The Convict's Child

It was early morning. 'Ia this the way, sir, to Sing Sing?' 'Ye3,' roughly replied a broad-faced country man, and passed on. It was afternoon. The child was omewnat fragile in appearance. Her bonnet was of broken straw, her shoes were much torn ; the sun played hotly on her forehead. She walked on and on an hour longer. Is this the way to Sing Sing, sir ?' 'Yes, little girl, but what are you gcing there for ?' The child trudged on, her lips quivering, but not deigning to answer the pleasant-faced old man who had stopped the jogging of his horse to note her hurried manner, and who liked that little face, anxious and sad as its expression was. The dew was falling. Katie had fallen, too, almost. A rough stone by the way, imbedded in moss, received her tired little frame. She looked so worn and tired, sitting tnere, her tangled hair lalling on her hands that were claspcd over her faca By the shaking of her frame the tears were coming too, and she was bravely trying to hold them back. 'Why, what ia the dear little girl doing here ? The exclamation carne f rom a pair of young lips. 'A. curiosity, I declare!' exclaimed a harsher voice, and Katie, looking up suddenly, cowered away from tho sight of the young lady and her agreeable looking companion. 'Whatever are you doing here, little girl?' asked Nell Maywood, moving a little nearer towards the frightened child. 'Going, Miss, to Sftig Sing, replied Katie. 'Why, Georgel this child is going to Sing Sing - ten miles off. Child, didyou know it was so f ar off?' Katie shook her head, and wiped away the hot and heavy teara, one by one. Why, you little goose, what are you going to Sing Sing for ? Have you had your supper?' Katie shook her head. 'Have you had any dinner?' Again the child shook her head. 'No breakfast! Why, George, the poor thing must be alinost starved. 'I should think so,' mechanically replied her brother, just recovering from a yawn, and showing signs of sympathy. 'Look here, what's your name ? Well, girl you must up to the house and get something to eat. Follow me, and we'll take care of you to-night somehow, and see about your going to Sing Sing to-inorrow.' Katie íollowed. What a glorious visión burst upon her viewl The palatial house; the rocks reddening in the low western sun; the shining river; the signs of luxury on every hand. 'Susan, give this chikl a good supper; she is hungry, and tired too, I imagine. After that I will see what can be done for her.' Susan wore a mild face. She looked pleasantly down at thepoor, tired little one, and taking her hand, which trembled now, led her into the kitchen. Meanwhile her story, or that brief part. of it when we know, was being told in the drawing-room. The sylphlike figure in white, lounging gracef ully in the ïnidst of delicate cushions, accompanied her narration with expresaive gestures, and then a little laugh. 'I should like to know what she is going to Sing-Sing for!' she said, leaniDg languidly back. 'We must look her up something to wear- a bonnet, a pair of shoes, and then maybe we can manage to have her carried some distauce. Oh! such an old little thing.' ' Whu is that my daughter ?' 'Oh, papa, you are conae home! Why, I was talking about a little mite of a child; shecan't be more than ten, if that, I saw her out here sitting on a moss reek, the most forlorn object. She says she is going to Sing-Sing.' 'I met her on my way,' said the pleasant-faced old man,' 'she asked me about it, and I would have stopped her, but she trudged on. Whereis she? It was noon when I saw her.' 'In the kitehen, papa. Susan is taking good care of her I ihink, and when she has had a good hearty supper we will talk with her.' A gay trio of young girls came in. The nettings were put up, the gas was burning brightly, and music and mirth banished all tho ughts of care. Suddenly Nell Maywood remembered the odd little figure, and clapping her hands, cried, 'Oh, I've something to show you girls!' and disappeared. Susan was picking goosebemes near the pantry in the kitchen. 'Where is the child, Susie!' asked Nell Maywood. 'On the doorstep, Miss.' 'Why no, Susan, there's nobody to be seen.' 'No! miss.' Susan placed her pan dowD, held her apron up to catch the sterns of the berries and walked deliberately to the door. 'Why, she sat there sometime af ter supper. I turned and came in; she was sitting there, looking up, up at the stars, I expeet. I thought she was a mighty quiet child, but she'a deep, deep, ;iiss Nelly; she's gone. Let me see, there ain't any silver around - I should be afeared she'd took something; they're mighty artful.' 'Why, didn't you teil her she might stay all nigkt ?' Nell Maywood was peeping here and there to spy her if possible. 'Tes, Miss Nell, I told her what a good bed there was over the woodshed; but she looked strange out of them large eyes of hers.' 