Year: 1872

There were three ways you might
look from Sarah Loche's window, in
the fourth story of Madame DeVinney's s
&" boarding house for women" New
York.


Looking straight out, you would see
down a narrow alley which left high
streets just below, and grew dirtier and
less respectable with every step, as it
wound past rubbish-lined back-yards
up to the square court under Sarah's
window. There it came to dead stop
between high, thick walls. and never
got on again-iust as many inn ates of
the great house had wandered or been
driyen--who shall judge Of all alike2-
from the pleasanter highways of life,
and had come to a social stand-stiI with
the living there. For Madame DeVin-
ney's wasn not well thought of, and those
who never troubled the rusty bell-pull
on the front door, took care that both
the fact and the reason should be no
secret.


The other ways you might look were
short and unattractiye enough-at least
to an ordinary observer. On the right
high wall ran at right angles with
Madame De Vinney's, and from it two
brown-shUttered windows looked down
into the same court, and over the same
stretch of irregular roofs, to the rim ot
green, which ended both the city and
the third view.


The second view is the important
one Indeed, 1 should scarcely have
noticed the others were it not for that,
whatever place may have had the open
ing of my story in the minds of the her
oine-if so romantic title may Justly
attach itself to one who knew no other
heroism than love and duty-they were
once a great deal to her. The dirty
strip Of earth that ended beneath her
window at first seemed, by that mys-
terious association of idea with things,
to lead out to the well-kept highway
and to the priceless companionship OF
those who walked therein and, the
delicate rim that lost all objects and
kept only color for those so far away,
hiding the fresh country, more like a
verdant mist than any real substance,
seemed q remembrance that some day
however far away,-be merely re-
memberance no longer. But a few
months changed it all. The track OF
mud and slime pointed only in, and the
outline of hills and fields gathered the
green mists closer around, more, it
seemed to Sarah, to keep her out than
to tell of the added JOY the summer
brought them. So she shut out both
views forever in stony dispair, and,,turn-
ed to the small brown shutters, as we
shall always DO.


The shutters swung back one bright
morning, and Sarah's looks went in at
the narrow panes with the sunlight. 1t
was not large room, and was plainly
enough furnished. A homemade car
pet, with stripes Of gay and black, with
here and there one of neither, covered
the floor, and with the exception of neces-
sary articles, all of the plainest descrip-
tion, the room was bare. Nothing OF
elegance was anywhere to be seen.


The occupant had evidently Just en-
tered, for he laid aside his hat, and sat
down at a small table to write. He was
anything but handsome or elegant, Sit
ting there in his poor room, working
over the paper with a hasty hand, but
to Sarah he was at least attractive.
She liked the shape OF his head and
the expression of his face, and thought
she saw a future noble beauty in both.
How many are those, quick to observe
characters and faces, who have loved
others for what they imagined they
would be It is like buying a parcel OF
land, not because the scene is good or
the soil productive, but because it will
rise In valUe-purely a business trans
action. But there was nothing Of this
in Sarah, of course, for it could make
no difference to her what he became.
She only noticed the fact and let it
pass. .....


One peculiarity she noticed about
him. He had habit of holding his
eyes closed with his fingers for minutes
at a time, as though they panied him.
Once, when she saw him throw himself
upon the bed to rest, she noticed a ban
dage upon his eyes. He has weak eyes
she thought, and, seeing that he lived
by copying-that eye-blurring work
she began at once to pity him and to
watch his movements close. 1t grew to
be a habit with her to watch his win
dows, and the habit lent pleasure to


he watcher She felt lonesome if she
did not see her neighbor daily.


So 1t is with our poor, human nature.
Hard and cold indeed is the person who
can live without some one object nearer
to his or her thoughts than all beside,
and that object apart from necessary
motives. Even ihe hardened criminal
VIII seek rompanionship with whatever
+ creature reaches his cell. Companions
I Sb4p Is as necessary as light and heat