The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-08-23
LITTLE CAB.

from my WlnuOWS l. Coulu look hcrOe8
the COURT into the apartment occupied by
the family of little Gabriel, who was called
Little Cab"
His father was q cutter in o clothing
house. His mother was sickly and white
haired at As and expended all her health
in household duties.
He was an incurable invalid His
crooked spinal column made his shoulders
rise to the Lowell of his eyes. His legs were
slender and soft and bent under a body
warped and thrown out Of equilibrium.
He would not have been able to walk
without an orthopedio corset.
From this distorted trunk with hump
on tho chest and one on the back rose
head too large, but the face had exquisite
delicacy and an expression of singular
poignanoy.
Although he was years old, one would
have thought him 80 from his thoughtful
faoo, his prominent forehead and his brown
black eyes so precooiously pensive
His father, mother and sister adored
him for his affectionate ways and his ex-
traordinary intelligence.
The physician had forbidden his work.
ing, but to amuse him and TO change his
surroundings they sent him to school,
where he forced himself TO listen gravely
and to retain all that no heard.
One evening after school saw him
seated under the porch of the house against
the rooms Of the concierge His mother
had gone out to make some purchases.
and, his sister not yet having returned
from tho shop, he found the door of the
apartment locked He was watching the
street with hungry eyes, while his expires.
sion indicated deep thought and mournful
resignation. While / questioned him tho
pupils of his eyes threw observant and
frightened glances at me. During the in
terview his sister returned all out of breath.
ooh, my poor Gabw cried sho. ~ have
kept you waiting, and you are impatient,
amt your
"No," replied Cab, with calm, silvery
voice. 1T said to myself only that perhaps
you did not want me any more and would
not come back. am so sick and SO trou-
blesome."
"Ah, you naughty boyp' murmured the
young girl, covering him with kisses and
then turning her eyes filled with tears to-
ward me;
"He Is so little and so intelligent. He
reasons like grown person. What pity
that he Is not strongl The doctor says II
he can go to Berck this summer the salt
air and the sand baths will probably cure
him. But 1t is far away, Berck, and II
would be expensive, but am going to try
to make enough money to take him there. :"
The courageous young girl worked from
morning until night to make the amount
| necessary. She broke herself down at her
machine She folded, gathered, scanned,
basted and sewed without rest. 1 heard
tho dry, quick click Of the machine late
into the night. 1t sounded like a sharp
chorus of grasshoppers in the fields.
Behind the curtains of the lamplight
In the house everybody knew the history
| of little Cab, and the women willingly
| gave their work to the sister. They stop
ped the child on the landing, in the halls
and court, oaressing and fondling him and
sending him delicaoies. He was always
shy, and he shrank from their caresses,
which gave him more inquietude than
pleasure; he thought long time of these
marks of friendship.
1.-THE. lady on the top floor has given mo
these toys. Why has she done so, when
sho does not know meS" he asked of his
sister, with keenness which gave heart
breaking understanding of the working Of
| his brain. "It is, without doubt, because
| / am hunchback."
Work was plenty, and the bank grow
heavy In dark corner of tho bureau
drawer. July was approaching and prep
arations were already commenced for their
departure. A trunk had been bought and
costume for the child, who, enchanted,
| talked of nothing to his schoolmates but
his trip to tho seashore.
AT line last moment everything was up
set by an unfortunate accident.
The young wife of a clerk on the fifth
floor had given her wedding gown to the
sister to DO retrimmed In tho prevailing
fashion.
One evening In playing with the ink
bottle Cab let 1t slip from his slender fin
gers, and its contents ran unluckily on the
white satin skirt.
They did not scold him. Alas, mol The
CONSERVATION in his face was too painful
to soc. His sister stified a cry of terror.
Silently, nervously she sponged the ma
terial and measured tho extent of the dis
aster. The ink had outrageously spoiled
eight yards Of satin.
Between a loss to the client on the fifth
floor and pity for Cab there must be nc
hesitation. The clerks wife was not rich,
and her wedding dress was her only re.
source for fete days and occasions of cere.
mony. Then again the little dressmaker
was proud and did not wish the people OF
the house to know the cares and sorrows
of their home. The most practical and
dignifed thing to do was to run to the
Bon Marche and try to match the stuff.
Eight yards at 10 francs a yard made q
total of 100 francs, rude breach In thu
bank, fund for the journey.
1t WAS finished. 1t would DO necessary
to give up tho visit for this year.
The girl embraced little Cab and went
to sewing again.
The following winter they worked
steadily on the first floor. The autumn
had been rainy, and little Cabs health had
suffered in consequence, His bones ached,
he had fever and pains In the head. The
doctor examined him, stroking his beard
meanwhile and again ordered the child to
Berck US soon as tho weather became
warm.
This time it was decided, cost what II
might, they would start for tho baths al
the end of May.
The sewing machine recommended
again, and Its grasshopper chorus was
heard far into the night.
They had bought Cab a picture book
with nothing but views of tho sea. Here
were ports with their forests of moats
ranged along tho walls of tho quays. Steer
ellis and rocks washed by yeasty waves