The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-08-07


prays for the Lord to forgive her, and |
asks him not to punish her little inno
cent Louise-that's me" she explained
naively, "cause she thinks too little to
go cold and hungry"
"Have you no fathcr?" chokingly |
asked the old man.
"Oh, yes!" gravely, "but he went to
heaven long ago"
Jacob still drummed upon the glass.
"Where do you live?" inquired the old
man, after pause.
"Way up in the top of big house, an
ugly old house." she answered, wearily
and half drowsily," on Houston street."
"And the number?"
"See here" interpOsed Jacob, angrily,
"tend to business and stop the child's
chatter. She's got cunning mother,
warrant, who has put her up to the
dodge: so let's have done with it. I'll
be bound the father who went to heaven
long ago is lying in bed stupid with
drink this minute, and the mother tipsy
beside him."
The child shrank at the cruel words
and tone.
Mother is in bed,'' she said simply:
''but she amt tipsy, sir. She's only
weak from coughing. She coughs all
the time, now, and wants to die and be
put 'longside of papa out in the church
yard" and for the first time great tears
welled into her eyes and trickled down
hercheeks.
"Come, come" replied Jacob, gruffly,
''let's see the locket. Maybe it's jewel
ed" with a jeering smile at his father.
The little one put her hand in her
pocket, then Withdrew it with a fright
ened, wondering expression.
''It's gone" she cried, in the tones OF
despairing woman, cts gone-see!'
turning the poor little pocket inside out,
''its broke through"
"Oh, of course" sneered Jacob, "a
piece with the rest of your story. Get
out, you little story teller and beggar;
get out"
"Sh -" cried she, warningly, Ssh
God will hear you, and he knows Louise
is no story-teller and no beggar Nam
ma says God was poor hisself once,
cause he was born in a stable, and peo-
pie gave him bread when he was hungry.
oh, my locket, my locket,n she moaned,
her loss recurring to her afresh; mama
and Louise will have no supper and no
| fire, and God never comes when mamma
calls"
must get out of here. Come" snapped
Jacob as he opened the door.
Mr.. Solomon slipped silvcrpiece into
the childs hand.
She grasped it eagerly, but with n
flushed face Immediately returned it.
"NO," resolutely; 81 said Louise was
no beggar, and if | take it he will call
me the other name again."
"All right" sneered Jacob; you can
be very hungry if you refuse money, so
get out of here without any more pala-
ver-git."
With sweet, sad dignity the child ex-
tended her hand to the old man.
"rm going to look for the lOcket, she
said, "and then | can take the money.
Goody-bye."
Out into the freezing winter night
went the little one, back the way she
come, earnestly searching, now hoping,
now despairing. The wind tore at her
thin garments, the nipping frost searched
and found all the tender parts of her lit
tie body.
81 can't find it: but maybe God has
been here and helped mamma while
was gone. She cried so loud this even,
ing that maybe he heard this time;'
and filled with this cheering thought
the weary, benumbed little one, will
; tear-froZen cheeks, climbed the steeI
stairs.
Mamma softly; mammal"
Silence and darkness, i'll the cheerles'
room.
81 is so tired" shivered the child
creeping into bed beside the motiones'
, figure upon it; $50 tired, and cold, ant
hungry"
Wen close up Jacob" said the pawn
broker earlier than usual that night " y"
:, don't feel well, and he broke off witt
sigh, as he restlessly paced the floor
!, "And what?" sneered his son.
seem to hear Esther's voice to-nigh
4 calling me to help her and her child; II
n come to her and"
- " "And to throw more money away ol
= her husband and her brat, ehP' angril
interrupted Jacob.
81 must 90 out and try to find hei
- Jacob, must; but where, oh, where
" ~ thou God of Israeli" he cried, suddenl
!, raising his eyes and hands towar
Il heaven. "Help me to find her, my los
" daughter, who may be perishing thi
bitter night. Help! oh, help!n
\ Jacob trembled. cts that begga
r brat who has put such ideas into you
y head. Come, don't be child, father.
= The old man stood wrapped /
,, thought
\ "She looked as did Esther, Jacol
d when her old father was all the world t
her. How proud she was, Jacob, tina
d little one tonight. How like Esther
, Oh! why do | stand here, when l may b
80 already too late?'' and with frantic hast
AZ he opened the door and tried to put u
10 the shutters.
m Something in crevice glittered an
~ shone, as the light from the open doc
n fell upOnit.
ii The old man stopped quickly. 1t wa
n- a locketl
to From his lips broke cry so full {
n anguish that his son stood rooted TO th
e. spot.
"See, It's your mothers face, boy
w. your mothers face which Esther alway
In wore upon her breast. And we hay
turned her child away, and they hay
n neither food nor fire. But for you
,e would know where to find them-but fC
you. And she said God helped us b'
,b cause we were good. Oh, the irony {
O. it, Jacob, the irony of it. May he hel
me now. l will search Houston stree
10 through and through, and when fin
of for the old mans voice was lost in Il
10 bowling of the wind, which jeered an
mocked at the dazed son as he gaze
nj after the vanishing figure of his father.
m "Peace ON earth, good will towaI
men," was the burden of voices from
III mission near by. Loud tongues fro
Id other steeples took up the story, an
nd Christ's day had dawned upon the wor
e, again.
ii From the depth of his suffering hea
went up cry which the bending ange
in heard-and needed.
1t. "A little girl named Louise and W
man called Esther MoOreP' repeated
Id blear-eyed creature, as she stood upC
the steps of an old Houston sire
ed rockery. eyes, sir, they live here, W;
n; up at the top of the house"
ito '"They be my neighbors," she went o
leading the way up the rickety stair
oh "and / hain't heard nothin' from the
he since Louise came home awhile ag
do That's the room, sir-that little room
or the rear. | hope you'll find nothi
e's wrong, sir, but somehow L have q
creeps all over me.
nd with trembling hands the pawnbrok
turned the knob and entered the rool
al By the dim radience of the stars "
forms were outlined upon the bed