The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-02-16
From the Littis Pilgrim.
HUGH, THE HUNCHBACK.
BY Many iRyfso.

"Why can't .yoa look, man, at what
you're treading upon'n
Such were q few of the CALCULATIONS pour
ed out bya group Of men, on the outskirts
of q crowd assembled to witness q grand ex
hibition Of fireworks, on the eve Of the
Fourth Of July. The first speaker had pick
ed up from the dusty grass child, who had
accidentally been knocked down in the gen
oral crowding and jostling, and who now 10y
apparently senseless in his arms.
"Wbo is it!-what is it, inquired one
and another.
"Its Joc Patterson's little hunchbacked
Hugh" answered the man; "and pity 'tis
they couldn't have kept him out Of thi,
crowd. He has been knocked down ant
banged about, till am not sure whether
there is any life left in him..
"Bring him here, sir" exclaimed an Gle.
ganlly dressed lady, whose carriage had
been driven just outside Of the ring which
Leucircled the crowd.
"Oh, mamma! he is dead the poor
boy =" cried the youngest Of her children,
with tears in her plying blue eyes.
"Just as we'll if he were," said another
lady in the carriage. at is cruel kindness
to let such deformed child live to grow
up"
"he is coming to. Remember, the child
probably has mother to love him, If he is
u hunchback.!"
Sand he has q soul, too, Aunty," spoke
up little Lila, with roproachful look in her
halcdried eyes.
"You are strange child, Lila! Look
at the fireworks !"
But the blazing rockets had lost half their
attraction for Lila, and when her mother
proposed leaving them for few minutes, to
take the deformed boy home Us his arm was
very painful, she consented gladly.
"I declare. never will ride with yon
again, sister Winstan," said the aunt, dis.
dainfully; "you are always picking up some
object of distress to shock my nerves.
shall not get this creature out Of my dreams
for u month J"
Lila glanced at the boy, whose lips and
eyelids trembled, though ho lay perfectly
still on the cushions. Hugh had heard all
but il was nothing new to the poor deform-
ed child to hear ridicule and scorn heaped
upon him. Yet ii wounded him not less
deeply, fer he had q sensitive spirit, which
had grown sore in its harsh contact with q
selfish world. In ono thing Mrs. Winstan
had guessed wrong; he had no mother in
this world, but was cared for in some small
measure by boisterous, drinking father,
and rough, but well.meaning sister.
Dorothy, the sister, came out to receive
him, soon after the carriage stopped ut their
DWELLING tumbling down block in the
dirtiest street Of tho suburbs. She lifted
him out in her strong, red arms, thanked
the lady for her kindness, in loud, shrill
tone, and than stood to watch the horses as
they trotted away.
"Oh, Dolly" moancd the boy, "pleaao
carry me up stairs p'
"You, yes. you silly child this is what
you get by going to such places How long,
| wonder, before you will learn that you arc
not like other folks, and can't 60 amongst
'em T.
"Not like other folks" repeated poor lit.
tlc Hugh, when his sister had tucked him
up carefully in his warm attic, and gone
down to prepare wash for his spralned
wrist. He forgot for moment his bodily
pain, in the pain which shot through his
heart at these careless words.
"Not like other folks! no, indeed. I am
not But how am / to blame for if
didn', make myself! Why did God make
me 80 !"
He raised tho blanket from his face; and
peered into the darkness with kind Of
superstitious fear at the question he had in.
voluntarily asked, for he had not forgotten
what his dead mother had taught him that
God was good, and that he did everything
for the best.
al don't know what We shall do with
Hugh, to keep him out Of harms way"
said his father the next morning. "He has
such an intolerable curiosity to see all tha.
is going on in the world, that he'll get his
neck broken among these city boys. I'll
send him to my sisters cousin in the country,
to learn q shoemaker's trade"
'rThe best trade in tho world for such as
he," replied Dolly. And 30, rs soon as the
sprained wrist was strong again. little Hugh
was packed OF to country cobbler's close
leatber-periumed shop,
II was a new thing to him to DO imprison.
cd from morning until night, waxing ends,
whiting pegs, or driving them into the
tough soles Of shoes, new or old. Not a
kind word ever fell on the poor boys car.
II he did his work faithfully, ho received no
word or look Of encouragement. II he fell
TO musing. rs he sometimes did, no was
roughly aroused by shake, and a:growl to
the effect that no "iid not earn tho sal: "a
his victuals, should like 10 know what ho ex.
pected to be in the world ~
One Saturday, Hugh had the unusual
privilege Of half holiday. With the vii