Brave hearts win

Chapter I. Violet' S Birthday

HHE old Montgomery mansion on Broad Street

X seldom presented a more attractive appearance than it did on this fair May-day morning ; for the trees and the bushes were clothed in their most beautiful foliage, and the sparkling rays of sunlight lit up the old house until it possessed the charm of cozy and quiet comfort. In harmony with this, the hearts of the inmates were more buoyant than they had been since that day of sadness when Mrs. Montgomery was taken to be laid beneath the silent shadow of Laurel Hill.

This May-day with all its brightness was Violet’s tenth birthday. For the coming of this day she had been yearning with childish glee for many preceding weeks, and her interest was so thoroughly awakened that the preceding evening she could hardly obey the rule her careful father had estab-

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lished, that she was to retire invariably at nine o’clock. But she did obey, sleepless and active though her youthful brain persisted in being long after the usual time. She said to her Aunt Phoebe, her mother’s sister, who had so zealously cared for her since her mother’s death, just as auntie was giving her a good night kiss :

“ Dear auntie, just think, to-morrow I shall be ten years old. What a pleasure that will be, just one year since I was nine ; how thankful to God I am that he has kept me from all harm these ten years of my life, and when he took my dear mamma to heaven, he gave me you to teach me of his love and of his beautiful home where mamma is.” Then throwing her arms about her aunt’s neck, she continued, “ Oh, auntie, how I do love you, you are so kind and good.”

“ Darling Violet,” replied her aunt, as she returned the caress of the sweet child, “you are very precious to me, and I love you just as dearly as I would if you were my own child, but now I must go, and leave you to sweet dreams, for to-morrow you will need all your strength to enjoy your birthday festivities. Your papa will try to make this a very happy occasion for you, and he hopes to see his little daughter well and strong, so that she may be able to bear a great deal of play.”

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The Montgomery Mansion in its time, had been one of the handsomest in the city, but as merchants increased in wealth, and architectural designs changed, many superior buildings were erected on all sides of it, but the new designs failed to give the homelike appearance; and hence for real comfort the home of the Montgomeries became quite conspicuous. It was something of a relic of former times.

Earnest Christian faith had characterized the founders of the family, and from father to son honor for the faith was handed down by precept and by example, and the parental training was according to the wise man who said, “ Train up a child in the way he should go ; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” The influence of the family altar was felt, and when the children became old enough to choose the right path, they walked in the way of the Lord, and coming before the church, professed their faith in Christ, in the beautiful resurrection from the baptismal grave.

When Jennie Montgomery, the mistress of the mansion, and wife of James Montgomery, the merchant, was called from earth to her rest with the Lord, she comforted her husband with the sweetness of her peace, and the earnest hope that they should meet again in the home where there

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would be no more tears, or suffering, or parting. To her sister’s care she committed her only child, her little five-years old Violet, the joy of the house, and the fond hope of the parents. Jennie knew that her sister would be faithful to the charge, and thus with a mind at perfect peace, she folded her hands, closed her eyes, and calmly ceased to breathe.

The grief of the husband was intense, but time that tempers all things tempered his grief. True, during these five years he never once thought of asking another to take Jennie’s place in his heart and home, for his love gradually encircled his daughter, until at times he wondered if he was not making her an idol to his heart.

When Violet awoke in the morning of the longlooked for day, the birds in the tree-tops were singing their morning songs, the sun was shining brightly in at the window, and Aunt Phoebe was standing by the bed in loving tenderness gazing upon the child’s sweet face. As the blue eyes opened, and a smile broke over the child’s face, auntie kissed her, and said :

“My darling, my sweet darling, may you be very happy to-day. Bee the bright shining of the sun, what a pleasant beginning of another year of your life, may sunshine crown it all through its

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course. Now jump up quickly, and we shall soon be ready to go down to papa. He is very anxious to see his little daughter, who so suddenly has grown so old.”

When Violet was dressed, she knelt by her bedside, and offered her prayer to God, for his blessing upon her, to make her better than she had ever yet been, and to shield* her from the temptations of life. Then she accompanied her aunt down to the sitting-room where her father was awaiting her coming.

As she came into the room, looking so fresh and rosy, he took her in his arms and kissed her brow, her cheeks, her lips, and blessed God for his lovely darling ; then he kissed her ten times, once for each year, and added another to start the new year, his heart glowing with love for his child.

