CARLETTA AND THE MERCHANT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 231, 27 September 1872, Page 4

CARLETTA AND THE MERCHANT.

"If I could have your faith, Hawkins, gladly •would I— but I was horn a. sceptic. I cannot help my doubts any more than I can the results: they lead to. I cannot look upon God and the future as' you do ; with my temperament, and •the peculiar bias of my mind, it is utterly impossible." '•■"■ So said John Harvey as he walked with a»friead under a dripping umbrella ; for the night was and very dark, though the brilliancy of the shop-lamps made a broad path of light along the wet side-walk. John Harvey, was a sceptic of thirty years' standing, and . apparently hardened in his unbelief. Everybody had given him ug as unconvertible. Reasoning, .ever so fnirly and camly, made ho impression on the rocky soil of his heart ; theologians disliked the sight of his massive face, and .humble Christians sighed as he passed them. A man with such capacities, they said, — with such generous impulses (for everybody knew how kind he was), with an intellect so enriched, and powers of the keenest metal — and yet no God ! no hope for the, future ! walking •with the lamp at his feet unenlightened. Alas ! it was sad, very sad ! But one. friend had never given him up. When spoken to about him—" I will talk with and pray for that man until I die," he said ; « and I will have faith that he may yet come out of darkness into the marvellous light, And oh! how wonderful that light will seem to him— shut up so long." • And thus "whenever he met him (John Ilarvey was always ready for "a talk"), Mr. Hawkins pressed home the truth upon him. In answer, on that .stormy night, he only said, " God can change a sceptic, John. He has more power over your heart than you have, and I mean still to pray for you." "Oh, I've no objections, none in the world — seeing is believing, you- know. I'm ready for any modern miracle ; but (I tell you it -would take nothing short of a miracle to convince me.^Howrver, let's change the subject. I'm hungry, and it's too far, to go up town to supper this stormy night. Whew! how the wind blows. Here's a restaurant, let us stop here." How warm and pleasant it looked in the long, brilliant dining- saloon I Clusters of gas-jets'' streamed. over the glitter and colour of' pictures and gorgeous carpets, and the rows^ of marble : tables reflected back the lights as well as the gr sat mirrors. , .. . , „ The two merchants had eaten; and were just on the point of rising, when a strain of soft music came through r ah,open doorr— a child's sweet Toice. "..,... "Upon my. word tb&t is pretty," said John Harvey j "what marvellous parity \ia.J thv)s,e, tones." •• Out of; here,, you '006 baggage," cried a hoarse voice, and one of the waiters pointed angrily to the door. . „ . " Let her come in," said John Harvey, epriDgilgg to 5 his feet. ' •* We don't allow them r to/this place, sir," said the waiter, ••but she can go into, the readingroom.".., .'•;' ,".',. '•' '-;- ','.'. .'Vy :.-., ••, ■:-. ■:. i v -s "'Well "let" her "go somewhere,, for I want to hearheij" responded the, gentleman. . ( - All this : . tipoe ,the \ two' "had seen the fihadpw of something hbvering backwardsand forwards on the edge of the door ; .no w they followed a slight little figure, wrapped in patched, cloak^ patched hood, ana leiaving the mark of wet : feet as she walked. Curious to see, her face— she was .very, smalls John' Haiveylured her to the- furthWtpart of thei, great roomj where there but few gentlemen, and then^motionea,her to, sing. ,. Thje little one'lbblcedjiimidTy l^ was' of olive darkness,Wut a fldsh-Tested'thpre j and out of the thinnest yface; .^nodpr^th'^aijcjtv:.!' qjf ibrpad temples^ Mepbnei -by ;nias?ies; off, the blackest hair, looked two :/eyW,;v w,^ pleading woiilinayV-toulbh^'fe'eha^^ ;^vey>compassiOTately. ;; ♦';W i hat ?do you singj Ssg^BUigiltalian^or^litfle^^^

