The Colfax chronicle., 1890-12-27

NY school was near quarter OF the
city where the tenement people
lived. People Of all sorts and condi-
tions lived in what was called the
s'basin." 1t was low, marshy ground,
nearly fenced in by railroad tracks.
One afternoon, as l stood looking out
OF the school-room window at the close
of the days work, the door was pushed
slowly open. l turned and saw curl
ous little object moving across the room
toward me. As the live bundle drew
near. it proved to be very large woolen
shawl with very small colored child
inside of it. Out Of the folds OF a
woman's big shawl, that the wearer had
hard work to manage, looked wonder
full pair of large. dark eyes There was
q mournful expression in them that
went straight to my heart. The feat
ures were good, and her wool, as the un-
manageable shawl would slip back,
saw was braided in fancy little tails all
over her head. She had an old rubber
on one foot and buttonless shoe on the
other, and one stocking was slipped
down around her ankle. A gay, but
short, red flannel petticoat served her
for dress Around her neck was a
very wide and very purple ribbon,
pinned with small, gilt eagle.
l remember when l caught sight of
the eagle, our wild, fierce symbol OF
freedom, resting quietly, with out
spread wings, on the neck Of this help
less little colored child. it seemed to me
to have a peculiar significance of pro-
lection. Yes, the eagle guarded the
ribbon. and would the child.
Altogether, she was a curiously pa
thetic picture of childhood. II one
laughed when he first caught sight of
her, he Immediately felt like adding an
apologetic "poor little thingw For the
body under its gay trappings seemed
frail, and there was sad look On the
big, dark eyes that one doesn't like to
see in children's eyes.
smiled at her encouragingly. She
stood before me rolling up her wonder
full eyes timidly and trying to keep the
big shawl from slipping of her head.
said: ''What is your name, my
dear?"
She let the shawl fall in heap be-
hind her, stopped down and gave her
stocking pull, and then. in one OF the
sweetest voices ever heard, but SO rap.
idly that the words ran together, she
replied:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS dey
cawh me Tanky, an dun wan to KUN
to dis school," Then running to the
window and pointing eagerly down into
the 'sbasin,'' she added: "Yon's Duh
house, yon one wild dab chimbley."
looked and saw many houses and
many 'chimbleys' of all sorts, but
finally in the distance espied tum-
ble-down little black house, with an old
stovepipe sticking out Of the roof of the
''lean-to," and Immediately concluded
that was ''yon house wild dah chimb-
ley"
When she received my consent to at.
tend the school, her big, dark eyes lii
up, she ducked her woolly head, said
''good evenin', MISS" and was gone.
The next morning, just as the chill,
dren we're in their places, and the days
work was about to commence, there
came hesitating knock at the door
opened 1t, and there was Jolilycalifor.
nialivingston, otherwise Tanky, with
an old cracked piece Of slate in hel
hands, standing in uneasy embarrass.
ment, rolling her eyes around the room.
She had evidently done her poor little
best to make her toilet for the occasion.
Her woolly tails were unbraided aud
transformed into wild, bushy halo
around her face, making her large eyes