Arizona republican., 1892-12-09
SANDY'S BESSIE.

after Davie lfill0Spie's visit | turned into
Second avenue from cross street to See
Sandy MacNab about some committee
business for 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, puny child
Of the kind the cities breed. st,op
shOuldered narrow chested i'll nour-
iShed, almost untaught except in the
hard school of experience. ling
outside moment, waiting for Sandy to
dispose of his customer before entering.
but as the little girl did not appear |
opened the door.
Fifty CENTS fifty cents. Sandy WAS
shouting as | stepped inside, Gamma
We understan that, ye puir heather?
Fifty cents.
He was standing before his bench, ges-
ticulating, with 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 20 elsewhere.
Meme mutter list todt," began the
ehild's gentle, accomplishing voice.
"und"-
Come hither, Owen" cried the old
man impatiently, "Can ye tell what is't
the lass wants?
The girl told me her story. 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 were all
living somehow. but it was very hard.
She had the money for mending the
shoes, but the ueighbors 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 to tender regard as trans
lated. Before | had finished he was
nodding his head energetically 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 Gottr said the child,
and dropping reverent Old World
courtesy, she turned to go.
"Whaur are ye levin, lass2" said
Sandy, following her to the door. ex-
planned the query, and she gave him an
address near by. Sandy tucked crum-
pied bank note into her hand, and as he
put pinch Of Maccaboy TO his nostrils
a moment later thought saw his hand
lodging 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 mitherless bairns," said Sandy,
as he began loud rat-tat on the sole of
a shoe. Presently he paused and in
quired, What said she as she gaed ootY''
she said, 'Ah, thou dear Godr" re-
piled. lit was a prayer Of thankfulness."
"Puir bairnl puir bairnT 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 |
her heather! Hech, Owen, lad, it's a
sair warl for BARNS desertit by their |
ain kin. Think OF, monl In o. this |
great ceety four little anes fechtin wi
want an poverty an hunger by their lane
in a garnet, the prey o the evil an de-
signin, scorn'd by them that's no their |
betters, neglectit by the powerful, except |
by way o robbery. wi ne'er a SIGHT of |
the feels an wavin woods o the bonny |
country or the wash o the sea; withoot |
time or strength for childish play-eh !
Owen. What if my Janet-na, ma, bet
ter as she is, puir little one, unner the
sod i the kirkyard that levin sac be-
set, and Sandy dropped his head into
MS hands. had never heard him allude
before to his wife and daughter long
lead in Linlithgow.
Its an owre lang tale to tell" said
sandy, after moments pause, seeming
% find a gentle comfort i'll speech Of his
owed and lost ones, but Use cut it
hort i the tellin. Ne'er a mon in a
Scotia was so blithe as Alexander Mac
Nab the day that made bonny Bessie
lis bride, nor for mony a year after.
The bairnies cam, two o them, but
wee Sandie deed in infancy an ainly
3ess was left to cheer the little hame
IN max bright the ingle neuk Yet,
till we were happy, sac happy, till Bes-
ie-she was meier strong, nor her mither
to weaken, day by day, an
ade DOT an waste ava, till her face was
ale an clear wi the awful whiteness O
he great hereafter shinin through the
all o flesh Ell, she suld ha made a
'onny angelr'
Here Sandy paused abruptly, and for
ONE minutes sat silently brooding over
he past, did not interrupt him, and
PRESENTLY he began to speak again in a
Ow, tremulous voice:
Sac she went, lad. Better so, per-
APPS, in a the purity of childhood. An
he wife was like bruised and broken
low'r that droopt an droopt weel. An
the kirkyard they were sumo side by
lde, an a was pit dark as NIGHT to me.
'rien's O. my youth, who had lang syne
eevit i the new Ian, begged me sair to
ODnn 80 Akaxx. ~ zoo M all ha xyorp |