Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1902-12-03
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! THE PASSING
: OF A PRINCESS
3 Copyright. 1901. bp p. NJ. conoer 3
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81 Pm NJ ooaR-.

summing AS a journalist the dives
and dens OF the tenement district had
been familiar to me for years. IL was
on one OF my tours. for now and then
when too well satisfied with life take
trip amid crime and degradation and
poverty as an Offset.
found her in a little room ON the
top story OF a tenement. the Princess.
II was winters night. and the fire
was out for want OF fuel, the cupboard
empty for want OF money and the girl
and her grandmother huddled up to
each other on an old straw mattress TO
keep warm. On the floor below them
woman had said:
Thanks. sir. and God bless you. but
If You have n penny more To give look
I'm on the old woman and girl upstairs
| know they haven't had a fire or a
mouthful of food for two days"
It wasn't good manners TO walk in on
the pair without knocking. and with a
lighted candle in my hand in addition
but that was the way 1 entered. They
were both awake. The girl fastened
her big blue eyes on me and uttered no
word while l deposited the packages
and lighted n fire I'm the old stove.
When | had taken n seat on the corner
OF the rickety old table. she quietly
observed:
Il hope the gentleman will excuse
me"
The gentleman will do So" 1 re-
piled.
And will the gentleman withdraw
Nt-hf a a go
The gentleman passed out into the
ice cold hall and stamped up and down
for three or four minutes. Then he
was Informed with considerable dignl-
~ that the ladies had finished their
toilet and were at home" \ few
minutes later we sat down TO feast.
the trio OF us. l expected TO hear a
tale OF want and woe. but none was
told. There was no inveighing against
the rich; no criticism of the world at
large; not one single complaint that
they We're there in poverty's clutch.
Grandma was a woman OF seventy.
She had soft. gentle face and the dig
nifty of old age. Ii was hard TO con-
meet her with poverty. although one
saw the wolf cf starvation shifting at
the door The girl was not over ten.
but she had the face OF one double
that age. Her clothes were ragged.
but clean; her hands had been used to
toll, but they were shapcly and clear
OF dirt. Her face wore n smile. and
yet there was dignity behind IL. No
blessings We're showered upon my head.
no exultation. IL l was n benefactor.
l was also a guest.
Il thought some one would come"
said the girl as we stood around the
table. with its miserable showing or
crockery.
And why did you think sof" asked.
Because shall be princess some
day"
And how will that come aboutT'
In quiet tones and with an earnest
ness which made me wonder she told
me that over and over again she had
dreamed that she was princess. The
idea had become firmly fixed In her
mind. and, even had / cared TO combat
IT, arguments would have been useless.
She had read story books. too; she had
read of princes and princesses and
X hts and chevaliers. and TO dispel
her illusions would have been almost
wicked. ! called her Princess I'm n
spirit OF levity. She accepted the title
with such dignity that / bestowed II
upon her In earnest. Grandma's mind
was not in its second childhood, vet
she had fully accepted the situation
that is, she firmly believed that 1t
would come to pass some day that her
granddaughter would wear the purple
and ride behind proud stepping horses.
/ encouraged her to think so, and en-
coura ged the Princess. This was de-
ceit on my part, but God help those
men and women and children Of the
tenements who sit In cold, darkness
and hunger and have no visions to
keep back their walls or curses
Old rs she was granny had Il little
work now and then. and young as she
was the Pm lcess earned a few shIlings
per week. 4 should have been glad to
do more for hem, for l had become
knight 10 a princess. but they drew a
line and entered =. protest. To 20 be-
yond that line was to hurt their feel
ings and offend their dignity.
Sometimes in my knocking about !
found the Princess on thr street, and
had no cause 10 wonder thSt the half
drunken women and rude boys treated
her with respect II had somehow got
about the street that she was n real
princess who would come into her own
some day. and she must be treated diff
ferent from she other girls There were
weeks and weeks at Il time when the
faith OF the Princess In her future would
not let a doubt creep in. Then there
would come a blue day, and after sit
ting with her chin on her hands for a
long hour while talked with grandma
she would earnestly inquire:
do you think shall ever be a real
princess? Won't some other girl get
the place ahead OF me before / am old
enough"
Then would look around at the evil
dence Of poverty, / would feel the
pinching, the grinding. the bitterness
hemming her in, and ! would reply
with deceit on my tongue. | would en-
courage her to keep fast hold of her H.
lusions 10 drive any menacing doubt
away. She believed in me and was the
happier for IT. and il was also worth
the sin TO receive the grateful looks OF
the Door old woman whose span Of life
was almost closed. When ! had re-
stored her courage, the Princess would
tell me Of her plans when she should
come into her own. There was never
a plan that did not include the better
ment of humanity. There would be no
enemies TO punish. no laws TO Cypress.
no charity To hurt the sensitive. The