After breakfast Mr. Mongomery went to his store, and Violet to her studies, for Mr. Montgomery did not wish a single day to pass without something being added to his daughter’s culture, and the holiday was only for the afternoon and evening. In the afternoon her little friends were to visit her, and help her to celebrate the day. They formed a merry party, there were just ten of them, and from three o’clock until the bell rang for supper they romped and played as if all the play of their lives must be concentrated within that space of time.

Mr. Montgomery came home quite early from the store, as he wished to give as much of the day to his daughter as he possibly could. Aunt Phoebe managed to keep all the children in the front yard until his arrival, when they were led into the large dining-room to partake of the refreshments provided. Aunt Phoebe knew just wrhat was good for little people, and just what they would like, hence they greatly enjoyed the good things spread before them and all were completely satisfied.

After they left the table, they were taken into the parlor where a surprise awaited them. Mr. Montgomery gave each of them a nice present in honor of the day, and somehow, in this, he seemed to know just what each one specially desired, as the gifts were of articles such as they had often wanted. After all the visitors have received their presents, Mr. Montgomery said :

“ Violet, my darling, now I will give you your present. Come here, my dear.”

As she came to his side, he first placed his arm about her, and kissed her, then opening a morocco box, lifted out of it a beautiful golden chain, with a handsome cross made of diamonds, set in a delicate network of gold. As he threw the chain

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around her neck, Mr. Montgomery again kissed his daughter, and said :

“ Violet my darling, this is a very beautiful gift. It was my mother’s, given to her as a wedding gift by a very wealthy European gentleman, whose life had been saved by her father. He manifested his gratitude by this charming gift. I had thought of reserving it until you became of age, but I think it is safe to trust you with it now. Be very careful of it, only wear it when papa or auntie grants you permission. You may wear it to-day until you retire. Then auntie will take care of it for you. Now you may all go to the veranda and enjoy yourselves as you may desire.” They shouted in great glee, scampered out on the broad veranda, and began their plays again as full of life as if they had not been playing at all.

Violet felt quite seriously the degree of confidence her father was placing in her, and she resolved that with God’s help she would be a faithful and true-hearted daughter, so that he would never regret loving and trusting her so completely.

As she stood there a little apart from the other children, thinking of the blessings she had received, a pair of eyes beyond the fence were gazing into her face. It was only a boot black, a poor, ragged,

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half-starved, dirty-faced bootblack, but he thought he saw an angel. Violet was tall for her age, and of slender build, with deep blue eyes, just now gazing heavenward, her soft brown hair, partially crimped, was loosely flowing over her shoulders, her soft dimpled hands were clasped in front of her, and the diamond cross on her bosom flashed forth its varied shades of color. She was dressed in white, with a blue sash about her waist, her arms were partly bare, and as she thus stood, unconscious of any observer, the boy enraptured continued to gaze, murmuring to himself — it is a beautiful angel, one of God’s holy angels.

At length the rattle of a passing carriage broke Violet’s reverie, and she saw the eyes so eagerly gazing into her own. For a moment she was startled, then she noticed the eager yearning in the expression of those strange eyes, and saw that it was one of the poor bootblacks who, like waifs cast upon the billows of the city’s turmoil, in want and weariness struggle for an existence. Going up to the fence, she said :

“Little boy, are you hungry? Wait, and I will get you something.” She then went into the house, and got some nice fruit for him. As she passed the table in the parlor she noticed her little Bible, and said to herself, “ I will give him that, it mav lead

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him to Jesus.” She soon returned to him and handing him the fruit and the Bible, said :

“ I hope you will learn to love Jesus, little boy, and be good, real good, like my papa.”

The boy did not answer, he took the gifts and stared at her in deep amazement. Then as she disappeared from sight, going to her guests, he slowly walked away, murmuring to himself:

“ She is an angel. I’ve seen an angel.”

Chapter II. The Bootblack’s Home

ICKY MULLENS had that day wandered far

| J away from the haunts where he usually plied his trade. He had heard of this part of the city with its elegant mansions, its trees and its gardens, but his eyes had never been blest with the sight of such attractions. To-day he had felt utterly disheartened; everything about him seemed dark and threatening; his -heart yearned for love, for sympathy, for kind words, but he found none of these in his home. As he passed along the streets, he saw the stores full of beautiful things, but felt that none of these things were for him. He saw carriages with elegantly dressed people ; he saw boys, too, of his own age and size, with loving mothers, with kind fathers, with good clothes, with merry hearts, while he alone felt sad and miserable. The swirl of the great city was about him, though crowds passed him, he was lonely, very lonely.