'The poor child is in trouble,' said líell, quite sorrowful that she could not farther relieve her necessities. 'I'd have given her something to wear, and we could have sent her to Sing-Sing; and perhaps she will come back again - if so, will you send her to me?" 'If she do, I will, miss,' answered Susan, going at the gooseberries again. But little Kate did not come back She had been watching her opportunity to get off, and had already been gone sometime. She slept in an open üeld; crawled in some hay; she would have walked all night if she had dared, but she was afraid of the darkness. 'Mr. Warden, there is a queer case over at rcy house.' said a bluff looking fellow, meeting the warden of SingSing pri m. 'We found her last night in some ut-of-the-way place, and nothing would do but my wife must take her in. We can't flnd out her name, except tbatlt is Kate, and I expectthat she wants to see somebody in prison. ] But we can't get anything out of her- wkere she's came from or anything about it.' 'Bring her over here,' said the warden - 'my wife is wanting a little girl for help; maybe she's just the one.' So Kate stood, trembling more than ever, in a few minutes, in the presence of the warden and jailor. Kate was a pretty child. Her large blue eyes wore an expression of intense melancholy; her hair had been nicely combed and curled, and some one had put a good pair of shoes on her feet. 'Well, my little girl,' said the warden, kindly - for he was prepossessed in her favor - 'where have you come from ?' 'New-York,' said the child faintly. The men looked at each other increduloualy. 'Do you mean to say that you have come to Sing-Sing from York on foot?' 'Yes, sir,' said the child, frightened at his manner, which had in it something of zeverity. 'And what have you come for ?' 'To see my father.' The child burst forth with one great sob, and for a moment her little frame was shaken with a tempest of feeling: 'And who is your father?' asked the warden, kindly. 'He is Mr. Loyd.' said the child, as soon as she could speak for her rushing sobs. The warden looked at the jailor. 'Loyd; there are three Loyds here -Jim, Bondy and Dick,' said the jailor. 'That may notbetheir proper names,' responded the warden. That's so,' said the jailor, 'but I can try 'em all. Little one, was your father's name Jim ?' The child. nodded her head, or they thought she did; she was all convulsed with the reaction brought on by the termination of her journey. 'If it's Jim he's a bad one,' said the jailor, in a low voice, 'he's in irons this morning for 'tempting to break jail; he don't deserve a little gal like that one, the villain. Come, child, I'll go and flnd your father.' He took Katie's shaking hand; with the other she dashed the tears away as fast as they feil. It frightened her almost into calmness to see the ponderous door at which the jailor applied the great key, and the stillness of long stone passages; the dimness thrown over all; the constant succeasion of bars and bleak, black walls, were terrible to a sensitive mind like hers. How the heavy tread of the jailor, and the tread of the warden behind him, echoed through the gloom and the spacel It was, in truth, a great tomb through which they moved - a tomb in which were conüned living hearts - whose throbs could almost be heard in the awf ui stillness. On, on they went.now through that passageway. Everything spoke of crime - of flerce passions subdued and held in stern control - everything, from the grim face of the ferocious watch dog to the sentinels armed. Then thoy tumed and went up the stairs, the jailor holding the scared bird close to his side with a tender clasp, the warden following. Another tramp, and at last they carne to a standstill. The jailor rapped at a cell-door. Slowly the figure of a man, with a harsh, hiür-covered face, appeared. 'Here's your little girl come to see you,' said the jailor. 'Little girl ! hem! you're green!' said the man, in glutn accidents. 'I've got no little girl, or you wouldn't catch me here.' 'Father,' said the childish voice. It sounded so sweet-, so childish, in that terrible prison. But a3 the scowling face carne close to the bars, the child hid her face in the jailer's arm, halfsobbing, it wasn't Mm. 'We'll try the next one.' He walked farther on, and spoke more pleasantly this time: 'Well, Bondy, here is little Kate; don't you want to see her ?' 'Little Katie' there was a long pause. 