A Romance Of The Street

A group ot ragged girls were playing ii tne sidewalk of Baxter street halt ulouking the way with their boisterous tntics. Dr. Hunry Colton, a young uysician attuched to a charitable instiutiun m the neighborhood, tound it alíust uupossibte to push bis way through he crowd of hoydeus. Uncouth face nd rough words greeted hiiu, as with uo ery geiitle hands he made tor hiuiself a jassuge through their luidst. One of the ;irs, üolder tveu tban her noisy companjiis, caught at his coat and pulled hun lalt round. He looked at the girl, whoae emerity excited his surprise. She was bout tweive or tbirteen yeara oíd, and s ragged and dirty as any of the lot ; yet ler beauty showii through her dirt and ags. Her cheeks were round and dimpled, íer lips tull and red, her eyes and bair lauk as tniduight, and her form apparentf wonderfully perfect. Dr. Colton passed n a i'ew steps, but the girl's beauty excitd his interest, and he called her. At rst she was disposed to run away, but nally she went up to him, taking care o keep just out ot arm'sreach. ' What is your name, my girl 'i' asked ie young ui&n. ' Rosa Carden,' she replied. Where do you live 'f' ' With Maiumy Giiiger, down there in ie rag cellar - she's my aunt ; she is.' ' Well, Rosa,' he said as he started to o, ' you are too pretty and oright witted o live in this place and with these hard eople. Wouldn't you like to go to school nd be a lady when you grow up r" Kose's ides of a lady was associated with othes, and she replied aftiimativoly, without the slightest hesitation. 1 Then I'll teil you what do do, Rosa,' dded Henry ; ' wash your face, comb 'iur hair, and - do you know whore the iirl'8 Rffuge is?" ' Yes, I guess so.' 1 You go up there, ring the bell, and sk for Mrs. Brown. Teil her that you want to live there and learn to be a lady;' nd he went on about his business, leavïg the girl with her noisy companions. But Rosa had no relish for romping. - What the young man had said to her kept uuning in her head, and she soon went o her squalid home thinking it over. Rosa received litt.lt; but bad usage and hort rations froin 'Mammy tiinger,' who nly kep the girl for the work she could queeze out of her. Her present life was o miserable that no change could well ïave been made for the worse, and so she ncjiined to follow the stranger's advice. .'iiat night she dreaiued of boing a fine ady, dressed in silk, and with plenty to eat, and upon waking in the morning she no longer hesitated. Afterexciting 'Mammy Ginger's' wonder by washing her face and combing her ïair as well as she could with her fingers, ttosa slipped out and went to the Grirls' ttetuge, an institution tor the care and education of oiphan and pauper girls. - Ringing the beïl, she inquired for Mrs. Brown, as the stranger had told her to do a.ud at last reached the presence of the matron of the institution. ' WV11, little girl,' said Mrs. Brown, ' what do you want!" ' I want to learn to be a lady.' The odd reply, coupled with the girl's striking beauty won the attention of the miitron, and llosa soon found herself an inmate of the institution. Eight years rolled by, bringing Dr. Henry Colton to the age of thirty. Eight eventful years to the country and to hini, for they ccmprised the bloody years of the great war. At the first breaking out of the great hostilities he entered the ariny as an assistant gurgeon, and served throujihout the entire struggle. At the close, like thousands upon thousanda of others he fouud himself completely unsettled in habits and disposition. With a few hundred dollars saved from hif pay he :etu:ned to New York, to flnd thathis frieuds bad been soattered. Nobody Kiifw bim und he bad not a rwUtive in the World. ' But I have a profession,' he said to hiniself, ' perfpcted by yeare of practical army experience ; I will establish uiyself, ind prosperity will bring friends around me Hguin.' Naturally buoyant and hopeful, heprepared to recommence lite, with good spirits and bright auticiputionsfor the future. He hired a reapectuble but modest office on a semi-fashiouable up town sTeet, tur nislied it plainly, and displayed agign denoting his calling. D. ys passed, and no patronage He snw his dollars going out with none coming In. 1 1 must economize,' he concluded ; 'I will give up iny bourding place to begin with. After this the lounge in his office was his bed, and the cheap restaurant got his patronage. Still these tneasures only checked the drains upon his stores, The few professional cali that he had were mainly from thoso too poor or too dishonest to pay and his income did not onehalf meet hia closely curtailed expenses. He grew downhearted and diecouraged. Month after month passed, and at last his money was all gone. What should he dot1 The idea of giving up his profession was distasteful, and he clung to hope until actual want came in the shape of unappeased huñger. Then one by one he pawned his fine surgical instrunients getting but a small fraction of their real valué. Articles of clothi.ng followed untii he found hiinself uttorly unprovided to meet the cold weather that was comiug on. Finally, convinced that be must abandon his plofe8Sion, he studied the 'want' columns of the