All he could ask of the people was to let him get down on his knees before them, blacken their boots, then pick up the half dime they would throw

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him. And all that the people seemed to expect of him was that he should be at hand when wanted, polish their boots nicely, and then get out of their way. As to a woman’s touch, tender and loving, and sympathetic, it was not for him, he was no favored one. True, he belonged to a large brigade, and thus had many companions, but as the most of them were coarse in nature, and rough in action — • delighting in fighting, swearing, and stealing — and habitually imposed upon the weaker ones, he often wished to be far away from such uncongenial mates, though he had never known any better. This day he had come to Ridge Avenue, and sadly walked along, not knowing and not caring where he was going; in his heart he was cherishing a deep unrest. When he came to Broad Street he knew it from descriptions he had heard of it, and he walked toward the north. As he passed pleasant looking homes his feelings became lighter, and with increasing pleasure, he gazed at the many elegant places, until he came to the beautiful shaded lawn on which the merry children were playing, and his heart beat rapidly with an eager desire to be with them in their joyful plays and games, but no, he said to himself, “ I am only a bootblack, it is not for me.”

As he wearily leaned against the fence, he saw Violet standing alone, so fair, so beautiful, so un- B

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usual in her attitude, that he feasted upon the beauty of her face until every feature was burned into his memory, until it glowed there as if carved in letters of fire. Her feet, ankles, dress, sash, hands, face, cross and chain, all were received into his mind as the most beautiful of all things he had ever known. When she spoke to him; he was filled with awe, he heard, he received the gifts; his heart leaped to his throat, he yearned to speak, but could not; and then when she disappeared, he started toward his home, with tears flowing down his cheeks, and great sobs bursting from his heavy heart. He walked along at first very slowly; then, noticing that they were lighting the lamps, he began to hurry, for his home was a great way down town, and it would be quite dark before he could get there. But why did he call it home ? Now7 he had seen homes, and he felt that wThere he dwrelt was not home, it was only a den for human monsters in iniquity.

As he wralked along he ate the fruit, all but a small portion of each kind, which he placed in his pockets ; then he took the Bible in both hands, and on the first leaf read the name of the beautiful donor, then kissing the book, he placed it within his clothing, near to his heart, as more valuable to him than anything he had ever had, or hoped to

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have. With it, he felt rich, he would not exchange it for one of the stores on Chestnut Street. No money could buy it ; and he felt a thrill of happiness that drove away the clouds of the day. A beautiful one had touched his hand, and had spoken kindly to him, he was content. Down the Ridge he passed, down Ninth Street to Bainbridge, then he passed into a small alley, and entered an old three-story brick house, and was at home.

As he passed into the house, a tall, coarse-featured woman, with uncombed hair, and lowering look, came toward him, and with a hard voice said :

“You lazy villain, what makes you late to-night? How much money have you brought with you? You are the laziest scamp that walked the streets; and I’ve a mind not to give you anything to eat. You havn’t a dollar, eh? then take that for being late,” and she struck him a blow that sent him staggering across the room, while two others in the room loudly laughed, and mockingly said, “ the boy seems delicate.” “ I’ll delicate him,” she answered, giving him a kick as he passed into the next room. “ Now don’t let me see you again to-night,” she said, “for I’ve no use for the likes of you.”

The boy was glad to be so easily released. If no visitors had been there, it would have been much worse for him.

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As he went into the room, almost entirely dark, only a dim unsnuffed candle burning, he softly, timidly said :

“Mary.”

In one corner of the room there was a slight movement, and a voice harsh and loveless, in a coarse whisper answered,

“What?”

“ See here, Mary,” he said, “ what I’ve brought you ; but don’t tell muz, ’cause I don’t want her to know. See, here is some nice fruit, eat ’em up quick.”

As the girl took them and began to eagerly devour them she said :

“ Oh, Dicky, where’d ye get ’em, they’s dreadful good. Ye didn’t steal ’em, did ye? or spend your money, did ye? Why muz would take yer hide off, if she thought ye’d spend a cent.”

