The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1891-09-12
'LIZBBTH.

LlZ'BEIH.
'Tiz'beth lived in cellar downin
stree. No one knew what hcc et,.-
naue vas Liz'beth conid uot tf.u-t
theu' Shcused to wonder taaat j. ir b.
ccr as she sat looking oul os ntr ona
wiu tov.
tis'eeth called it window, but in
reality 10 was only an iron grating tha5
overlooked the sidewalk. In order tasec
oug of it the little girl had to sit over
acainst the cellar wall, and then all she
could see was the feet of the people as
thoy went by.
L.4'beth used to wish sometimes tic5
she could s4e what the owners ot the feet
W ,re ike, but then it was rather nice to
sis and imagine abouti it, Most of them
belonged to workirg people, hut now
and then pair Of patent feathers went
by, and once in a great while ladys
kid boot and dainty French heels would
pass with light tread, as if its owner
wished as little contact as possible with
eiat Hretoled street.
z'beth had been up in the City Hall
Par en- pleasant afternoons, and there
s-n fad. seen the ladies and gentlemen
WHO wore pretty shoes. So she knew
what they we're like But that was a
long time ago,
Li4'beth felt very sad this morning,
fer her kitten had just died.
II wasn't much OF a kitten, either. One
OF it's eyes was goi G, and some cruel boy
had cut off a piece of its tail The cold
weather had wilted an ear, SO chat it
hung forward, giving poor kitty the look
OF disreputable character. But her
E,t.e mistress thought she was beautiful
and loved her better than anything else.
Iizbeth called her kitten "Bijou.
SHE hadn't any idea what it meant, and
she couldn't have spelled it to save her
life, But one day in the pretty park a
laly went by leading curly white dog,
wlllch she called "Bijou, and that night
LIZ beth christened the kitten.
Tie little girl sold papers in those days,
and every day she bought "a pennys
worth Of milk. which she gave Bijou,
and she used to beg scraps Of meat from
the market ON the corner Sometimes
she found fish in the ash barrel, not
over fresh usually, but Bijou wasn't par
Ocular.
I've forgotten to tell you that 'Liz'beth
Lad not lived alone in the cellar always.
someone whom she called Mag used to
be there. 'Liz'beth was afraid of Mag.
She was good enough when she was sober,
but that was so seldom.
Sometimes Mag would be away for O
whole week, and Liz'beth would dread
to have her come back, she was always
so ugly,
Once she came home more fierce than
usual; she was in trouble, and wanted
money 'Liz'beth had been lucky for 6
week, and had saved almost 81. She got
it out from behind brick-that was hel
bank-and gave it to the wretched
woman, who struck her in return anG
went away.
'Liz'beth was pretty well used to blows
she'd had lot Of them; but somehow il
hurt worse than usual this time. Hel
head ached, and her poor little desolatC
heart ached, too. There was tight feel
ing in her throat, and the first thingsh
knew she was crying so hard that Bijou
who lay in her lap, was all wet.
It seemed to her she could remembe,
when some one with pretty hair and sof
gray eyes had held her and rocked he
and sung-what was it she used to sing
'Lizbeth closed her eyes, swayed to ant
fro, and tried to think.
Softly through the mist of almost for
gotten things came the shadowy mem
ory of that song-so softly that it seemed
only the ghost of words that whispered
A sleepy kiss is the only fare;
Dear little passenger, say goodnight.
Into the station of dreamland we go,
Baby and /, in our rocking chair.
How queer it seemed! There's surel,
something the matter with my head,
said 'Liz'beth, and then she began to thinl
again the fancies were pleasant if the.
were queer,
The next thing that came to her was
remembrance of the same misty sor
concerning some one else-some one bi
and handsome, with kind, brown eye
and a voice not so soft as the other, bu
yet good to hear.
"Is baby asleep, little mother2" tn
voice said. And how near it wasl-s
near that the mustached lips touched tn
baby's cheek, and then
"How much she is like you-you
mouth and chin and hair. 1 believe sh
will have your eyes, too. 1 wonder
that is what makes me love her so?"
Love her! Who loves her? How strang
that some one should love herl And whI
was that about the eyes and mouth an
hair? 'Liz'beth got a bit of looking glas
crept close up to the grating where tn
street lamps shone in, and looked at he
self 1t was a wistful sort of face I'll
mouth had quiver in it and the eyes
yes, they were gray, but not like tho
other eyes There was a pathetic, al
pealing look in them that made 'Liz'bet
almost sorry for herself
She put away the glass and tried
WOO the fancies back, but they did NJ
come, and soon she fell asleep.
When she awoke the sun was shinin
in her face and Bijou was mewing loudl
/ 'Liz'beth sat up or tried 10, but she fe
very strange. Her head was light, al
I she laid it down again. Her throat WI
sore and her lips were parched
Dear me, she thought. "it must
Highest Of all in Leavening T