Southern pioneer, and Carroll, Choctaw and Tallahatchie Counties advertiser. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1840-1842, 1841-03-13

MATCHES, MUSIC, MONEY AND MuD.-We &c.
cidentally witnessed the other day a little
scene of singularly udicrous and pathetic in
terest. The fact is the world is not half so
bad as cynics would make it out TO be, and the
true creamy milk of human kindness may YET
be found upon earth, undiluted into chalk and
water. A little German match girl, in her
haste to escape a cab that came rafting along
the street she was crossing, ran against large
dog that was bouncing at the same moment in
an opposite direction, and over she went, with
her box of matches and all, PROSTATE into a
deep puddle of mud and water. Her matches
we're every one destroyed, and the poor girl
was dragged out of the puddle by passer by,
covered from head to foot with thick and
uniform covering of glutnous blue mud. She
couldn't cry at first for the mud that was plas-
tered all over her face, and it was ptiful,
though ludicrous to see the poor thing blubber-
ing and bawing with her eyes shut and her
mouth wide open.
| The cab-nan drove on, with an oath and a
laugh; clerks and business people hurried past,
having no time to bestow more than glance
upon the little object; fat grocery keeper sat
on a barrel, drumming with his heels and laugh
ing ready 10 burst at the sport; his example
was followed by half dozen dandy negroes,
with canes and gloves, standing on the corner;
and the only being who showed the child the
least compassion Except the individual who
pulled her out of the puddle) was an old music
grinder, who set down his barrel organ on the
sidewalk, pulled snuffy cotton handkerchief
from his pocket, and commenced rubbing the
mud from the little girls face. The dandy
niggers and the grocery keeper were even
more delighted at this than at the tumble, and
their amusement grew more excessive every
moment. The innocent music grinder, how
ever, seemed to have no perception of any
thing ludicrous in the situation, and continued,
with a very grave countenance, rinsing his
handkerchief again and again in the gutter,
and wiping the mud from the childs face, I'M
til the poor girl at last got her eyes open.--
Then the niggers and grocery man had new
laugh, and louder yet for the first use the little
girl made of her eyes was TO look round fol
her matches and upon observing the utter de-
moliton of her whole capital in business, she
II broke out in pitiful expression of grief while
her tears burst forth 10 assist the old music grim
! der in washing her face; all of which was ire
n sistibly droll to the grocery man and niggers
We will never say another word agains,
man has fully atoned for all the sins ever com.
mitted by himself and his cotemporaneous muir.
derers of melody. This old fellow had music
in his soul, as well as in his barrel organ. lie
had an organ OF benevolence as well as music
We have been in the habit of abusing and rid
iculing these itinerant street Ministries, but we
shall regard the whole tribe with honest res
pect hereafter.
$50 shines good deed in naughty world"
81 and if it was the fashion in our day for virtue
:! to 90 a sturing, we should expect to see this
L cid man strclling round with his organ TO some
II account.
!, His kind feeling did not cease here either,
e for seeing the child still wringing its hands
n and gazing pitifully at the puddle in which the
: matches were plunged, the poor old beggar
e drew several small pieces of silver from his
re pocket and put them into the little girls hand
re at the same time patting her kindly on the
u head.
r We incontinently placed fifty cent piece
n upon the fore joint of our right thumb and
ID firted il to the old fellows foot. He picked Il
III up and put it in the little girls hand. There
oil was fashionable residence near, and we were
I'd happy TO find that all this had been observed
tn One of the windows was lifted, and fair hand
threw out a shower of silver, every coin o
which was gathered by the old man and glver
e? to the match girl. There is something abou
this, now, that we would call touch OF stree
y romance, for such things are not seen ever.
n day.-Ptc.