The Argosy — page 342: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A Guide from Dreamland. 321 “ Daisy White, ma’am.” ‘Daisy! a fitting name for a little flower; is it not, Mildred P Where do you live, Daisy ?” Daisy named the street. ‘The lady looked compassionate, and her companion exclaimed : Oh, Eva! Poor child! it is such a horrid place !” ‘¢ Have you a father and mother, child ?” Oh, no!” and the little one’s eyes filled with tears. ‘‘ They are both in heaven, ma’am.,” The two ladies looked at each other in surprise; the child spoke in very refined language for one of the inhabitants of such a street as that she had named. ‘They were touched, too, at the sorrow in her eyes. “Whom do you live with, then ?” ‘With my uncle and aunt; but they do not care about me, ma’am. I sell matches and pins and things like that in the streets, but there are not many people that buy.” “Would you like to come into my house, Daisy, and sit still so that I could paint you in a picture ? ” “Oh, yes, ma’am!” was the eager reply, and Daisy’s eyes sparkled at the idea of entering that lovely house. “Then you must come here to-morrow at eleven o’clock—or stay, I will come for you and speak to your aunt.” ‘Take her in now, Eva, and give her something to eat; she looks half starved.” **So she does, Mildred, and you are right, as you always are. Come, Daisy.” And she took the little one by the hand and led her up the broad steps, through a large corridor, into that cosy room with the red light. “Sit down, Daisy, and wait a moment until we come back,” said the elder lady, and Daisy sat down as in a dream, and hoped that if it was a dream she might never awaken. After awhile, the ladies came back; they had taken off their hats and cloaks and looked so good and kind. They evidently seemed to have given some orders already, for as soon as the elder one rang the bell, a footman appeared bearing a tray on which were spread a few nice substantial things. “Now, Daisy,” said the younger lady, spreading out the things on the table, ‘come and sit down here and havea nice supper; and after that, you must tell us all about yourself.” So Daisy ate her supper thankfully, and after she had finished she looked up with these great blue eyes of hers and said: ‘‘ How good you are to me! better even than in my dream.” ‘Your dream, Daisy! Why, what was that?” So Daisy told her whole story, and the two listened attentively till she had finished. ‘Well, Providence seems to have meant you to have come to us, COnnICOOOKS.EO im