'I had aKate once - not a little Katie; I broke her heart- God pity ma Go on, it can't be f or me.' Again the sweet voico rang out: 'Father.' The prisoner carne up close to the bars; youthful face, framed with light wavy hair- f ace in which the blue eyes looked innocent- face that it seemed a sin to couple with a foul deed, gazed out. It was a child's earnest pleading, tearful eyes; a dark expression rolled like a wave across his brow ; a groan carne up from his bosom, and with a low moan hestaggered againsthis bed; crying: 'Take her away; I can't stand the sight of anything pure like that.' Katie had bidden her face a second time as she feebly cried, 'It isn't him,' so they kept on to the third celL 'Jim here's a little girl - little Katie. your daughter - wants to see you.' A stupid 'what!' carne from the bed; the man had probably just awakened. 'Your little daughter.' Tüere was a sound of rattling irons that made the girl shiver. Dimly appeared the face and outlmes of a wellmade man - the countenancehandsome but evil. He seemed not to comprehend. But as fast as the chains would permit him, he carne forward and looked out at the anxious face below. With a loud convulsive cry she exclaimed: 'Father! father!' and feil nearly senseless against the jailor, 'Katie!' exclaimed the man, and there was anervous twitching about the muscles of the mouth: 'Whateverhas brought her here? The jailor was calling the child to consciousness. Shall we let her come in the cell ?' asked the warden. Jim was dashing his hand across his face. A smothered 'Yes,' issued from his lips. They opened the ponderous door and put the child within. Her arms were outstretched, his were wide open, and they carne together with a clanking sound - togeiher about the form of that poor little child. 'Oh, father!' 'Oh, Katie, Katie!' and then there was a quiet crying. By-and-by the man lifted the little head, whose glossy curls were falling on his shoulder - and oh! what a sharp rattleof chains smote on ihe ear - and looked in her face. After a moment's irresolution he kissed her, and then his eyes feil under her earnest loving look. 'Katie, what made you come?' 'Wanted to see you, father,' and the head was on his shoulder again. 'Howdidyou come, Katie? Never mind the noise, they are lockiDg up; they will be here again and let you out. How did you come, Katie?' 'I walked here.' 'Froin New York, child?' 'Yes, father.' There was no sound, save that of the chains, as he strained her closer to his bosom. 'And how did you leave - her, Katie - your mother ?' The question was fearfully asked, but not responded to. He gazed eagerly in the child's face; her Httle lip was quivering. 'Katie, teil me quick!' 'She died, fatherl' A groan - a terrible groan - followed;the man's head feil in the lap of his child, and he wept with strong cries. The jailor and the warden said that they never saw a sight so woeful. And the child tried to comfort him, till bis strength seemed to be gone and his sobs were like gasps. 'Oh, Katie, wheu did she die? Oh, my poor May! my poor girl ! Ever so long ago, I think, ever so many weeks,' replied the child; "but she told me to come and see you and comfort you,' 'Oh, this is hard; very she always forgave me.' 'She told me to pray for you, too; she told me to ask you, would you be real good after you came out, and meet her in Heaven.' 'In Heaven! I in Heaven ?' groaned the man, giving way in his agony. The child was angel-guided Her soft touch was better for his soui's good than the stripes and chains. He had been hardened; her little love melted down thé adamant; had found the good locked up in his nature, and she had sent her sweet srniles through its prison door. Long he sat there, his head in the lap of his beautif ui, quiet child. None dared disturb him; jailor and warden walked to and fro. 'Father, when you come out, I'll take care of you.' He lifted his head; his eyes.rêd with weeping, were fastened on her face. Mother said I might.' 'God's blessing on you, my precious child; you may save your miserable fatherl' 'I will, father.' The warden cleared his throat; the jailor spoke roughly to one of the oners - it was to hide his emotion. 'You had better come now,' he added, going to the cell. 'Katie, you must go; will you come again, my child?' 'Can'tlstay, father?' 'No, dear; but you shall come and see me again.' They took her gently from the dark cell; she sobbed very quietly. In the warden's room stood a pleasant-faced old man. 'I have come after that little girlhe said. 'She must go home with me. I'll take good care of her; I've heard her story, and when her father comes out, if he's a mind to behave himself, I'll give Mm plenty to do. Besides that, 1 '11 bring her up once a week to see him. What say, little one, will you go with me ?' And good old Mr. May wood stroked her hair as he said, pityingly, 'Poor child ! poor child !' Ten miles from Sing Sing prison there is now a little cottage occupied by an industrious man and his daughter. Little Katie is f ulülling the commands of her dying mother. Slie is taking care of him as well as of herself.