The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1892-06-09

$500 :.1 WAS IS es nsss: a
great many crooked streets, turn
great many sharp corners and thread
great many narrow alleys before one
came at last to the narrowest and
dreariest one of all, Shea's alley. Yet
it was really worth the trouble and in
convenience, for here, up two flights,
in the shabbiest house of all the many
sha bby houses in the place one would
see a very curious sight-a little girl
who in all her life had never seen a
ll,de of grass growing. or even the
humbles. little wayside flower pushing
it's head through the dark earth for a
peep at the sun. IS for whole mead
ow full of green, waviIg things. noisy
with the song of bi-ds and the hum of
bees, why, if you had toll Liz that such
a strange place really existed she would
not have believed you. For Liz was
cynical; she regarded most people land
their stories too with distrust, and the
more pleasing the tale the more salts
fed was she that it was pure fabrica
ton.
Poor little Liz. She had hump
upon her back and crutch under her
arm, and all the world seemed made
wrong. since she was. For Liz was not
10 the least like the sanity little crea-
lures in the good story books. She was
instead real little girl who lived in
Shea's alley (wherein no saint ever
dwelt1, and she tried no more to be
good and meek than she tried to be
happy and comfortable. AS for the
crutch it served a variety of purposes.
Sometimes when she grew very angry
she threw it at people, and, in turn, it
often fell upon her own Sefenseless
shoulders. 1t enabled her, however,
to crawl dow2.tairs into the alleyway
o hot day. On such occasions she
found there swarm of ragged children
who screamed and fought with each
other for amusement. Liz did not
scream, but with her trusty crutch she
felt ready for any assailant. Rarely
did she venture further than the end of
the lane. What was the use? Beyond
was only another Shea's alley, longer
and broader, perhaps, but not other
wise more attractive.
times, upon a hot Sunday, don her
best dress, if she happened to have one,
and go away to the park. But the
park was three miles distant and it
cost moreover, a matter Of five cents to
reach it, SO Liz had never been taken
there. Who could be troubled with a
crippled sister when the crowd was so
great that it was only by bold elbowing
and pushing that one could reach the
car at all. No one expected Liz to even
desire to go; but one day her sister
brought home bunch Of daisies, and
from that moment a great longing filled |
the chlld's heart. If only she might see
the wonderful place in which these gay
flowers grew. What could it be like!
For many days she wondered and won
dered, and one night when Nancy, her
sister, came home from work she called |
out suddenly:
'Are there many of these near the
park?'
Many of what?" said Nancy, Grossly,
for she was very hot and tired.
MANY of them" pointing to a
crac Ied tumbler wherein the daisies,
carefully preserved, still stood straight
and prim, their golden disks making
gay spot of color in the dingy room.
''Oh, miles of EN- responded Nancy.
largely and grandly, her tired face
Frightening unconsciously as she |
thought of the broad field wherein, I'M
hindered by vigilant policemen, she had |
roamed knee deep in grasses to pluck |
the kindly flower that did not scorn to
grow in humble places and for humble !
people.
Miles of them! Poor, astonished Liz |
could say no more, but thenceforth the |
strange longing born so recently in her |
heart grew and grew, until it threat
ened to overcome her with it's intensity. |
OF old, angels were supposed to be
the fitting bearers of joyful tidings,
but in these degenerate days our an
gelic visitors are wont to clothe them
selves in divers unromantic forms. And |
thus it fell out that it was police man,
stout, red-faced and grim, who brought
the good news to Liz. 1t was sitting
day. The August sun sent it's malig-
nant rays triumphantly into the city
streets. sure of conquest. Horses
dropped and fell beneath them. Trav-
elers, in despair, sought shady corners
in which to mop their heated brows.
The pavements were on fire, the dusty
streets seemed scorched and shriveled.
The whole great city, indeed, painted
and gasped for breath. In Shea's alley
the entire population had turned in
vain hope of comfort to the street.
Women with white-faced babies
crowded the doorsteps, while the chill
dren disported themselves languidly in
the dust.
Liz, however, was not to be seen.
AS the policeman came in sight
hush fell upon the assembled tenants.
Each one regarded him with lower
ing, suspicious glance, and straight
way searched his guilty conscience for
the misdeed which had called forth this
visit. His victim was evidently not
among them. however, for he turned