Evening journal., 1892-11-18
SANDY'S BESSIE.

after Davie Cillespie's visit turned into !
Second avenue from a cross street 10 see
Sandy MacNab about some committee
business for a Caledonian club picnic.
Just before reached the shoeshop, how
ever, little girl emerged from the
throng Of passersby and entered the
door. She was thin, pale. puuy child
Of the kind the cities breed, stoop
shouldered. narrow chested, III nour-
ished, almost untaught except in the
hard school of experience. fingered
outside a moment, waiting for Sandy 70
dispose Of his customer before entering,
but as the little gifl did not appear
opened the door.
Fifty cents; fifty cents,' Sandy wss
shouting as / stepped inside. Gamma
ye understan that, ye puir heathenf
Fifty cents.
He was standing before his bench. ges-
ticulating, with a pair of newly soled
shoes, two sizes too small for the Girl,
who stood in a mutely submissive atti-
tude before him. Sandy has always res
olutely disdained learning any foreign
tongue. If the "braid Scots deealect."
isn't good enough for his customers they
can 90 elsewhere.
''Meine mutter ist todt," began the
child's gentle, uncomplaining voice,
"und"-
"Come hither, Owen" cried the old
man impatiently. "Can ye tell what is't
the lass wantsy
The girl told meherstory. Her mother
was dead. She was the Oldest Of four
children, and had seen eighteen years,
though she looked but fourteen. She
and two other children had got work.
tailor's piecework-and they We're all
living somehow, but it was very hard.
She had the money for mending the
shoes, but the nebghbors had told her
that "der Herr MacNab" was such a
kind hearted man, and So
The look Of puzzled inquiry in Sandy's
face changed 70 tender regard as trans
lated. Before l had finished he was
nodding highead energetcally in token
of compliance and wrapping up the
shoes in sheet of newspaper. Then he
put them into the girls hands and gently
| pushed her toward the door.
"Achl Du lieber Gottw said the child,
and dropping a reverent Old World
courtesy. she. turned to 90.
"Whaur ne ye leevin, lassg" said
Sandy, following her to the door. ex-
planned the query. and she gave him an
address near by. Sandy tucked crum-
pied bank nete into her hand. and as he
put a pinch Of Maccaboy TO his nostrils
a momentIater thougb< saw his hand
dodging suspiciously about his eyes. The
girl looked at the bill in dazed sort Of
a way for a moment, and then dropped
another courtesy, this time to the door
of the shop, and was gone.
"Puir miherless BARNS. said Sandy,
as he began loud rat-tat on the sole of
shoe. Presently he paused aud in
quired, "WhaCsaid she rs she gaed oo;y~
"She said, 'Ah. thou dear Godr re-
piled. 1T was prayer OF fthanlSfulness. "
"Puir bairnl puir bairnl' said Sandy.
stopping his work to take another pinch
of snuff "She pits the proud an MIGHTY
to shame wi her simple faith An cad
sair warl for bairns desertit by their
ain kin. Think OF. moni In o this
great ceety four little anes fechtin wi
want an poverty an hunger by their lane
in q garret. the prey o. the evil an de-
signin, scorn'd by them that's no their
betters. neglSctit by the powerful. except
by way o robbery. Wi ncer "a sicht ~
the iiels an wavin woods O tho b3nny
country or the wash o tho sen. vith0Oi
time or strength for childish play-eh.
owen. What II my Janei-na. na. bet.
ter as she is, puir little one. unner the
sod i the kirkyard that lcevin sac DO.
set md Sandy dropped his head into
his hands. had never beard him allude
before 70 his wifa and daughter long
dead IN Linlithgow.
ITS an owre lapg tale 70 tell. said
Sandy. after molDent's pinae, seeming
to find gentle c0ihf6rt'in speech OF bis
loved and lost ones. '15ut Use cut il
short i the tellin. Noer mon in a
Scotia was so blithe as Alexander Mac.
Nab the day that made bonny Be isif
his bride, nor for inony year after
The bairuies cam. two o them but
wee Sandie deed in infancy an aialy
Bess was loft to cheer the little haiat
an max bright the ipgle neuk Yet
still we We're happy. sac happy, till Bes
sie-she was ne'er strong. nor her mithei
seemed to weaken. day by day. m
fade DOT an wasteawa', till her face was
pale an clear wi the awfu whiteness o
the great hereafter shirin through tn.
vail o flesh. Eth, she suld ha' made q
bonny angelf'
Here Sandy paused abruptly. and fol
some minutes sat silently broOding ovei
the past l did rot interrupt him. IN
presently he began to speak again in
J low, tremulous voice:
Sac she went. lad. Better so. per
haps. in a the purity of childhood. Al
the wife was like a bruised and broker
fow'r that droopt an droopt weel. Al
l. the kirkyard they were sune side b,
side. IN a. was pit dark as nicht to me
Friens o. my youth. who had lang SYM
leevit i the new Ian, begged me sair {,
come TO them. an sac. as all the warl
was the same 10 my reft hairt. cam al