The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-07-13
Sandy's Bessie


days after DAVE Giilespie's visit j
turned into Second avenue from q
cross street to see Sandy MacNab
about some committee business fol-
a Caledonian club picnic. Just be-
fore I reached the shoe shop, howev-
er, little girl emerged from the
throng of passersby and entered the
door. She was thin, pale, puny
child of the kind the cities breed
stoop shouldered, narrow chested, i'll
nourished, almost untaught exc apt
in the hard school Of experience.
fingered outside a moment, waiting
for Sandy to dispose Of his custom
er before entering, but as the little
girl did not appear opened the
door.
Fifty cents; so cents" Sandy
was shouting as stepped inside.
"Canna ye understan' that, ye puir
heathen? Fifty cents"
He was standing before his bench,
gesticulating, with pais OF newly
soled shoes, two sizes too small for
the girl, who stood in mutely sub
missive attitude before him. Sandy
has always resolutely disdained
learning any foreign tongue. If
the 'braid Scots deealect" isn't
good enough for his customers,
they can 60 elsewhere. II
"Meine mutter ist todt," began
the child's gentle, accomplishing
voice, "nnd"-
"Come hither, Owen" cried the
old man impatiently. "Can ye tell
what is't the lass wants?" :
The girl told me her story. Her
mother was dead. She was the old
est of four children and had seen
eighteen years, though she looked
but fourteen. She and two other
children had got workAtailor's
piecework-and they were all living
somehow, but it was very hard. She
had the money for mending the
shoes, but the neighbors had told
her that oder Herr MacNab" was
such kind hearted man and So.
The look of puzzled inquiry in
Sandy's face changed to tender re-
gard as I translated. Before had
finished he was nodding his head
energetically in token Of compl-
ance and wrapping up the shoes in
q sheet of newspaper. Then he put
them into the girls hands and gent
ly pushed her toward the door.
"Achl Du Eeber Gott!" said the
child, and, dropping a reverent old
world courtesy, she turned to co.,
'Whaur are ye leevin, lass ?" said
Sandy, following her to the door.
I explained the query, and she gave
him an address near by. Sandy
tucked a crnmpled bank note into
her hand, and as he put pinch Of
Maccaboy to his nostrils moment
later I thought I saw his hand dodg-
ing suspiciously about his eyes. The
girl looked at the bill in dazed sort
of way for moment and then
dropped another courtesy, this time
to the door of the shop, and was
gone.
"Puir mitherless bairns," said
Sandy as he began 6 loud rat-tat on
the sole of a shoe. Presently he
paused and inquired, "What said
she as she gaed oot 2"
"She said, sAh, thou dear Godr"
1 replied. s'It was q prayer of
thankfulness."
"Pnir BARN, puir bairnp said
Sandy, stopping his work to take
another pinch Of snuff. stShe pits
the proud an MIGHTY to shame VII
her simple faith. An I cad her a
heathenl Hech, Owen, lad, it's a
sair warl for BARNS desertit by their
ain kin Think ct, monI In o.
this great ceety four little anes fech-
tin VII want an' poverty an hunger
by their lane in q garret, the prey
O. the evil an designin', scorn'd by
them that's no their betters, neg
lectit by the powerful, except by
way o. robbery, VII ne'er q sicht of
the fiels an wavin' woods o. the
bonny country or the wash o the
5sea; withoot time or strength for
achildish play-eh, Owen. What if
amy Janet-na, ma, better as she is,
Hpuir little one, unner the sod i the
Hkirkyard that leevin' sac beset." And
HSandy dropped his head into his
Ehands. I had never heard him al
dude before to his wife and daugh-
ter, long dead in Linlithgow.
h ITS an owre lang tale to tell"
paid Sandy after q moment 81 pause,
seeming to find . gentle comfort in
Rpeech Of his loved and lost ones,
H'but Use cut it short i the teliin'.,
Ne'er q mon in a. Scotia was go
blithe as Alexander MacNab the day.
that made bonny Bessie his bride,
hol for mony q year after. Tho
Rairniss cam, two o. them but wee
Bandie deed in infancy an, ainly
a = i-rs. ..rs