Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-12-21
..}IlSCELLAN Y .

BY MARY IRVING.
. Shame , for shame !

!
why can't you look, man, at what you
arc trcading upon :
Such were a few of the CALCULATIONS poured
out by group of men, on the outskirts OF
a crowd assembled to witness grand cxhi-
bit1on of fire works, on the eve OF the fourth
of July. The first speaker had picked up
from the dusty grass II child who had accl-
,lrutallv been knocked down in tho general
crow,linc and iostling, and who now lay ap-
parcntlv scnseless in his arms.
who is it what is it : inquired one
and another. ,., >,
Hugh, answered the man and pity us
thcy couldn't have kept him out of this
crowd lie has been knocked down and
banged about. till am not sure whether
there is any life in him.
Bring him here, sir = exclaimed an ele-
rantly dressed lady, whose carriage had been
driven Just outside the ring which encircled
the crowd.
.Oh, mamma he is dead the poor boy =
cried the Youngest of her children, with tears
in hcr pitying blue eyes.
Just as we'll ifhe were said another lady
in the carriage 1t is cruel kindness to let
such ii dcformcd child live to grow up.
Hush, sister returned the first lady, he
is coming to. Remember, the child proba-
blv has a mother to love him, II he is a
hunchback.
And he has soul, too, Aunty,' spoke up
little Lila, with reproachful look in her
halEdried eyes.
You are a strange child, Lila Look at
the fire works
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, as his arm was
very painful, she consented gladly.
Il declare, | never will ride with you
again, sister Winstan,' said the aunt, dis
dainlully you are always picking up some
object of distress to shock my nerves. |
shall not get that poor creature out oi my
dreams for a month.
Lila glanced at the boy, whose lips and
cyclids tremblcd though he lay perfectly still
on the cushions. Hugh had heard all but
It was nothing new to the poor deformed
| child to hear ridiculo and scorn heaped upon
| him. Yet it wounded him not less deeply,
| for he had a sensitive spirit, which had
| crown sore in its harsh contact with selfish
| world In one thing Mrs. Winstan had
ruessed wrong, he had no mother in this
world but was cared for IN some small meas
ure by a boistcrous, drinking father, and a
rough, but well-meaning sister.
| Dorothy, the sister, came out to receive
| him, soon after the carriage stopped at then
dwellinp-a tumbling down block in the dirt
| lest street of the suburbs. She lifted HIN
| out in her strong, red arms, thanked the la
| dy Tor her kindness, in loud shrill tone
and then stopped to watch the horses as they
| trDtted away.
Oh, Dolly, moaned the boy, please car
| ry me up stairs
=. Yes, yes, you silly child this is wha
YOU yet by going to such places How long
/ wonder, before you will learn that you ar
not like other folks, and cant 90 amongs
EN-.
Not like other folks repeated poor lit
tie Hugh, when his sister had tucked him u
carefully in his warm attic, and had gon
down to prepare wash for his spraine
wrist. lie forgot for a moment his bodil
pain, in the pain witch shot through hi
heart at these careless words. Not lk
other folks no, indeed, am not. But hoy
am to blame for it | didn't make myself
Why did God make me so !
lie raised the blanket from his face, an
pecred into the darkness with kind of ST
| pcrstitious fear at the question he had invo
unfairly asked for he had not forgotte
what his dead mother had taught him, tina
God was good and did everything for the bes
don't know what we shall do wit
Hugh to keep him out of harms way sal
his father the next morning lie has SUI
!, an intolerable curiosity to zee all that is &
ing on in the world, that he II get his ne,
broke among these city boys. I'll send hi
to my sisters cousin in the country, to leal
the shoemaker s trade.
The best trade in the world for such
= he replied Dolly. And so, as soon us d
spraincd wrist was strong again. little HUI
was packed off to II country cobbler's clio
leather perlumed shop.
1t was a new thing for him to be impriso
ed from morning until night, whiting peg
or driving them into the tough soles of shot
new or old. Not a kind word was ever a
+, dressed to him, OF gentle tone fell on t
door boys ear. II he did his work faithful
~ he received no word or look ofencouragemeI of
~ If he fell to musing, AS he sometimes did,
was roughly aroused by shake and groy
to the effect that he didn't earn the salt
- his victuals; should like 10 know what he
pccted to do in the world y
d One Saturday, Hugh had the unusual pr
En- ilcge Of half day holiday. With the villa
boys he could not 90 to play, for they b
Dir once driven him from their green, with sho
''c shaded lane that led to dark pine wo'
Through the heart Of this wood stole a S
stream of cool water. Upon messy KIN
upon its bank, Hugh threw himself down
cherish sad thoughts.
dc TO be a shoemaker all my days, and s
in stived up shop! thought he ! can't b
it But what else can do Who cares
me Who is there that does not laugh
e, me | wish ! was dead, SO ! do
ful lie laid his pale cheek on tue moss,
watered it with bitter tears US he raj
his eyes at length, they lighted on cl
blossom of the iringed gentian. As he t.
the flower in his hand, it seemed to him
though its fringed blue eye looked lovin
into his, saying God made me =
God made you-yes; made you sweet
ks, beautiful, but how did he make me = reaso
the bewildered boy, whose rebellious ieeli
ed had by no means left him. Still he looked
WI edly into the flower.
Tor. Il don't laugh at your hunched should
Oof, Hugh it seemed to him again to be say
atty softly.
all 'No-you don't; and if there was one
IAN. ing blue eye that looked as kind as your
nall he stopped and thought for moment OF Il
&c, Lila and her mother. But that was
pity; even kind people can never love me
for wonder if the angels in heaven will love
NOR My mother will, know and his lips Il
blcd. But am afraid | never shall be I