newspapers, and spent two entire days in trying in vam to get employment. The last of these two days he ate nothing, and previous short allowance had enfeebled him When night came he taggered wearily to his office to fmd that after repeated warnings, the landlord had taken possession and locked tbe door. With his brain whirling and his limbs tottenng with weakuess, Dr. Colton wandered he scarcely knew where. Hunger and fatigue ere doing their work. Ha walked several blocks when his eyes feil upon a carriage standing at the curb. A coachman in livery sat upon the box, and the door stood open. Just then a lady came out of an adjacent house, and walked toward the vehicle. The famished ujan saw that she carried a pocket book in her hand. The denion of hunger suggested robbery as his eyes fasteued upon the well tiüed treasure. He darted forward so quickly as to attract her attention, and lor au instant she looked fixedly in his face. A strange expression passed over her face, but it seeoied scarcely thut of fear. She hesitated a moment, and then laid the tips of her fingers upon his arm. ' I have been waiting foryou,' she said; 'get into the carriage, please.' Wonderiug at the nieaning of her words and scarcefully knowing or caring what ie did Dr Colton did as he was requested. ' Drive home,' said the lady to the driver, and away they were borne up a fashïonable avenue. 'ÍShe has mistaken me for sombody else,' he thought, ' and I must uudeceive ïer.' Then he said aloud : ' You have doubtess made some mistake - at least I have 'orgotten you ií I ever had the honor of au acquaintance.' ' No, sir,' was the reply, ' I have made no mistake ; but the explanation is too ong to be made here. Will you not wait ;ill I reach my houieV' Dr. Colton assented, wondering if the whole adventure was a creatiou of his leve red braiu. They arrived, after a short drive, at a orown stone mansión of considerable sizo and beauty. The carriage stopped, and ihe lady led the way up the stairs into the hall. Here the weakened strength ot ;he doctor gave way, and he sank into a cbair half faiutiug. ' Wliy, what is the matter 'r' asked the ady iu gre-t concern. 'Areyouill.' The lady hastily guuimonea the servants and had hiin assisted to un easy chair. - lemptirig viauds ana generous wines were placed before hun, ut whiub be partook with good effect, teeling stronger and better imniediately after the meal. The lady had absented heraelf during lisrepast, but now she returned, divested of her street dre8S, and wearing a rich robe For the first time Dr. Coltou studed her face, he thought, the most perfect n loveliness he had ever seen. ' Are you prepared for an explanation of my rather strange conduct i' she siiid. Dr. Colton bowed.. ' Do you not reniember me 't" she asked. He looked at her face aguin but could not recall it. 'Do you remember,' she continued, ' in ïaxter street. years ago, of talking with a dirty, ragged little girl - of telling her kat she was too pretty to live there, and of sending her to the Girl's Eefuge.' After thinking a moment, he said he did remeuiber that circuintauce. 4 1 hui the same girl,' and she smiled merrily at Colton' look of amazeinent. I, wnt to the Refuge as you told uio to do, and was kiudly received. I proved an apt scholar, and at the age of seventeen was able to get a situation as teacher in me of the public shools. I had thus been pmployed but a few months when a weal;hy retired rneichant, named Artbur Liitiston, formed my acquaintance and asked me to marry him. I had no friends and his honorable conduct won my esteem. I married him, only to beconie, within a year, a widow with a 1'ortï.ne. - All this time I have never forgotten the author of my success, and have always ionged to reward biui in bohío way for the advice which proved so valuable. And I fear,' she added kindly, ' that my assistance was badly needed.' ' Indeed it was,' and Coltou related his oareer. Dr. Colton slept soundly that night under the roof of Rosa Ralston. The next day he returned to his office - bis protege, as sbe called herself, insisting upon furnishing him with nioney to pay his rent and redeera his pawned instruments and clothing. And br bounty was so skillfullv bestowed that it did not seem like cbarity, ' ouy interest on an old ttebt,' as she expressed it. They were married on Eosa's twentieth birthday, and now Dr. Colton, happy in the possession of a lovely and loving wife, a fortune and a large practice, can complacen tly contémplate bis days oí' starvation and despair. The new York Times bolieves that Samuel J. Tilden will be tbe Democratie oandidate foi governor next fall, and says he certainly will be strongly supported by Tammany at the coming State (Jonvention. Few know the great value of thecheese sent to England by the United States. During three months ending March 31sl the value of the cheeses received from America was $2,610,230 - a gain over the corresponding quurter ot' last year o more than $40u,000. The widow of Alfred Caldwell, of Fayette, Ind, who died some time ago uuder tbe effects ot' munia a potu, has acceptec a oompromise offered by one of the two druftgists charged with selling liquor to her husband, said drugeist payiuar her