“ No, Mary, yer knows I never steal, nor spend the money, but I felt awful blue to-day; and, Mary, I walked way up Broad Street where the big uns lived, and I seed a lot of pretty children just about my size, they were a playin’ in a yard ; and Mary it was the prettiest place I ever seed, and one of them — a real angel she looked like — she saw me and gave ’em to me, Mary. Oh, she was so pretty. I never seed her like afore. And just think, Mary,

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she spoke to me. And it made me feel as if I was in heaven as the missionary talks about, an’ she wus one of the good angels, and — ”

“ What’s that yer blabbing about there, you good-for-nothin’ thing?” broke in the voice of the mother, as she came in the door and saw them whispering. “Mol, git up to yer work or I’ll bounce yer ; git, I say.”

The next moment the girl felt the awful hard grasp of her mother’s bony hands on her shoulder, and she was jerked out into the middle of the room and ordered to her work.

As the mother swore at her, she replied in the same language until the controversy was stopped by a customer calling for her in the front room.

Mary was said to be the sister of Dicky ; and both to be the children of Ned Mullen, but no one would suspect the relationship judging from their looks; she was a coarse looking girl, utterly devoid of delicacy of expression or refinement of manner. In a certain way, she was considered a smart girl, and was rather popular in the neighborhood. Dicky was fine featured, with an intellectual brow, and expressive eyes, and in language as well as in manner showed a decided difference from those about him. He was twelve years of age, and Mary fourteen. Mrs. Mullen was a widow, and for sev-

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eral years had taken care of herself and children by keeping a Function Shop, a resort for the professional beggars who gathered cold victuals in the city, which she hashed up and sold for a small pittance to the miserable people about her. Mary was sent out on the streets as soon as she was old enough, to sell matches, beg what she could, and steal where she had an opportunity ; and under her supervision Dicky was sent out on the same errand. Naturally a smart boy, he became quite an expert thief, and his winsome face led many people to bestow favors upon him ; he looked honest enough, and having never known honesty, did not realize the sin he was committing. When old enough he adopted the trade of bootblack, and thus the children aided considerably in increasing the family fund.

On one occasion, while near his home, he happened to meet the city missionary, who took a great fancy to him, followed up the acquaintance, and sought to lead him to a knowledge of the gospel of Christ. Dicky listened very attentively to what he was taught and thought that he would like to be a Christian; he positively refused to swear, steal, lie, or drink intoxicating drinks any more, and by this course acquired the extreme hatred of the widow, who sought every opportunity

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for striking him, and in her passion would threaten him wTith the severe punishments, for his continual rebellion. No doubt, she would have executed her threats, had she not feared the law, for the officers would have heard of it, and she would have been sent to jail, and that she especially dreaded. Besides, some of the beggars in her employ liked the boy, and if they should take a notion to tell what they knew about her and her doings, it would make fearful trouble, for she had often received stolen goods from them, and served as a medium between them and the pawnbrokers ; and in many cases of well advertised losses she had thrown the officers off the track effectually by concealing the goods. Hence, if ever she should become known by them her fate would be certainly sealed.

She knew that Dicky hated his surroundings, and whenever the men or the large boys of the street abused him, she jeered him, and gave him no protection, provided they did not attempt to steal from him his earnings. So from the woman he called mother he received no kindness, no love, no sympathy.

Once, when he was sick, he asked her to kiss him, but her only answer was a loud, coarse laugh; then she went into the front room to tell the amusing request to some of the neighbors, who had come in

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to gossip over their mugs of beer. Of course, Dicky never asked it again.

Mary, however, was kind to him. In their way they thought a great deal of each other ; and poor Dicky yearned for kindness from Mary, because his heart was so utterly lonely. Her coarseness was very repulsive to him, but she was the only friend he had, beside the missionary.

Mary had one great fault, she was excessively fond of strong drink ; she craved it with passionate eagerness. Though only fourteen years old, she would not infrequently stagger along the street entirely under its influence, and fall down sometimes in the street, more often at home, in a state of intoxication. She was not peculiar in this, her companions in the court were just the same, her associations were all of the vilest sort, and wrhen aroused, she would frighten Dicky by the awful language that poured from her lips. Yet she was always kind to him, and often protected him from their mother ; she could fight, too, with her teeth and finger nails, and when angry acted like the whelp of a tiger.

