red home with his reeling brain, to vent his ill-nature on the
little pale thing that kept the house. It was "Nannie, do this," or,
"Nannie, do that," or, "Nannie, mind the baby," all the live-long time,
when he was sufficiently sober to know what was going on about him; and
if the tired little feet loitered at all at his bidding, a wicked oath
or a villainous blow hastened her weary steps. "What was she born for,
any way?" She looked down upon the face of the sleeping babe whose
cradle her foot was rocking, but it gave her no satisfactory answer. It
was not a bright rosy-cheeked thing such as she met every day just round
the corner, where she went to the pump for water! She must have been
just so white and sickly, for the bit of a looking-glass that she picked
up from an old ash-barrel in the street gives her back no round and
healthy cheeks, but the reflection of a meager, sad-looking face, that
nobody can care to look upon! And they must always be so, both baby and
she, for one of her teachers in the Industrial School told her that
nothing could be strong and healthy without the sun, and there was never
a single ray in that dreary basement.

Oh! no, they needn't be weak and sickly! A thought has occurred to
her--she wonders why she never had it before! Perhaps father wouldn't
like it if he should come home and find her away. But love for baby is
stronger than fear of father, and so she tidies herself up as well as
she can, and wrapping the little one in a piece of an old blanket, takes
it out where it is the brightest and sunniest, and there she sits on the
broad stone-steps of some great house, watching the merry children who
play upon the walk, and wondering if she can ever hope to see dear
little Winnie as joyous and happy.

"Look at that poor girl," said one of the gay children, stopping her
hoop and touching her brother upon the back with her stick; "she's got a
little baby in her arms just as big as sissy--hasn't she Willie? And
only see what an old ragged blanket it has on! Haven't you got any nice
clothes for the baby?" said she to the young girl, who had heard her,
and was moving off with the wee child hugged closely to her
breast--"because sissy has a great many, and I know mother can spare
you one," and with that she ran up the steps, and pulled the bell as
hard as she could.

"Oh! mamma," said she, all out of breath with haste and excitement,
"there's a little bit of a baby out there, just like my sissy