, 1890-08-21
A W0MAN'S SMILE,
1t Left It's Imprint Upon a
Whole Neighborhood.
GENTILITY IN SHABBY ATTIRE
The Druggist, the Butcher and thu
Gross Old Woman Grievod
When She Came No More.


fair, had grevious marks npon II
that were cares sharp writing of a
life history none too joyous and bur,
denless, but her smile was as bright
and sunshiny as pleased childs
And as she walked down the long
commonplace street morning after
morning on her way to work-for IL
Is of one earth's humble toilers thnt
/ am telling you-she Went smiling
her friendliness upon every creature
she met.
The dog that every morning led
the blind man to his corner close to
the booksellers stand, and sat m.
tiently by him all day waiting ia
lead him home when evening should
come, he knew her, and greeted him
with wag of his stumpy tail as a
sign Of good fellowship, though sho
could seldom spare a coin to the RAG,
ged hat his master held, aud his
honest brown eyes said as plainly
as If he had had speech with which
to voice, "You would If you could.
l know"
The little lame tailor stitching
away in his door glanced away from
his work again and again till he
saw ner coming, and the butcher.
burly and bare armed. invariably
wiped his hands to return that
friendly smile. Old Poll, the apple
woman, who had never been known
to give a pleasant word to any other
creature and whose sharp tongue
was the terror of the neighborhood.. 2.
actually had a civil nod for tho
little woman who persisted in smll.
ing at her. The postman found his
round n trifle less weary when he
met the small, gray figure going its
CHEEKY way. The school children
were her friends aud returned her
silent greeting with interest from
the same bright mint.
ONLY A SMILE.
The druggist behind his gay glass
bottles knew he,, the invalid child
that spent so many long hours Of
pain and loneliness looking out Of
the window In the fine, big house
across the way watched for her wist.
fully, and sighed and turned I'M.
patiently upon her pillow when she
had gone by. Yes, they all knew
her for friend, though in the great
rush of life and the struggle Tor
bread she had no time to stop for
the exchange of even u word with
them, but she gave them all she had
"a smile, that bloomed, however,
in the rich soil of heart full of love,
rs "a rose Is but the outward token OF
the kindly, beneticeut earth from
which 1t springs.
But when at last a morning came,
and the little shabby figure did not
appear, all these friends of hens
were troubled, aud had you said to
them, why, you never spoke
word to her in your llvesg' they
would scarcely have believed you.
The tailor found himself still stitch
ing up the ends of the sleeves in the
coat he was at work on, the butcher
sent of loins for shoulders and
brains for pigs feet, and the drug
gist caught himself up sharply twice
and thrice IA he hammered away
with his pestle at entirely wrong In.
gradients In his mortar. Old Poll
grew crosser and sharper as the
morning grew nearer and nearer TO
noon, and still her one friend came
not and her uneasiness grew.
The sick child could not be carried
away from the window, but lay
pressing her thin, white face against
the pane, peering anxiously down
the crowded street. The children
remembered with disappointment as
they entered the school-house that
they hnd returned no CHEEKY smile
that morning, and the blind mans
dog. hoping to the last that sbe
would come, kept making litktI
starts forward as he caught glmpkN
IN the hurrying crowd of vanishing
skirts that he mistook for the family
lar gray dress, only to come back
delectedly to his masters side and
SIT pondering over the matter in his
faithful dog heart.
YET SHE is MISSED.
But when the next day came and
went and the next was gone and
she did not come the neighbors Of q
little tumble-down house sadly lack.
ing paint, which had hidden itself
shyly away between the two rows
of crowded tcnements, were sur
prised to see the number of callers
that came to knock softly at the
door and go away again in a few
moments with faces graver ana
sadder each time. They saw big,
burly man, with II very red face,
and sleeves for once drawn down,
supporting another little chaps
hating steps, followed by an old
woman with singularly grim,
cross face, who turned very savage
when she was caught going up the
broken steps by the Others coming
down, The children came, sub
dued and quiet for once, to leave
loving messages at the door, anu
twice n day grand carriage, with
sleek, restless bays, drew up before,
the little house, and "a fOoinan,
gorgeous in green and gold, went N
to deliver fruit and flowers ana
bring back news of her who smiled
no more.
And somehow united by theif
anxiety for this humble sister, who
had only been tender and loving,
this odd assortment of people grew