Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-02-09
THE LITTLE OUTCAsT.

u
you give me-cut wood, 90 after water, and
do all the errands'
The troub bled eyes of the speaker were FL
led with tears. 1t was lad that stood at
the outer door, pleading with a kindly-look-
ing woman, who still seemed to doubt the
reality Of his good intentions.
The cottage sat by itself on black moor,
or what in Scotland would have been called
such. The time was near the latter end Of
September, and a fierce wind ratified through
the boughs Of the only two naked trees near
the house, and fed with shivering sound
into the narrow doorway, as if seeking for
warmth at the blazing fire within.
Now and then snowflake touched with
its soft chill the check Of the listqner,~-sT
whitened the angry redness ofthe poor boys
benumbed hands.
The woman was evidently 10th to grant the
boys request, and the peculiar look stamped
upon his features would have suggested to
any mind an idea of depravity far beyond
his years.
But her woman's heart could not resist the
sorrow in those large but by no means hand
some grey eyes.
Come in at any rate, till the gudeman
comes home. There, sit down by the fire !;
you look perishing with cold and she
drew rude chair up to the warmest corner !;
then suspiciously glancing at the child from
the corners Of her eyes, continued setting
the table for supper.
Presently came the tramp of heavy shoes;
the door was swung open with quick jerk,
and the gudeman' presented himself, weari-
ed with labor.
| A look Of intelligence passed between bis
wife and himself; he too scanned the boy S
face with an expression not evincing satisfac-
ton !; but, nevertheless, made him como to
the table, and they enjoyed the zest with
which he dispatched his supper.
Day after day passed, and yet the boy
begged to be kept only till tomorrow s.
the good people, after due consideration
concluded that so long as he was so docile
and worked 50 heartily, they would retain
him.
One day in the middle of the winter,
pedler, long accustomed to trade at the cot
tage, made his appearance and disposed Q
his goods readily, as if he had been waitet
: for.
You have boy out there, splitting wood
l see, he said pointing to the yard.
Yes do you know him 2
L have seen him, replied the pedler, ,evas
lively.
And where Who is he what is he
a jail bird nd,56e and the aatbat BOY, youn
: his sentence-'ten months. He's har
one. You'd do well to look carefully afte
him.
Oh there was something so horrible i
the word jail-the poor woman trembled a
she laid away her purchases nor could sh
be easy until she had called the boy in, am
E assured him that she knew that dark part {
his history.
Ashamed, distressed, the child hung dow
: his head his cheeks seemed bursting wit
0 the hot blood his lips quiyered, and an
q guish was painted as wildly upon his for'
head as if the words were branded into th
, flesh.
:, WELL he muttered, his whole frame r.
h laxing, as if a burden of guilt or joy had SUI
n denly rolled off, I may as well go to rui
at once-theres no use in my trying to
e better-everybod hates and despises n
It nobody cares about me- may as well {
e to ruin at once
a Tell me- said the woman, who stood {
]. far enough for flight, if that should be n
cessary, how came you to 90 SO young
that dreadful place ? Where was your m
ther-where 2
'Oh y exclaimed the boy with burst
e anguish that was terrible to behold, oh
y y hahn no mother Oh! | hain't had
- mother ever since ] was baby If Id G
n. ly had mother be continued, his angui
of growing vehement, and the tears gushing G
hs from his strange looking grey eyes,
wouldn't ha been bound out, and kicked a
! cuffed and laid on to with whips, | wound
,n ~ ha' been zaucy and got knocked down, a
on run away, and then stole because was hr
ot cry. Oh! | hain't got no mother-I hal
ey had no mother--I hain't had no mother {
er'. er since was baby.
Is TIE strength was all gone from the pC
bo boy, and he sank on his knees, sobling gr
,er choking sobs, and rubbing tie hot tears
way with his poor knuckles. And did t
ht woman stand there unmoyed? Did she co
a ly bid him pack up and be of-the jail-bi
ur- ur No, no /; She had been a mother, a
:" :" though all her children slept under the c
nj. sod in the church yard, she was mot
We still.
we Sbe went up to that poor boy, not to |
la ten him away, but to lay her fingers kinc
our softly on his head to tell him to look
ssl- and from henceforth find in her moti
Yes, she even put her arm about the nee
rls' that forsaken, deserted child; she pou
Inc from her mothers heart, sweet, woma
H. ~ ! words of counsel and tenderness.
,nr w Oh how sweet was her sleep that nj
Of how soft her pillow She had linked
on suffering heart to hers by the most sill
The the strongest bands Of love she had pll
but ed some thorns from the path Of little
nks ming. but striving mortal. None but
angels could witness her holy joy, and
,ing envy.
ting Did the boy leave her
an Never! He is with her still yigor
%non % manly, promising youth. The low cha
mo- mo- ter of his countenance has given place I
open, pleasing expression, with depth enc
To make IL an interesting study. His 70