Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1910-02-16
CHARLES CARVICE

reason yet
Would let thee shine ON EARTH
The summer which glorified Grosve-
nor Square and Park had frightened
in some degree the squalor OF Para
disc Alley.
Number two, in especial, looked all
the better for it, and the canary did
his best to prove his masculine gen.
der by chirping recklessly whenever
a struggling sunbeam shone across
the bars of his dingy brass cage.
The months which had brought
growth to the year had also done
something In the way of enlargement
for Sam Crowds Christmas Snowdrop,
and as Sam was wont to declare to
any one-or no Gne if he happened to
be alone-the little fellow promised,
if fate were kind to him, to be a man.
If Fate proved kind!
Something in the shape of improve
ment had fallen upon Sam himself in
the six months which had elapsed
since that merry Christmas eve, and
the cause was palpable.
There was less of ruggedness in his
grim, wrinkled face and less of dirt
upon his hands
The hunchback's voice, which a
neighbor had once hkened to hurdy-
gurdy out of tune, was softened and
toned down to a kindly growl, which
at times rose to a ohuckling falsetto,
and about the whole of the distorted,
misshapen figure had grown some
thing at variance with the old, reck-
less untidiness and marked sign of
change of an object ia life.
There was not much poetry in Par
adiSe Alley. 1t was not a locality fa-
vorable to the full development of the
finer sensibilities; but few of the
dwellers in the dark, dirty, sgualid
corner but felt touch of something
like sympathy when they saw old Sam
trudge out with his precious child in
his bosom or hanging on to his hand
and throughout the alley from end to
end there was not one who would
have dared to look surly at the mite
while his hunchback guardian was
near to see.
And they saw him only when he was
out. Had they seen him at home
lighting up the little room-as he lit
UP the old mans heart playing with
the grotesque figure as it bent over
its work; had they heard his prattle.
and the lively falsetto which it pro-
voked from Sam, the Paradise Alley
its might have been all the better
for it, and perhaps-who knows? for
example is more effective than pre-
cept-have loved their own little ones
more heartily
Yet, Sam had an object in life, a
something to live for, but it made his
life not only sweet to him, but awful!
Often, as the old man sat looking
at the child as it played beside him, or
sat at his knee with it's golden head
resting peacefully against the hare.
labor-stained waistcoat, he would
think:
IF 1 was to die! All! what would
become of him?'
And he would snatch the precious
blessing to his heart and wipe away
well, speck of leather dust which
had flown into his eye.
They We're all the world to each
other.
AND 1t had occurred to Sam that his
Snowdrop might feel the want of
childish companionship. and his heart
smote him so fully that it nerved him
to speak.
snow, he said, falteringly, in that
strange, half mature and half infan.
Tile, IN which he always addressed the
enid and which the mite seemed to
fuilw understand, "Snow, it occurs to
me quite promiscuous, that mavbe
you'd like playmate Or two. IF so be
as I'm right, l takes it unkind of vop
not to mention it, and he shook his
head solemnly.
Inc little fellow climbed I'D to his
knee and fixed pair of bright blne
eyes thoughtfully upon the cd mans
small ones.
SO be as you should" growled
the old man, why, we'll get faw
You shall have as many as you likes.
| Knows there's plenty of EN- in the
alley! Well pick out the cleanest
ana nave nice spin. Puss in boots
nopscotch, Tom Tiddler's ground and
and all them sort of games. What do
you say, Snow?"
Ees, chirped the little fellow, with
a rather doubtful nod, and Sam
smotherlng wistful sigh, took him
the next morning into the middle Of
the alley and quietly introduced him
IN child fashion to a group of mites.
Then he retreated to the window
and watched with all his heart in his
eyes.