done |
sir. When she got round to the side of
the ring | was on, she kinder of forgot |
herself and nodded and kissed her ands |
to me, calling out, There's one fur you, |
too, daddy. The next moment-I never |
AAaAbffNh INV ~ uJlEANA--Dub lIt Qe7GS /
wuz down and Dan and my little gal wuz
under them. When l picked her up !
thought she wuz dead, but she opened |
her eyes and said, is that you daddy? l |
blieve | amt hurt. / don't feel nothin'
The madame, as l spoke of, sent her /
own kerredge fur a doctor, and when he /
came he looked so grave lznowed it wuz
somethin' bad. So up and asked him to
tell me the truth. And he did in the
feelingest way he could. My little gal
had broken her back, and if she lived
would be a cripple l thought as how ]
couldn't bear it at fust; She had been SO
andsome and spry, with sich a pretty
figure. Dan got off with a broken arm |
and a few bruises. l never see er feller
so cut up as he wuz about Mamie He
sot there on that cheer and cried like
babby, and when my little gal put out
her arms to him one day and sez. Dan.
don't you want to take me to see the
orsesY-l think it wuz her way Of show
ing him she didn't blame him-he made
pretense Of going arter some candy fust:
but it wuz to 'ide his feelings, sir.
think as how he spent morn half his
salary er buying toys and things for my
little gal. And there was the madame
too, er fotehing hall sorts of nice things
to cat and er ter talkin' to Mamie by the
hour Mamie used to like to play with
madame's ring and sich. She wuz main
fond of jewelry, wuz my little gal. And
between the madame and Dan there |
wasn't much in that line she didn't ave.
even to watch l got 'em hall slowed |
away in box, hexcept her ring she give
to Dan. He wears it on his watch chain
how.
well, sir. arter a long while Mamie
was liable to git round on crutches, but
she was still pale and weakly like. The
madame, when she wuz here, took her !
1ut almost livery day er ridin' away into | !
he country, er tryin' to put bit o. color
nto her cheeks, but it never stayed there |
ong. She used ter lay on that ere old | :
softly there and hold wot / called her
irawin' room. Yer see, hall the bows
lsed to drop in and chat with her, and
he wimmin folk. too, fur that matter.
Everybody loved little Mamie.
About year arter the haceident, /
Mamie ses to me one night; Daddy, Mrs i
ireen' (that was the wardrobe woman, a
iir) 'ses there's little girl a-going to ride 4
o-night, just like | used. / should so like
o see her Would yer, deary2" ses /, =
then Daddy 'ull take yer in front But | 4.
was angry with the woman fur 'aving =
old the child n Il
"Carryin Mamie in my arms I went
ound to the ring entrance. With her
yes er shinin' like stars she watched the
ct through, then as she put her 'ead !
own on my shoulder, sorter weary like.
he ses: Daddy, want that little girl to ?.
ave my whip I,
Il sot down here with her on my lap. Il
T strolSin' O. her pretty hair Hall to e"
net she put up her little arms and pulled =
ly face down to hers. Daddy ses she. u
Kiss me- then she cuddled close up to
le and seemed to sleep. / sot fur quite 9
while as still as l could fur fear O. 8
akin her, but some one comm to the o.
oor l had to lay her down. She was 81
cad, sirl My little Mamie, dead in my O
rmsl L
Everybody was that kind and feeling, al
ut they couldn't take the pain outer my u'
rt. There amt nothing wot can do re
nat. Shes buried at Finchley, sir, with u
beautiful stone as yerd wish ter see. di
most livery Sunday 1 goes out there G