t: Why!*' he exclaimed, and Ms lip quivered, "her feet are wet to her ankles, absolutely ; her shoes are full of lufgsi "?...,- ]" ?'a \ •; j dX * By this e tj,mg the clyld\hjid;f begun to -^ing, pushing b*>clc her hood,' and folding before her her little thin fingers. Her voice was wonderful; and simple and common as wore both air and words the power and pathos of the tones drew together several of the merchants in the readingroom. The little song commenced thus : — ■ : There is a happy land, Far, far away. Never could the voice, the manner, of that ch^ld he forgotten. .There- almost seemed- a halo roundshpr heacl ; and: when .she had^ finished, her great speaking eyes turned towards John Harvey. " Look bere, child ; where did you learn that song ? " he asked. "At the Sabbath-school, sir," was the simple answer. "And you don't suppose there is n happy land ? " he continued, heedless of the many eyes upon him. - " ' - "I know there is, I'm going to "sing there,", she.said, so quickly, so decidedly, that the men looked at each other. " Goinor to sing there ? " . " Yes Sir. My mother said so. She used to sing to me until she was sick. , Then .slier said she wasn't going to sing any more on earth, but ' up in heaven " « Well— and what then ? " "And then the died, sir," said the child, tears brimming up and over on the dark cheek, now ominously flashed scarlet. » John Harvey was silent for a 'few-, moments Presently he said :— ; ; H>she died, my little girl, you lnayjiyei yotfkriow."' "0, no, sir ! no, sir ! [very quickly]— l'd rather go there, and be with mother. Sometimes I have a dreadful pain in my side, and cough as she did There won't be any pain up there, sir ; it's a beautiful world !" : . „. • ; : . " How do you know ? " faltered on the lips^of I the sceptic. ' • »■.'■'" " My mother told trie so, sir." Words how impressive ! manner how child-like, and yet how wise! John Harvey had_had a praying mother. His chest labourei fora moment — the sobs that struggled for utterance could be heard even-ia- their, deeps— and still those large, soft, lustrous eyes) like magnets,, impelled his glance toward them. j " Child, you must have a Tair of shoes." John Harvey's voice was husky. Simultananeously hands were thrust in pockets, purses pulled out, and the astonished, chili held in her little palm more money than she bad ever seen before. "Her father, is a poor consumptive organgrinder," whispered one. "I suppose he's too, sick to' be out to-night." •, ' : f Ajong the sloppy 'street -went tbe'ehild, under the protection of John Harvey, but not with shoes that drank the water at every step. Warmth and comfort were hers now. Down in the deep, den-like lanes of the city, walked the man — a little cold child-hand in his. At at open, broken door they stopped ; up broken, creaking stairs they climbed. At last another doorway was opened, and a wheezing voice called out of the dim arch—" Carletta.?' v : , • " O, father ! father ! see what I" have brought you! look at roe! look at me I and down went the hoarded silver, and, venting her excessive joy the poor child fell, crying and laughing together, into-the old man's arms. Was he a. man ? A lace dark and hollow, all over-grown, with hair, black as night, and uncombedr-a pair of wild eyes— a body bent nearly. . double— hands like claws ! " Did he give you all. this, Ca'rletta, my child?" "They all' did, father ; now you shall have soup on d orangeß."' : - ■ "Thank you, sir— l'm sick, you see— all gone, sir ! — had to send the poor child out, or we'd starve, sir, God bless you, sir. I wish I was well enough to play you a tune ; " and he looked wistfully toward the corner where stood the old organ, baize-covered — the baize in tetters. . " It's no matter," said John* Harvey with difficulty. "I'll come and see you* some other time;" and he groped his way downstairs. , .- ■ - : * - * • * *'■*'■#"'*'"'' ~ One month after that, the two men met again as if by agreement, and walked slowly down town. Threading innumerable passages, they came to the gloomy building where lived Marietta's father. Wo— hot lived there, for as they paused a moment, out came two or three men bearing a pine coffin: ; In tge coffin,! the top hailed down so that no mourner might open, provided -there had been any such, slept : the old organ grinder.. r <?' It was very sudden, sir 1 ," said a woman who recognised his benefactor". " Yesterday the little girl was took sick, and it seemed as if he drooped right away. He, di?d,at six last night.'