Seeing her face, a person would hardly suppose she was only fourteen years old. Vice was rapidly tearing away every feature of childhood. Innocence had long since fled. Sometimes in her better mo-

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ments she hoped good things for Dicky, but for herself she had apparently ceased to care. When he came home and told her of the beautiful one he had seen, and she noticed the ardent sparkling admiration that lingered in his eyes, she was pained for a moment, and yearned that he might think of her with that kind of a rapture, but it soon passed, and she remembered it only as a source of joy to him.

Yet, this girl, so coarse, repulsive, was the only object in that home, that sought or found the love of Dicky, and with all her sin, he called her sister and loved her.

Chapter III. Mary Mullens

WHEN the exhortation of the missionary began to effect so great a change in Dicky, ' Mary felt that the close sympathy that bound them together was partially severed. Dicky was so sharp in stealing, and he could “ come it ” so nicely over the kind-hearted old gentlemen, that Mary felt, when he turned from stealing, as if the brightest prospects of his life were blasted, though she still honored him, and credited him with possessing a nobility of character that neither she nor any of the people of her acquaintance possessed. Dicky was more like the people in the great stores, those who dressed in fine clothes, and lived without fighting. Mary often wondered why this was so, — she so full of combativeness, he so tender and gentle ; she more like a man, he more like a woman, — but when the men in the saloon would mock at Dicky, she would in the instant let loose the tiger nature that filled her, and in most emphatic language defend her gentleman brother, as she

called him, from their foul and filthy aspersions.

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Mrs. Mullens was not the only one who kept a Function Shop in that street, for a few doors below her place, Mrs. Manton presided over a similar establishment; hence perpetual war was declared between the parties. Competition is the life of trade, and this rivalry stirred the spirits of Mrs. Mullens until the effect was felt all along the line of her resources. Over the counters a great deal of boasting was done, which the squalid crowds hugely enjoyed, but in the meantime the feeling of settled hostility increased in their hearts.

It was customary for the aristocratic inhabitants of the vicinity to give parties to their clique, and both of these ladies were aristocratic, and social rank was just as distinctly marked in their Alley as on Broad Street. As these ladies were in the same class, the attendants of the parties of the one were naturally invited to the parties of the other, and to the extreme delight of these guests, the two wromen began the task of overreaching each other. This time it was Mrs. Manton’s turn, and she determined to have a great dance, with very select music and refreshments. She would have been pleased to cut Mrs. Mullens by refusing Mary an invitation ; but this would not do, as many of the young men she wanted were rather fond of Mary, and had already engaged her for different sets in the dancing.

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Thwarted in this, she busied herself seeking a way out of the difficulty, and at length conceived a plan by which she could fully accomplish all she had in mind.

Mrs. Manton well knew Mary’s inordinate thirst for strong drink. What then would be easier than to give her as much as she might desire? Yes, the fourteen-years old girl should be filled with‘ it, and then where would the girl with her flaunting airs and impudent tongue be ?

Dicky was not invited, the boy was not old enough for such parties, but Mary told him all about it, and of the splendid times she expected to have. When she spoke of the liquors that would grace the table, Dicky begged her not to touch them. He said :

“ Mary, you would be a real nice, lovely girl if you didn’t drink liquor ; and some day we might be able to get out of this place and live nicely like other people.”

But she only laughed at him as she said :

“ Drinking is the best part of it ; it is better than the dancing.” And in this spirit she went to the party. It was a motley assembly, white and colored people together, some gaudily dressed, and the variety was so great as to be a display of nearly all styles. Some were there who lived in up town

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houses as servants, and one of these, a tall, well proportioned colored girl, had borrowed for the occasion a silk dress belonging to her mistress, of course without the owner’s knowledge or consent.

The music wTas of a stirring nature, and the three violinists on the platform at one end of the room made quite lively music for the active dancers. Mary was in her element, she felt the full force of the exhilarating influences about her, and because of her wildness became the favorite choice of several of the young men.

Between the sets, she w7as taken to the bar and treated to whatever drinks she desired.

At the end of the carousal Mary started for her home, her steps were as unsteady as were those of the drunken fellow who attempted to escort her, she could hardly see her w7ay, and when she reached her home, without undressing she threw herself upon her ricketty bed, and at once passed into the deep stupor of the drunkard. Until late in the following day she lay there breathing heavily, and wThen her mother wrakened her, she complained of feeling “all gone like” in the head, and so terribly sick at the stomach. But Mrs. Mullens had often seen her in this condition, so she paid but little attention to her, and went on with her business of handing out hash to her miserable customers.