St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-03
NOT A NICKEL, NOT A Dish

VI seven pairs OF stairs" our little
Elsie lived. They were not the hand
some, polished stairs of modern build
ings. Nor were you whisked aloft in a
silent elevator, that creature of unseen
power, which SO often calls up our sym.
pathy for the dazed Cinnamon in the
streets of San Francisco, who can only
murmur as they watch the cable cars
skim over the lofty hills: mo pulee,
no puShee. Him go allie same" These
were rickety. worn out stairs, covered
with dust and haunted by squeaklng
mice; and day by day Elsie and her
grandmother had to climb the whole
"seven par" The antiquated building
had been fine one in its day, but its
glories were long departed, and now
the lower part was occupied by stores
of an Indifferent class, and the other
stories by miscellaneous assortment
of cheap dresSmakers and cheaper
dentists, doctors and music teachers.
The seventh story was where our little
Elsie had lived her whole sweet life.
The only bright, young creature in the
house, she gllded up and down the
stairs talking to the mice, the dirt, and
to the dodgers as they came and went.
Singing always when alone. she seemed
to gather the sunshine around her,
which, as it fingered among the rafters,
lit up the dusty cObWebs until they
glistened like the gold of her lovely
hair.
The grandmother, seamstress, was
| poorly paid, since falling eyesight pre-
vented her from doing work finely and
delicately enough TO bring good prices.
Her life had been spent in poverty and
the friction of passing years had left
| many a scar on face and character, and
yet a natural refinement had kept her
from making acquaintances among
coarse people.
Elsie, however, had one faithful COM
panion-"Jim." He was a messenger
in a gigantic bank. His salary was far
too small tor young man of his tastes,
| and. in consequence he was in chronic
condition was considerably aggravated
by the willy janitor of the bank. who
was in the habit of advancing the en-
| plOyeS small SIMS of money for the
slight consideration OF two for one on
pay day. On those frequent occasions
when his money was all gone, Jim re-
| turned home to his room in the attic.
| Elsie always watched for him, and, as
he would come slOwly-up the stairs, his
great head hanging, tired of himself,
tired of his gay companions, tired of
|
| ing, at the head of the stairs baby
sunshine would be waiting for him. and
little outStretched arms would wind
around his neck.
Pm so glad you've come. Jim, dar-
ling"
And the little golden head would
nestle closer to the overgrown Shout
ders, and closer around his neck would
cling the little dimpled arms.
With all his wild ways the boy loved
this wee waif, who had no claim upon
him or any one else in the wide world,
| except the grandmother stitching
YEARLY away in the other room. His
| love, however, was not strong enough
to make him change these wild ways.
| And yet there must have been good
and loving soul somewhere within him,
or else the little one would not have
lavished upon him the love of all her
baby heart.
Christmas was coming soon, and Elsie.
like all the rest of the child world, was
filed with bright hopes of its coming
her among the rubbish of the old build
ing had taken her to Sunday school,.
There she bad seen the beautiful
church. heard the beautiful hymns, and
been told of the Christ love for little
children. How He had once been a
little child Himself. knew all their
little hearts and ways, and when they
prayed to Him He would listen and
give them what they asked for. Elsle's
eyes would open wide when she heard
of this wonderful Prince-'greater and
better, than JIM" The teacher told
| how He died for us, watched over and
cared for even the little sparrows that
nestled among the caves of the city's
tall houses.
"Grandma, does you love God?''
| "H-m," muttered the old woman.
"Grapdma, God loves you. Why don't
you ask him for some of his bootiful
| things?'
Never mind, child: don't bother
| your head with such thoughts"
And the lines about her withered face
hardened and she stitched on in silence
She was always kind to the child, and
gentle, but she seldom talked, and
lately, as the days grew shorter and
darker, she became more silent than
ever. Her eyes were too weak to see
| by candlelight, and as the winter
SHOWS fell the store OF money became
very low. The sympathetic child well
knew that grandmother was sad, and
that many nights she went 20 bed hun
CRY in order that the little one might
have her bread and milk. Even baby
eyes could see the pain i'll grandma
| eyes, and her little heart was grieyed,
One evening, as Elsie sat on the broad
sill of the high window, watching The
night come on and the twinkling stars
as they twinkled at her one by one, the
thought of the wonderful home in
heaven which the teacher had told
about, and how Jesus was looking down
on her. She saw the silver moon come
out and shine SO brightly Oh the tops of
the high houses, and dreamily winked
| herself asleep. She dreamed the stars
were bran-new nickles, and God was
! pouring them out through the moon to
pieces came down pell neil, showering
over everything, she awoKe with start.
! The grandmother had knocked down a
| tin pan i'll Looking for their last piece OF
candle. BY the feeble light little Elsie
| could see the weary look faSten itself
deeper upon the til ed face.
Grandma, dear, let me pray tonight?"
and as the old woman busted herself
with preparations for bed the child
voice made its first prayer To God.
Please, good Jesus, send grandma,
me new set of dishes. Good night,
dear grandma" And. as the little
hands smoothed down the wrinkles:
"See, grandma dear, God can look
right down upon US through the win
dow. He will give US what we want,
cos | have aXed him."
Her faith was perfect. Had not the
| the teacher made her repeat over and
| over again the verse: ASK and it shall
be given you?" So every night she
prayed again, and all through the day
she would repeat as she sang and
danced:
"Please. God, send grandma three new
nickels and me a little set OF dishes.''
This was her idea of riches. The
nickels, she knew, took the care from
| grandma's face, and a set of dishes for
herself Oh, what blissl She tried to
| kesp the secret from the grandmother.
She wanted to s'prise her''-but she
confded all to Jim" She spoke with
such certainty of getting these things