.' ; - The- two men went silently upstairs. The room was empty of everything save a bed, a chair, and a- nurse provided by John Harvey. The child lay, there, not white, but pale as marble, with a strange ,pplish;on /bee 'brow. :oh, how those dark eyes on the instant became eloquent, as John' Harvey .sat, on..the side of, the bed. - .:■,,-, ■ ! f .W.en, hiy little |one, so you i are no better ?" : "No, sir! -(atfieris gone up, there; and, I cam going " V ' ' : "' '' :.,■,•.>:.!•...,>- •-■■: : .= .; "-JJp There!" John, Harvey turnedrunconsciously towards his friend. "I wish I could sing, for you,", she said, and her, little? h'ahds'cflew together. ■■ r ■ "-' ' f * ; ■ "Do you wishitosingi*!'" i\ i '' " Oh, 50 much !— but it hurts me. -It won't hurt me up there,' r whT it?" 1 ' : Where was the child looking, that th ere /eeemed. such wonder in her leyes? ,< ' "- '■■■ - '■ r i ' *- J ' , •': v, • ■ " Did you ever hear . of Jesus ? ".asked John HarveyVf riena 1 ; ' ; ' '" " : ''" ; ;:r --"' ! '" v - - 1 ' "-''' ■' "Oh, yes!" .:; • "Po.ypri*know who; He was?? ; T : ;: . "'Good' Jesus," murmured the child with a. sweet smile. ~~"" ' .'"'„- -J, T <,;,„ .•.< ■ , f . /^94^us;tMs'l&ea)^Jme^doW'n.i^'%aid JoTm^ Harvey, , and .hejplaced his ; haria'keychief'to 'ibis "Don't-' cry i ffoh't I ''cry \' I carijfc' cry,tl'm so 'glad ! " said the childjexultingly ;~ahd shejjooked as if heaven's 4 ligllt was already dawninjj£oik?lier ; .:, '] are youwglad,.! or,, ,my, r< deai^^;!;asked Johh^Harvky's^riend: Z l ' •" "•• ' ■ : v 0 " To get away from here/ she said deliberately/ *' I used^Q bersorcald'in^he aorfg't winler, for t w&; didn't hay e fire- sorfietinies ;, but mother used to hug me/clg^^4tsi^^ou^^aV^^' fiut I did have to go out, ; becaujse^they were,, sick, and. people looked cross at /me^and.itGldrjnj^ I "^asfih •the way. j but some?^ere ! km3.i6 ge. 2^c»tl|er. ; '.told;^^neverjto.inin^j.^li^ja'J!. r cam^ ; W Kis«e|i'in«^ntf*s^^ fae.a.b%Jwr-home :*ftndao t

• in nay- dreanr^-mother told me He would, and that angels would carry me up there.- Oh,--I feel' r so sleepy ! " With a little Bigh she closed her eyes. ; •• Uarvey, are faith and hope nothing ? " asked ; Mr . IJawMns, pointing to the little face taking on , such'sir'angebeautyi as death breathed icily over : it. "-■' . / '"' " Don't speak to riie, Hawkins ; - to-be as ;that little l child'l wduld giyeall I am worth'," was the .broken response. ' ," And to be like her you need give nothing-?-. | only your stubborn, .will, your.ficeptical^doubt^, i and -the'- -heart - that will never ' know iQ&i otill'it -. finds it at the feet of Christ. Oh/my" friend, I resolve by the side of this "little "child, who is soon tq^be, 'singing in heaven,', that you-jwill be a- foH lower of my ! yayiour..LW t reason,bow: here^fiefoite simple and trusting -faith;" ' ' "~"*~ "' There was no answer.- Quietly they sat there in the.deepending shadows.! The hospital doctor came in, stood off a little way, shook hia head. It needed no close inspection to see what was going on. Presently y;be hands moved, the arms raised, the eyes opened-TT-yet glazed; through they^were, they turned 1 still upVard.^t ! ; . ,- i'See 4 ! K bfe !<" &&&s&, " Oh, there ii motherr and there are the angles i! and they are all singing — all singing I" " ; •■-■-"••;• Her voice . faltered, } her arms .fell, ,bufc r tne celesti^liLbrightiiessJ'ririgefed^yetf A on "her 1 face. "Feebly she turned to those who had,niinisj;ered to ., he^iXeebly Isitiileii— it* 1 was ' a; injute i: return '6f thanks fora)} their : k4ndriess; ii; r '-'•'■'' %r-''C™- } : ; " There is no doubting,- the soul triumphs there ,'/ whispered Mr. ,Hawkin?q > ■ - "It l! i's''Vonderful',' i£ replied -John Harvey, looking.on.both with awe and tenderness. "Is she gone ? " | vHe^prangitfrdniiiis chair 1 asiiiPhe Would detain he, bufcltlie'ch^tTan^fforeKeadJwCTe^niarDleßowi jthe >.eyje9 / had.]Lqß^rthej^jre >of i We sasjje. ;must ± kaye 1 died asshe laylookipg ;^;thginyf3 j "She was a sweet little "thing," eaid the nurse softly. qulKtio'.v.r:' lHfuv.%?- *-,:'.1 : } 'f) ■?. \ John Harvey stood as if spell-bou«d.jfeT-herfe was a touch oh histerih p^hie started anjLMfno&f ! " John," said his friend with an and affeclionate;lo^*%^wepTa.y fwm%K§&& . | For a miputelt]tiere^was,no anßW^r/^th?R came tears ; the*iwKoTe ..'frttrrie "of 1 , 'the subdued sceptic; he^^idH^itlCii^B^ainibs^ fa •bfy^Weip' ■P r *J^Rs^iW^>iyo'- Sir," :<\V>vs, . j fiwWsthe^d#^tjfe(Ma^te agoniiia-g pleadiygs J^iW^^fmhfPW:, that prayer , iivasv answeredrr-the miracle >^W Z