Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-07-23
VIRGIN ALLEY.

and In this case am bound to confess tina
the subject was well nigh exhausted in il
title, so far as that locality was concerned
But when once this street had won its ironi
title it ceased to be particular on the scor
of its nomenclature, and the barefoote,
urchins who dangled their pinched leg
from doorsteps had names as abbreviate,
as their stockings.
Just where this Rue de Sodom stretched
its dirty length l shall not be particular t,
say. 1t is not in the nature Of my subiec
to be particular Enough said when l ex
plain that it was the lazar spot of a certain
small town near this city; a row of low
wood colored cabins little bigger than
boxes, where the cannaille, the un.
washed" swarmed and hived. It was bare
Earth, houses, children-all bare. No
grass no paint no clothes. And like the
bald spot on the small head, its barrenness
was all the more conspicuous because of
the smallness Of -hc village that contained
II.
The mafe mn--Iitants of Virgin alley
lived by fishing, hunting gambling and
stealing in small way. When they drew
the line at that the town was satisfied
The female portion Of the alley-lived.
draw the line there.
Now and then some one of the three or
four wealthy men Of the town would begin
10 talk about cleaning out Virgin alley.
This was the only way these local aristo-
Gratis had Of announcing their candidacy
for president of the town board. only
mention il because it is so refreshing to
lind an instance Of politicians boldly cater
ing 70 the virtuous and respectable part Of
community. But when these politicians
began TO boast Of how they would "cleau
out Virgin alley" they were reminded
that, a. for the alley, fire would not burn
II and that a greater than Mr. So-and so
had been swallowed up in its depths. This
latter allusion was intended to convey to
Mr.. So-andso that he would better let well
enough alone and tread lightly on virginia.
toes Of the alley if he hoped to trifle with
town politics with elaborate success.
The little allusion, however, concealed
far more than il revealed. IL is this con
cealment that now concerns us.
A tradition sprang up in Virgin alley
and was banded about the town generally
that once upon n summers day gay youth
struck the little town and made the most
Of it. He was not colporteur for the
tract society nor the agent for foundlings'
home, but he was as well dressed as either
Of those philanthropic gentlemen, and like
them. soon Struck his gait" and emerged
into Virgin alley. The moon was in an.
other quarter when he left it. lie went i'm
mediately TO the railway station and theme
TO the big city
II was soon whispered that this gay
youth was real live lord Inasmuch az
he had not cOndescendad to make the &c
quaintance Of the remainder of the town.
no one outside the alley was prepared to
dispute the rumor So the alley had its
own way and say rs to the genuineness Of
his lordship. Lord or not, neither his com
ing nor his going seemed to make any one
in the alley or out Of it the happier. The
neighborly virgins rested their bare elbows
on their window sills and fence tops and
scolded, cursed and spat at each other as
spitetully as ever, and their faces were
Just as freckled, dirty and devilish as be- F.
lore his possible lordship came and went
One person, however, seemed visibly af I.
fected by the innovation Of the gay youth
into alley society. That person was Little /
Lisette She was sad. Those who had .
known her from childhood had never
known her 10 be sad before. Whatever
else she may have been, sadness was not
one OF her vices. Naturally her beauty
would have made her hated byevery female
in the alley, but her good nature
made them forgive her for her beauty and
love her for her sunshine. Even the lazy
hounds would leap up from their lairs under
the wagons-which always stood for lack
OF better shelter, ranged along the alley in
front OF the habitation OF their owners
and wag her hearty welcome. She always
stopped TO stroke their pointed noses and
pun their long, soft ears-a familiarity
that few dare attempt.
Yes, happy Little Lisette was irrevocably
sad. Not so with the other virgins. When
lAsette passed by looking her saddest they
smiled wisely and seemed to see something
quite laughable in the girls detection
Little Lsette was seventeen, and as girls
have been known to be in love at seventeen
that might explain her sorrow were il not
for the fact that no one in the alley had
ever been known to commit that weakness
IL was contrary to the traditions of the
place, and piece OF nonsense not to be toll
Grated. In fact, the presumption of falling
In love was received as an assumption Of
superiority, and was treated accordingly.
II did not do for daughter Of the allev 10 1
become stuck up" Even favored Lisette
found that out .
After time Little Lisette dropped the
title OF Little" and became simply eli.
sette, for the very good or bad reason that ,
that diminutive prefix was needed TO de
scribe smaller Lisette. y
six years passed and still I.,sette was I
unhappy, though for the life OF them the
Virgins Of the alley could not tell what
Lisette had to make her So To be sure.
The was not as handsome as at seventeen
put she was still the handsomest woman
n the alley-and that ought to be enough I
or feminine ambition in that locality. More
han that, Little Lisette was the hansomest
hid In the alley-and Of the town. for that ,
natter. The highly respectable Of the
own would stop the child on the street.
raw her long, golden curls through their
myers, and sigh, "What a pityr'
If no one was looking these ladies' would bl
ven kiss the child's brow. Scandalous. Ia W
'e surei Yet they did it. They could not a
ielp it; the child drew them so.
Another summers day. Another gen dJ
leman emerges into Virgin alley. He IA N
ot the colporteur; not the agent for the
oundliDgs' home. But he would pass. tn,
'orld over. for 'Man OF the Cloth" lie
nocks at Lisette's door and is admitted M
here Is nothing strange about that. Il
as occurred before But the strange thins DIR
out it is that the Man Of the Cloth Is as
4 as Lisettei tr'
Il Is not yet noon, but Lisette and the
m OF the Cloth are sitting in the shadow
a deserted cooper shop, talking earnest
The other virgins are watching aa tn