St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-01-05
A WAIF.


entered it. 1t was then o'clock of a
winter evening, and nearly everybody
had gone home from market. The stables
of the King George were almost empty.
In its accustomed corner stood old
Farmer Scrooby's gray mare, but that
was not unusual, seeing that Scrooby
never went home until he had finished
his ''market day 'lowance."
He was sitting in the bar parlor just
then, lesurely soaking his capacious
body with gin and water. and the 'ostler
knew that the gray mare would have 10
stand in its stall for good hour yet.
But it was something very unusual to
see Jerry Motifs stout pony in the STA
bles at that time. and the 'ostler was
curious to know the reason of the car
rier's delay. AS o usual thing, Jere-
miah was off and away before 6.
"YeW be late tonight, Master Mott"
said the 'ostler as Jerry approached the
stable door. "You'm away home afore
this in general"
"Ahw Jeremiah heaved a long sigh.
"Ah! You be right, William; yes, you
be right. Outward at II and inward at
6-them is my rule, as hewsual thing
yes, oh, dear, yes"
"Well, yew be two hours late in going
hlnwards tonight, then, Master Mott,
for tits s now by parish church clock"
l"Ah, dear, yeSn said Jerry, helping
the 'oStler to yoke the stout pony into
the shafts of the carriers cart. but l
was two hours late in startin' from
Willowmere. We see. Willum. Oh, ah-
yes, of course. Trouble, Willum, trouble
it was that did it. AN flesh is grass,
amt it, now, Willum?'
'Ah. yew be right, Master Mott. Yes,
man as is born of WOman-'Very power
full, atfectin' words them be. Somebody
dead, Master MOTIF"
YES" said Jerry, heaving another
prodigious sigh. "Oh, yes, Willum
My little GRANDMOTHER"
NAY. What, Bob's little gel? / be
sorry TO hear on It, Master Mott. And
the only one they had, too! Dear,
| dear!''
"Ah!" sighed Jerry. "Ten month old
! this very day, and as fine child as ever
| yew did see. The way it took nourish-
ment Oh, but tits world o. trouble is
this, now-ain't it, Willum?"
.'Yew be right there" said William.
There do be a deal O. deaths. Old
Simon Brown died last week matter o.
ninety-tower he were. All. very sad is
this world-so it is"
Aye" said Jerry, climbing into his
| cart and swinging his lantern over its
contents to see that they were all safe ;
AYE, Willum, we be all born to trouble,
accordin to the Scripcher. Take it very
| bad, TO some on us, too, when we be
called to kiss the rod, too"
"Human natur, Master Mott, human
natur. Yes, reckon Bob and his pore
wife'l take it very hard. Dear. dear, a
| deal they did think o. that child, surely
| The way it were dressed-like Il quality
infant. Alb, a sore trouble indeed"
Aye, Wlllum, and. we see, all the
more so cause Bob and his wife has no
more. Oh, very desolate house indeed,
l assewer you, Willum. when | come
away. Bob, my lad,' | says, 'yew bear
| him speak comfortable words, says l.''
''To be sure" agreed the no stler.
"Tis very seasonable is bit o. relig
on when a mans in trouble"
''Aye!" said Jerry, gathering up the
reinS. AYE! Buried it today they did,
WilIum. Alongside my old lady it is
God bless 'em both! We'll, good night,
Willum-a very sad world is this here"
Jerry went rumbling out of the yard
and through the archway into the glar-
ing lights of the market place. Usually
he had stopped his pony as the sweet
stuff shop and purchased 'marketlng''
for Bob's baby; tonight he drove sadly
! past, for the baby was dead and beyond
the reach OF lollipops. lie coald see the
| little green grave in WilIowmere
slowly out of Cornchester and turned
into the dark country lane that led
| homeWard. Such tiny mound it was
how strange that it covered SO much
of human love and sorrow.
Ii is six miles from C0rncheSter tC
WilloWmere, and between the market
town and the sleepy village lie two
| other placeS-one a rather large col
liery village called Pltsmouth, the other
a tiny hamlet called Little Ashby. II
was old Jerry's duty to call at both
these places. There were parcels to de-
liver and commissions to give an ac-
count OF. Presently, therefore, he
pulled UP at the Blue Pig in Pitsmouth
and after collecting half dozen mis-
cellaneous parcels from his cart, dlsap-
manned quietly on the outside. 1t was
accustomed to stay in the same spot
every Saturday evening for at least hall
an hour.
Everything was very quiet inside the
inn. The village lay a hundred yards
farther along the road, and the Blue
| Pig was therefore comparatively lonely
| Thus it happened that no one was about
when woman, carrying a square baS-
ket hamper, came cautiously from the
direction of the village and approached
Jeremiah Motifs cart. She looked
around to see that no one watched her.
and then laid the basket very gently
among the straw in the body of the
vehicle. For moment she fingered
then she drew the shawl closely about
her face and hurried away.
AT the end OF half an hour Jerry
emerged from the inn, climbed to his
scat, babe the pony proceed and rolled
away again. He left the colliery village
behind him and was soon in the open
country. Left to himself once more, the
little green grave in WlllOWmere
churchyard began to haunt him again
He signed as he pictured the lonely cot
tage at home. Bob and his wife would
be there waiting his return. and nc
doubt still. sorely troubled by theil
bereavement.
En-" sighed Jerry to himself, "what
deal o. difference little un dew make
sure-lyl I'd gil hundred goOld guineas
TO have it back"
The road grew rather rough. They
| ndu Dccil laying uoWu d CodtSo VI utooS
upon it, and the pony staggered bit as
he picked his way in the darkness over
the sharp points. The cart had ne
springs, and it began to jolt and shake
somewhat. Presently it got over the
stones and onto smooth surfaces again
Then Jerry was suddenly aware of 6
child's faint cry somewhere close a
hand. He started and pricked his ears
like watchdog.
Seems to me like child a-cryin','
said he Yes; tits a child, surely
Whoa Robin, lad! Let's see what this
may be. Whoa, then!"
The pony stopped, and jeremiah go
down, and, having lighted his lantern
went over toward the hedgeside. The
cry had stopped then. He looked abou
him curiously, but saw nothing. Mus
be Oh t'other side," said he, and wen
stumplng across the lane. Then the
faint cry came again. and the carrie
Strengthened himself up i'll amazement
blessed if faint in my cartp' sale
he. ''WelI-well this do be very per
ticker strange. A child crying i'll m.
| ~ rf