The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1853-12-01
Select Gales.
From the New York Sunday Times.
THE NEWS BOYS HOME.
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W HAVE not been in this great city
"a long; and having of late years been
accustomed to observe nothing but quiet
all around me, was at first almost deaf
ehed by the continual tumult excitement,
and untranslateable jargon Of this mod
ern Jerusalem. l soon became harden
ed to these things, however, and have
now TRANQUILITY settled down with this pa.
tent reflection that so long as my present
pursuit obliges me to remain in a city
where wealth, poverty, sin, profusion,
misery, and other antipodes, exist all to-
gether, I may as well make myself con-
tented and preserve my equanimity.
was lounging the other day, in a COM
Portable cushioned seat in the reception
room of the hotel where l am stopping,
thinking over various matters and endea-
voring to amuse myself by studying the
physiognomies of the strangers scattered
about the apartment, when little ragged
boy approached me.
"Buy paper, sir?" said he half tim
idly-"Tribune, Sun, Times p
"No !" said | with considerable gruff-
ness of manner-In fact he had inter-
rupted me in the midst of mental spec
ulation relative to an individual with
moustaches and foreign appearance who
had that instant entered the room and
whose occupation I was endeavoring to
surmise at the time the boy spoke to me
The contest in my mind was an interest
ing one, because l had determined that
the individual with the moustaches was
either a French cook or California Gam
bier, and the matter was undecided
But the ragged boy didn't move off, as
my manner seemed to indicate was to me
desirable-he only looked at me implo-
ringly.
"Please SIR" said he, beseechingly,
while the tears know he tried to keep
back would come, and, overhowing his
clear blue eyes trickled down the sal
low cheek and fell fast upon the papers in
in his hand.
Hard hearted as | felt was. the ap-
peal sent pang throughmy callos bosom
| looked at the child more closely. lie
was certainly not more than eight years
old, and, despite the ragged condition of
his trowsers and the coarse texture of his
shirt, there was an appearance of clean
illness about them both which somehow
seemed to whisper in my ear that holy
sound mother" But was mistaken.
In the boy IS face | saw the unmistake-
able CLEAN of intelligence which God on
ly can give and man cannot take away
But, there, it was misdirected useless
ray-unknown, uncultivated and if the
future should develope it, how strong the
probability was that it would prove curse
to him and Misunderstanding aid to crime
and furnishing perhaps another victim to
the gallows
All this time the subject of my thoughts
stood patiently in front of me. He must
have CLEANED encouragement from my
look in some way, for he had dried his
tears upon the sleeves of has coarse shirt,
and looked smilingly and hopefully in my
face. And it was an honest look, to--I
read truth in every flash of the bright eye
and honesty in each laughing wrinkle
Your mate scoundrel never laughs, he
cannot. Itcontradicts his nature.
l bought a paper from the boy, and
with another smile and roughish shaking
of the curly head, which said plainly as
words, 81 knew you would !" he went
around the room, asking each of its surly
inmates the same question he had so des-
pondingly put to me, and meekly bearing
all their gruff refusals. Stop!-did / say
all? Not so, for one gentleman sitting
opposite me-yes true gentleman, in
homespone coat--bought two papers from
the little fellow and gave him whole
shilling for them and he wouldn't let him
get change in order to give back all but
the price of the papers, heard him tell
the child to keep it all. He spoke in whis-
per but | heard him, for all that; and
when looked felt as if l could have
risen from my chair and hugged him to
my heart for it, he blushed and looked
confused, as if he had done something he
felt very much ashamed of, and then told
the little boy, in very cross tone, to BE
off what the devil did he want there l.
and opened one of the papers in great
haste, as if he were in tremendous hur-
ry to read the news. AS he held it up SO
as to cover his honest, manly face from
my view, could see that the paper was
upside down, but not because he could
not read-no indeed.
When addressed in the manner l have
described by the gentleman in the home
spun coat, the child looked at him won-
deringly for full half minute, and |
saw his little lip quiver and his eye Fill
again with tears; but another timid
glance at the good humored countenance
seemed to comfort him and brushing a.
way the tears, he walked slowly toward
the door, every now and then turning half
round-frst to look at the gentleman in
homespun, and then at me. The look
spoke volumes of innocent gratitude to
both but the gentleman never took the
paper down from his face, and seemed TO
be deeply engaged in reading it, as I have
said before upside down. No doubt he
found that system exceedingly laborious
and trying, for presently he pulled forth
a very large red pocket handkerchief, on