Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1915-04-01


(she sets so much by fow'rs) an then
I thinks that Jest one would never /
be missed, an so ups an takes .
one"
Eyes, DEAR" said the "Angel-Lady." /
with queer little smile OF under /
standing. Then, how old are you,
Elvie?"
Coin on twelve was the proud
answer.
And won't Janey ever be well."
was the next question
Nom; that is. all the doctors at
the horspital where she was at for
long time said as how she couldn't
never git well; but the doctor watts
bin a-comin' lately from the new
horspital near us. an wat goes round
tendin' most everybody for nothin,'
ses as how he can make her well if
he could oprato. an he SEES as how
some day, jest as soon as she is
strong num- he's gonna do it. Then
Janey will be able ter run an walk
like the res of US does"
BY this time they had reached the
tenement wherein Janey and Elvie
made their home with a dissolutc ia
Their; and after climbing four flights
of stairs, they entered squalid room.
For a moment tho "Angel-Lady"
was unable to distinguish much of
anything, due TO the dim light that
filtered through the tiny window at
the far end of the room; but after
few moments. Elvie brought forth
from somewhere few inches e can
die and a match. which when lighted
revealed over i'm the corner on q hard
mattress. a pathetically twisted little
figure, which she Immediately knew
to be Janey.
She FASTENED over to the bedside of
the little sufferer, and held out to
her the beautiful. pure white lily;
unaccustomed 10 such iinery and
beauty, the poor deformCd bit of hui
manity seemed not at first TO see the
lily held out TO her. but as the gentle
voice OF the "Angel-Lady" mentioned
the word lily" she glanced for the
first time at the flower, and immedi-
ately giving a faint cry Of joy. she
eagerly clasped her thin hands around
both blooms
1t was plain to be seen that the
sick child was very sick indeed for
her little body was racked with fever.
and her eyes were unnaturally bright.
Gently the "Angel-Lady" tried TO
take the lily from her fevored hands
in order 20 place il upon the window
sill; but finding the grasp upon the
| flower too pitifully strong. she broke
off the blooms from the plant. leaving
them tightly clasped within the
twitching hands.
Gradually the child grew worse. till.
thoroughly alarmed. the "Angel-Lady"
babe Elvie run for the doctor. and
! tell him to come at once. while she
proceeded to administer water to the
psrched lips and battle the fevered
brow as hest as she knew how.
The little room was appallingly ST.
/ lent. save for the hard. laborod breath
/ ing of Janey. as she tossed and moan
ed in her troubled, restless sleep
and as she sat at the side OF the lit
tie sick child bathing her hot fore
head. tho "Angel-Lady" thought rath-
er grimly Of her life.
For the first time she saw II In all
its emptiness and despite the many
variable tints with which a butter
hy's wings are redundant she like
wise saw II in all it's colorness.
Furthermore. she found herself in
dulging in thoughts OF Steve: III
whom she had resolutely thrust from
her mind simply because she feared
that thoughts of him might brusl
against the gorgeOusly tinted wings
Of her butterfly existence, and thus
bruiso them; or that some Of the glor-
ious splOtcs of color on them might
be rubbed off.
It was impossible TO think OF Steve
without thinking of the serious things
Of life. and never has a butterfly ever
possessed a thought beyond that OF
the present one of glittering in the
sunlight. displaying its many varie-
gated colors. living its week OF life
allotted it by lightly fitting from one
flower 10 the other. first dipping into
the heart of one, then posing lightly
on the brim of another.
Just so had she lived, had never
known any other existence: and un.
til she had met Steve, rising younf
doctor, had never given the world q
single serious thought. But he hat
disturbed her somehow or other, anC
had made her see and realize thai
some time her bubble of life would
burst and leave nothing.
And she had resented his quiet, firm
way of trying to show her the gen
timely beautiful vista Of the true eX
istence: namely, that of living witt
the hordes of suffering and strug
Cling humanity and not above them
Yet despite the fascination that sh'
admitted he possessed for her. sh'
could not understand how she coul,
ever reconcile her life Of gaiety an,
pleasure to the serious. somber exis
tence i'm which he lived. Nor cOul'
she comprehend the depth of feeling
the tears which she had often seel
glistening in his eyes as he told o
some tale OF sorrow and suffering Il
! which he had been a witness. and tn
} simplicity which marked his dali!
life
Il was all strange and unknown 4
her: and so, lacking the willingness
to forsake her gay and care-fTee life
, she and Steve had parted. But some
/ how, tonight he seemed very close L
her. All these disturbing thOught
only made her see and recognize tn
beauty with which the light of steve
life now shone forth.
Now that she was in the very pres
ence of hideous poverty and sickness
themselves, she understood. Now tina
she was for the moment an actua
witness to the sorrows and shadow
that surround and enfOld so much o
humanity, she comprehended; ant
with that wonderful understanding