Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-04

CHILD AND HER ODD ENPLoYhESr-A CHANCE
MEETING IN THE STREET AND A SCENE THAT
SEEMS TO HAVE HAPPILY ENDED ALL.
1T WAS EQUAL TO A PLAY TO
u watch that little girl; she was the cutest,
prettiest little thing imaginable. It was dur
ing one of the hot spells last summer that I
first noticed the little fairy at ono of the win
dows Of the big, if not especially fashionable.
boarding houses opposite. 1t had been one Of
the hottest nights OF all that sweltering period
and sleep had practically been an impossibility.
After night spent in tossing about on a little
three-quar.er bed invoking every deity l had
ever heard or read about to send down unlim-
tied blessings, or the opposite, on a weather
bureau heartless enough to get up such nights
and work them off on an avcragely respectable
population, it may be imagined that daylight
did not find very good-humored citizen in
that little room. About o'clock in the morn
ing saw the curtain ehake little. 1t was the
faintest, microscopical breeze possible, but it
was something, and after partially dressing I
made haste to sit down at the window to get
the benefit of what little there was.
1t was not a fashionable neighborhood. that
street On both sides long rows Of boarding
and apartment houses presented their staring
red fronts, on each of which seemed to be writ
ten, "Give up all thoughts of home We who
enter here" Before nearly every house a
scantily-attired and tagged locking girl was
sweeping down the steps. On the square were
two milk wagons and one ice cart, and even the
iceman had frayed and wilted appearance,
while the Jumps of ice which he dispensed
seemed thoroughly to realize the situation. and
carly as 1t was carried a melted well-1-give-it-
up" air that foreboded q sad lack Of ice water by
dinner time. Through nearly every window
cOul1 he Of inc i,,1i-
vlduals, while many of the openings were occu-
plea by disguised people, who. like myself. were
In search of that faint little breeze which
usually makes its appearance for short time
early IN the morning. only to be lost later
In the rush and heat of another day. In the
third-story window of the house directly op-
posite sat fat, bald-headed man, whose face
was most perfect caricature of woeful.
wretched despair. The round moon face and
bald head were, in color an excellent match
for the bright red of the bricks His costume
seemed to consist Of a pair Of trousers, an
undershirt and a look OF anguish. huge
palm leaf fan which he held in his hand moved
back and forth now and then in a hopeless sort
OF way as If the owner had long ago given up
all idea OF obtaining any relief.
THE LITTLE ONE.
The sight Of the painting and Respondent
party attracted my attention to the house OPP
posite. and glancing down at the window below
equal to an iced drink She was the coolest
looking little body it was ever your good for
tune to see on a scorching day. Not over six
years old and with face like a rose just open
ing, she sat in the window, robed simply in q
night dress as unconcerned a queen on a
throne. She was busy, too. Tight in one
chubby fist was lead pencil, with which she
was earnestly engaged in writing on slips of
paper. The manuscript seemed to be giving
her trouble, too for every little while she would
1y,,,t has hra,r s,AA l.
and seem to ponder deeply, with one hand in
her fluffy hair and the other holding the pencil
ready to imprison the inspiration as soon as it
appeared. The notes, for notes she seemed to
be writing. did not appear to her of much i'm
portance after they were finished. The young
lady would write on a sheet, fold it carefully
drop it out of the window and watch its flight
anxiously as it futtered downward. If it
caught on any projection or landed on little bal
cony beneath her she seemed highly displeased
and disappointed. but it was worth going miles
to hear her fresh laugh and see her clap he-
hands if, running the gauntlet of all opposition.
the little white slip succeeded in futteriny
safely to the pavement l became quite en-
thusiastic over the matter myself and found 1
was clapping my own hands heartily over the es-
pecially adventurous passage of one hardy voya-
ger. just as this happy result had been reached
tall, fair-haired lady came to the window and
drew the curtain and at the same time two
thoughts came to me which had entirely for
gotten, the first being that it was awfully no.
and the second that it was past time to be get
ting out.
LITTLE LETTER.
Late as it was, however, l could not resist
the temptation that morning reaching the
street of crossing over and picking up the only
one of those little notes which were in sigh. 1t
was curious affair that letter, written by .
baby hand and dropped in the great post box
the street. The writing was study in itself,
the letters half printed in big capitals, while
the words went wandering up and down the
an address which read 'To my Papa Gilmore"
Inside the letter said:
MY derest Papa: Plese dere papa come back
My mama has been sick.
'Your little girl. ELSIE"
Now l was not that little girls papa and
probably had no business reading her CORE
spondence with her own father, although had
seen it thrown out of window by little mite
not much bigger than the letter itself, but if 1
had been that girls father should have gone
back Immediately and could not help think
ing what brute this Gilmore was not to ''come
back" without any further urging, providing,
Of course, he was not dead. as in the latter case
his arrival might cause trouble.
Well, after this fell quite in the habit of
getting up early in the morning and sitting at
the window, and almost every time was re-
warded by seeing the little fairy across the
way. Letter writing was not he only occupa-
ton. although she still kept it up on occasions.
She had little doll about half foot high, and
to see her managing that affair was a liberal
education in itself. After a time the little one
and struck up quite a long-range acquaint-
ance. She would nod and smile at me every
little while and when some especially wonder
full adornment had been added to her person
would hold up the doll for my inspection and
/ would express my qualification and intense
deligh: by a most insane series of mods and
smiles. l had TO give this up. however, as the
bald headed man in the opposite house spread
the report that was maniac, while the girl
who swep. down the steps gathered the idea
that was making advances to her and COM
planned to my landlady, who spoke to me
kindly, yet firmly.
CHANCE MEETING.
One evening as was returning home about
o'clock a cool little hand was thrust into mine
and calm little voice at my side remarked:
"I'se lost"
''Oh are you?" said somewhat lamely, and
looking down there was my little neighbor from
across the way. MY names Elsie; does YOU
know where Use livesy'' she asked. told her
thought l did, and with perfect confidence
she trotted along by my side. felt really dis
appointed that she did not recognize me at
first, but she speedily chartered all that away
She was the most confiding, earnest little BODY,
and for two squares she told me about her dolly,
her .'mover" and her papa. who was gone away
1--WE ulster live in New York she informed
me, land wagons and street cars went by all
day and all night. and papa lived zere too. and
mover never cried, but one day papa went
away and never come back no more and ives