The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1852-12-09
THE LITTLE OUTcAsT.

do all your errands'
The troubled eyes of the speaker were /
filed with tears. Il was lad that stood
at the outer door, pleading with kindly
looking woman, who still seemed TO doubt
the reality Of his good intentions.
The cottage sat by itself on black moor,
or wha, in Scotland would have been called 4
such. The time was near the latter end Of
September, ard fierce wind ratified the
boughs Of the two only naked trees near the
house, and Il d with shivering sound into
the narrow doorway, as il seeking for
warmth at the blazing FIRE within.
Now and then a slOw-fBke touched with
its soft chill the cheek Of the listener, or
whitened the argry redness Of the poor boys .
bpnumbed hands. 4
The woman was evidently 10th 70 grant .
the boys request, and the peculiar look ,
stamped upon his features, W ,uld have sug-
gested to any mind an idea OF dcprdvty far !
beyond his years.
But her woman's heart could not resist .
the sorrow in those large, but by no means
handsome grey eyes
Come in at any rate till the good man
comes home; there, sit down by the fire;
you look perishing with cold;' and she drew
a rude chair up to the warmest corner; then,
suspciously glancing at the child from the
corners of her eyes, she continued setting
the table for supper.
| Presently came the tramp of heavy shoes
/ the door was swung open with quick jerk.
and the good man presented himself, wea-
ried with labor.
/ A look of intelligence passed between
his wife and himself; he too scanned the
boys face with an expression not evincing
satisfaction, but nevertheless made him
come to the table, and then enjoyed thu
4 zest with which he dispatched his sup
per.
Day after day passed and yet the boy
begged to be kept only till tomorrow so
the good couple, after due consideration,
concluded thar rs long as he was so docile.
and worked so heartily, they would retain
him. - -t
Ore day in the middle ofwiuter. u pediar,
long accustomed 10 trade at the cOHagr.
; madr his Appearance, aud disposed 81 '-'s
goods readily. rs i'm had be,h W4itt3 frr.
.You hnvees hoy sntthere sFditting wocai,
5 ] sce,' he said pointing to tn yard.
:. yes; do you know himr
: i have seen him replied the pedlar, eva
s siveiy.
: And wherc--who is he! what is h -
e "A Jail bird;' and the, pedlar swung his
: pack ov his shoulder; that boy, young "a
/ he looks, I saw iu court myself. and he1rl
J. his sentence --'icn m rnils;' he's hart one
n You'd do well to l5ok kaeriullv after him.
l. Oh!thcre was some thing 50 horrible in
i the word jaiI--thePuor woman tremb ~ rs
e she laid away her purch SIS, nor touId she
Ibe easy till she crll d the hoy in, ans as
r. sured him that she knew that dark part o.
IL bis history.
o Ashamed Distressed. the chiiJ hug down
Y his head his choek- seemed bursting with
t, the hot blood; his lips quivered, and anguish
j. was paintedas vivGfy upon his forehead as j
Is the words were brahi'ed into the fesh. ..
ut "Wcll, he muttered, his whse ,frane ~
* axng as if burden Of guilt or i'y had sud
denly rolled Of, j may as well 20 +" ruin a
of onct---there's no use. in M: rying 10 d'
e. bettcr---everybody hates and despses me-
or nobody cares about me- i may as well g
s, to ruin at onCt.'
Tell me- said the woman, who stood Of
-, lar enough for flight if that should be ncces
sary---'how came you to 60 so young to tina
~ dreadful place! Where was your mother!-.
where!'
as 'Ohr exclaimed the boy, with burst q
W. grief that was terrible to behold, oh! har
". ". no mother-oh! haint had no mother eve
-, -" since wasa baby. IfI'd only had mother
lat .;...,I -; ,L .rr,,;n, yaboma,
no ne Iu.'iuu,' ",s "t rrorn b;s strann
to auu tne .cans suo"' ~ ,,.oHdn,ta haos LonT
is .ooN'ns E,.g a,i "nsad and laid nn
he Ua,i U';,h n,S;ns I wnuldn,t been saucv AZ
ar W." LnoPod down and ran awov and IN,
ev- o' ,",o n%"s beranse @ eI n,s hungry On Ihai
he oao'u ,, -, o,o,bor- b,int g1t M tno,hcr-
ex- Soven,t Ind no mother since was hsb,
es- The strsnrtb was ali zone from the NJ
as how and he sank on his knees sobbing ore
choking sobs, and rubbing the hot tears
i've way with his poor knuckles. And did tn
woman stand there unmoved! Did.,she cold
ce' hid him pack up andbe ofT-the Jail bird |!
oW' :. No-no: she had been a mother, al
lch ,bourb all bcr children silent under the CO
lnIug. .t an Nv, unroh'n.,d .I sho vas a moth
ble sou SOU !" 'A0 '"U' :"
sun; ,..n ,hot noor how not 70 bo
NiLt "ent up ~, ~ 'r"i tr il,, hor fngcrs kind
g OF Ten nun Iwuyh oui ~ 10y ,an b;n, 70 Iook
i'm soii'y W on h,S hnotrr,b aIa fnd; ber mother
,rig W." Vos sha even mt her arm about the ne
les sue e'e" Por,oS Put % nt;lJWshe n1nr
W OF t''aL lorsuNIn .ha.," Lna.t s,vaot wnno1
y. iroil uel 'lo'ne oI ond ton1arress
roI "o-us' mh, IU's was her sleen that nr
Iey On! how sweet was Her sleeP INA. us
rag suffering heart to hers by the most silkt
- the strongest bands of love; she had pluck
for some thorns from the path of little,sinnir
eals but striving mortal. None but the ang