New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-19

, <,u mr. fohderbury. surrounded by little girls.
sS'ooPeu uoWn. doubling his little bowed back in
nan 10 KISS them. quite lost among the little
1oeues VINO clung to him. Juggling his shabby
overcoat, while here and there bobbing his
sandy head his thin lips kissed the ROSY checks
ehe lresh cheeks of children. bringing Joy and a
na Si OF happiness TO his fevered eyes
Inc huge fishwoman looked on at this scene
shliiihg al Mr. Ponderbury. while by this time
the children's little hands were eagerly lingering
the parcel wrapped in black serge that their
rather gave over to their quick little hands They
were All pushing each other with excitement
IL really might have been a pack of hounds at
me XII, The children had rushed at whatever
~ was 'hat the poor man had been carrying. had
undone the parcel and were already Selling from
the handkerchief they had opened the trimmings
OF cuuets and fragments OF pie with bits of
Cheese, ana the loot of a dinner when, in the
doorway. there now appeared long pale lean
melancholy. bony. fierce face-that of woman
OF doubtful age but still young. woman with
emaciated features. At first IT seemed to me
that ! saw nothing but a nose. a long nose. n
Sharply pointed nose, at once inquisitive and
threatening-the nose of woman dressed in a
shoddy gown that chung to her figure like some
fmsy stuff flung over skeleton. while pierre
Ing voice. like the whistle of locomotive. yelled
at the terrified children: Now then Now then"
Oh that call. that warning from the tall lean
woman with the scolding voicei They all quaked
all the seven little grls-the youngest chung
In her fright to the eldest the rest. suddenly
petrihed. stood motoniess round the opened bun
die; Mr. Ponderbury stood at attention like a
startled soldier before the adjutant. and the
smile of kindly pleasure was suddenly frozen on
the fat face OF the enormous fsh-seller. their
neighbor.
Very stiff in her wretched gown the tall lean
woman came up to the parcel left lying on the
ground. in which could see In a strange med
ley the pinions of fowls. halves OF apples. frag-
ments OF steak odds and ends Of food. dinusing
the sickening smell of broken victuals which. In
the nostrils of these famshed little girls. was
as the fragrance of a feast She picked up the
packet in her long, bony fingers. tied the cor
ners which held the black stuff together over
these remains. and then, having coniiscated MT
Ponderbury's Importation. she looked at tne
tnn Of n
ness that riveted them to their places whlle her
shrill voice pierced the heart of Mr.. fonderbury.
who stood thunderstricken. with these Woros,
You will always let those disorderly little things
waste everything you bring! ,,,.
The little man did not sur Like schoo,noSS
caught in mischief, he shared the scoidlnS which
came down like douche on the heads' Vi HIS
little girls ~
father has brought" the lean woman went on.
and her nose seemed to grow longer and thinner
and to get sharp like a knife coming OUT vi us
sheath. you will wait till tomorrow bef"re you
MIR. Ponderbury could not suppress an ON;
and in that oh" which glance rom ms
wife sent back into his throat at once theIc
&c note of such panied surprise an
accent Of so much regret and repro nch
and rebellion against injustice, ILL.,, anu Gould
NOT refrain from a shrug of her shou1etS-i tn
nected 70 see her bones come through heI 'iil'
rown-while the children, moved by co",n"n
imDulse hung their poor little de)ecteo heau' II"
resignation. looking at the paFenen', ronea,
GYes to- morrow; not till tomorrow rtPoat
ed Mrs Ponderbury. while the Stout ne'e ha,,n
gasped out a sign Oh uio''io' '' ~
turned a mill sail. 60 ~ ..,rad
Rut Mrs Ponderbury looked AZ neI nov. 60
st her and believe she stared AT me- 100 WIN
nor gray eve and that she wished she couIo
come I'D to this stranger and pierce MN IN ouS"
,,th ,be end of her nOSe-thiS inquiSliVe PiSaei
nv standing still TO gaze at MT fohueiou'S'
and the little girls and their mother. -
After which having reduced us al 10 slei,oc
the children. the husband. the nelghDor ana me
Mrs Ponderbury disappeared mo tne o,iCn
house carrying the serge puhoe wn''n ',
weighed on the poor musician arm, M 80
feather at the end Of her long lean manu- maui
of steel springs. :, III, ,,on,inp his
brow with a ragged handkerchief. stood gains
al the seven little girls who had placed ,leln
selves in row. instinctiVeiy III step', aino a.
lifted nm their towzed yellow heads looking at
him with silent questioning IN 'he" i'u'' e'
Door sad round eyes. - ;. ~
In a minute he sighed. a deep. weary sign 81 .!
resignation. and said gently: wen. "e"'
can't be heped!' . , 400, so, !
Ue slow,v went first in at the house door ioi-
,owed nv the poor little female tribe; the eiuest
sending her sisters before her. and comforting
each in her turn with the dim smile or Khd
little plying mother ~ ,o,, |
aves and little submissive steps. And mus they
disanneared into the doorway OF the brick house
swaiIowed I'D in a very dark passage: FOR a
minute 1 watched the httie CROWD Vi chNo'""
shades and then-nothng more. ,,
Nothing more UPSTAIRS either, at the curtain |
loss windows which looked at. expecting 10 see
thore tho figure OF Mrs. POnderbury or OF the
little musician. Nothing at all, ne .ai W 'tIan
had no doubt locked away up there the eataoies
hrougb, Inv her husband. and the whole family
was in disgrace ,. = ,,,,orad in
English between my TEEN. .
Och" said the good fat Gshwoman who over
- 200 or is fast day most days 10 those