The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-07-09


Perhaps IL was that which made Iilly
see, in tho first CLEAN of gray dawn that
slid through the little high upslit oi "a
window, "a picture OF small schoolgirl
waiting mt closed door.
"Oh, | wish I'd waited, she said,
wiping her eyes with her muddy skirt
II wish I'd set Oh the step an waited
like good gurl. / know Mrs. Jenkins
would have brought me cup of tea. or
let me in TO have the chicken-pox an see
the angels when died. like Ebenezer
did.
But Ebenezer's grave was now level
green sward, and everything was too late.
Tilly had never been run In before,
therefore she suffered more than the
young lady in velvet and furs, who had.
and took IL quite jauntily, and chaffed
the police.
When ooldly summoned by a constable
TO have "swill' in the passage, she
accepted this and an offered mug of tea
very dejoctodly and civilly. and choked
over It; so that her cotton gown and
shabby hat were more respected than the
young lady's fin,ry.
Whatever had brought lilly to what
she was it was certainly not the love OF
dress.
They were driven In the ignominious
equality Of "Blsck Maria to the police
court, where the young lady was fined
were too frequent-at which she cast up
her eyes TO heaven and talked of mamma,
but finally drove oil in "a hanson.
Tilly received severe lecture from tho
magistrate very meekly and shamefacedly
and was let off on paying costs. which
fortunately. she had just enough money in
her pockets tn do.
Don't you do anything TO come here
again. said friendly constable as she
departed.
And Tilly said, "Ill try not, p'lice-
man, " as she went decently away
She did not reach home till evening,
though il was not very far of, and then
10y route as roundabout and Improbable
as that which afterward led her To "A
different baven-also not so hard OF access
as people make it out TO te
Loungers outside public houses shouted
greetings, with occasionally an invitation
to her as she passed by. with her head
down and her Thin skirts blown by the
winter wind. She exchanged Good
afternoon with one or two untidy mothers
of families, gossiping at their street
doors Here and there boy hailed her
with "whoop" OF impudont acquaint-
ance; others who did not greet her looked
after her when she had gone by, with
heads shaken In pity or scorn. She was
known figure in her own neighborhood
known at the local Salvation Army.
whore she had frequently been the first
TO come up to tho ''penitent form, and
profess herself with abundant tears
saved" on Sunday evening, appearing
outside on Monday afternoon more drunk
than usual with songs which were GER
tainly not those of salvation-known at
every mission hall in the neighborhood,
ali or which had had, as she said, IA Try
for her. I" Ladies from churches had tried
too, with persuasions and Inducements.
sometimes discreet, sometimes otherwise.
There was one, u maiden lady, with the
fragrance of a long ago mourniul love
romance, like the sweetness OF faded rose
leaves clinging about her, whom lilly
called "her lady.
"She wants me- Tilly would say, "to
go into 'ome, or a retreat; she'd pay
pounds If | would. But the sort that
goes there is so noisy; always did like
to keep to mysolf an be bad my own
way.
She went TO SEQ tho lady occasionally
and listened to her kind words with
hanging head and 10 denial of her sin.
she got treated once on her way bcme.
and procured cup of tea and some bread
and butter. on credit, at the very coffee
shop ut which George had RECALLED her
seven years before. Ii Gamo with flash
on her daZed memory that it was so, and
how she had come out Of school with the
girls singing
'Molia will be getting her husbands
tea now, she thought. land Mrs. An.
drews expecting Janey from her school
teaching. Aunt's pretty well used to my
ways, though when she knows this she
may turn me out Of doors complete. 1t
won't make much odds. Ihank'ee
Mother Robins III be sure an pay.
It was a very dark hour when lilly
reached home. She besitated at the door,
She heard volces in tho little parlor, and
poered in out of tho dim passage herself
unseen. Her aunt mad hor ack TO the
door, and was talking TO tall woman,
we'll dressed. who was saying In aI COM
p aiming voice:
"nell, Mrs. Winter, / don't know what
ever l shall do IL you won't take 1t. My
lady Is that preiudiced "
"My 'uband won't like ii, said Tilly's
aunt "He always says he's glad I've
had no family-other peoples children are
plague enough, goodness knows"
Sne spoke In little, short clipped SEN
tences. She was q small, dry. pale
woman. with greenish eyes that consulted
each other secretly across her narrow
nose and an aspect of the neatest re-
spectability. But whenever her husbands
work wass slack, she accepted from lilly
without comment moro than her board
and lodging cost.
Tillys lady had been heard TO say that
she could not like that woman. There is
n very neat little green moss which
politely covers the surface Of some highly
Objectionable sewers.
Tillv went upstairs with a light foot
without speoulating on the strangers
business.
But notody'll got the bettnr of her,
said lilly. satan 'imsolf couldn't.
To her surprise. when she reached her
room door, she saw a faint CLEAN of light.
She pushed IL open and Instantly fell
back with a faint scream, and be-
wildered thought Of text OF her SUNDAY
school days about entertaining angels
unawares. For just within the thres-
hold stood, apparo.stly, an angel. white
wings, golden crown, radiant eyes Cf per-
feet JOY and innocence, sweetest smile.
aud all. Only-it was rather small. and
stood with uncertain feet perhaps because
IL was moro accustomed to- fly than To
walk. Then IL smiled upon her, and said
unanRolically, Mum, mum. mum.
why, it's babyv" said lilly. mot
angel, and yet their angels do always
That's text Come 10 Iilly, my proc
ious, and tell ums who ums Is. -
lilly, the drunkard, the run in, "
talked the very same pretty nonsense that
'Melia, the young wife, was cooling To hor
baby. and the baby accepted it as frankly
as 'Melia's did He nnttad her bInatch