Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-01-11

"What "
"Ginifer Have yer never heard tell Of
her as got shut IN n box when she was hid
IN FOR play can show yer a shop win
der where there's picture Of her Shes
all dressed in white, and flower crown on
her head, gettin into a box with a smile
ON her face, AS If it was a rare game"
jim grew pensve at the recollection
Her bright eyes were fixed ahsently on the
gas-fame
shut up, you chatterbox How the
devil do you spell yourself T. growled the
man, who was not well versed in romance.
oh, that don't sinnify' said jim airilv.
with disdainful sweep Of one hand, as if
TO dismiss such an unimportant matter as
photography.
'Wot are yer waiting for Z" she contin-
ued sharply, glancing at the suspended
pen.
'Ginifer rhai? ? you cheeky little Jade. "
said Brown, with an angry frown
There amt nought more as knows on.
There's some folks as don't need two han.
dies to find EN- I'm like Ryal 'ighness ::
they amt no use to me / amt a every
day sort to be bothered with two names "
jim delivered this explanation with grim
humor. 1t was her version of her own no
toriety.
al lives at Mrs. Jacobss. Pride's Lane.
Seven Dials," she continued IF yer
wants naddress, that's it, and they all
knows me in our street
Mr.. Brown apparently regarded the
name taking as an altogether superfuous
matter, and scribbling down the reference
hastily, he closed the book and bade jim de
part.
She got up and shook out her ragged
skirt as though it had been soiled by con
tact with the greasy chair.
'Hc was swell, she said pointing
over her shoulder towards the passage, and
speaking in hoarse whisper Does the
theoter b'long Of him y
Mr. Brown slammed down the lid of the
desk and locked it.
Be off, you impudent little hussv. I've
had more than enough Of YOU never
did see such a one to talk in all nv born
days"
" He was shaved clean, and had gold
chain and a sating scarf, went on the ir-
repressible one, "and he ordered you about.
and you didn't say nothin'. ! guess he's
top sawyer here. Good bye ter yer. III
be sure and come Wednesday"
The subsequent days and weeks were de
hghttul beyond any past experience of life
to this adventures of the gutter. Fancy
had never painted any visions equal TO the
NNAl% lAl lfd4llN VI ltLedl Sdls.
The theatre became to jim the all-in-
portant platform Of life, and her own per
sonality an important factor of its pros
/ perlty. Within the precincts Of this build
ing she tasted a pure and unalloyed happi-
ness, and the praise Of the dancing mis-
tress was, to her who had never known ap-
| proval, rich guerdon
The unhallowed fame was the scene of
the highest aspirations jim had ever known
and here were born the first seedlings Of
duty--the duty to exert herself to the ut
most. Here faint notion Of doing her
best Of striving after perfection came to
life. And surely the belief in any perfec-
tion is religion, strengthening and far
reaching in effects.
Under the roof of the theatre Jin's
physical being likewise developed. Here
she was warmed and fed and had her fill
OF fun and laughter-more innocent fun
thau she had ever known in the foul dens she
frequented. Good-natured carpenters and
scene -shifters. or more prosperous compan-
IONS OF her own age, were often generous
in the matter Of cake and ale. sand
wches, buns bones or whatever cunstitut-
ed their dinner jim had dinner reg'lar
now, she boasted.
BY degrees the child was metamorphosed
Her slckly pallur disappeared, and her skin
ny limbs took on a sembance of flesh As
tO her nimble wits. they developed in a
marvellous degree beneath the favoring
hand Of fortune She was the life and
soul of the children's classes, and her tai
ent for repartee frequently convulsed her
elders Such ready responses relieved the
tedlum of irksome training and monoton-
Gus reiteration Of directions
jim never required to be told anything
second time, and she of course took the
lead amongst the other children. They
looked to her for example appealed to her
for help, and sought her consolation when
in disgrace. 1t was philosophc comfort
she usually rendered for her mind was
strongly colored with stoicism. But it was
an admirable plaster of common sense and
humor, and salved the practical minds of
poverty-stricken elves
To a hundred or more miserable little
mortals who knew no playground but
reeking slums and vile courts. no dolls but
other peoples babies, no prattle but oaths
and hldeous language, the glitter, bright
ness and general make.believe theatre ex-
lstence was fascinating in the extreme.
Flowers and insects they had never seen
were To be represented, fays and imps such
as their prosaic imaginations never CON
ceived We're to he personated. What a
revelation of an ideal world to untaught F.
coloress minds
But 10 jim 1t was more than fascination.
Her own use and Importance seemed at
last Il significant fact in the creation of that
host of unclaimed homeless children who F.
are cast abroad about our big cities
At times she appeared like one possessed /
with JOY, dancing and fitting about with
the most inveterate activity and enjoy |
ment.
When jim was finally chosen as queen Of |
the Dewdrops her Joy knew no bounds 1t
eliminated beyond all measure of speech
when her dress was tried on She sighed
and sighed as she tenderly fingered the
airy glitteriug tissue. The look of bewil-
derment, almost of awe, upon her face sat
strangely there. For jim was not easily
overcome
That day, the last Of the rehearsals. she
marshalled all her little Dewdrop ladies
with indescribable pride jim was quite
confident that she knew her own part per
fectly, not only the many steps she had to
dance, but the few words she had to saw
With some little difficulty she had been
taught to modulate her sharp, cracked
voce-the voice of a child of the streets,
penetrating and insistent generally by rea-
son of the urgent necessity to make itself
heard or to die utterly.
"Rhearsal is very serious, dictated jim
in reproving tones to a ridiculous mite of
a child taken with a sudden access of gig
Cling over the antics of an energetic boy
earwig.
The final trial passed of satisfactorily,
and Madame Bratter dismissed her party
expressing herself completely satisfied with
their manWuyres. Under the gas-lamps of
public house, on her own native pave
ment in Pride's Lane, jim detailed her per
formance that evening, pirouetting as
gracefully she could over cabbage stalks
and filthy refuse further disqualified for
dancing by an odd pair of boots with heels
of different sizes.