St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-09-09
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INTELLECT IN RAGS.

1t was black wintry day. Heavy
snow drifts lay piled up in the streets
of New York, and the whole appear
ancc Of the city was cold and dismal.
Seated upon the steps Of one of the
large dwellings, upon Fifth Avenue, was
a boy apparently thirteen years of age.
He was literally clothed in rags, and his
hands were blue, and his teeth chat
tered with cold. Lying upon his knee
was a newspaper he had picked up in
the streets, and he was trying to read
the words upon it. He had been oc-
cupcd thus for some time, when two
little girls, clad in silks and furs, came
towards him The eldest one was
about twelve years old, and SO beauti-
full that the boy raised his eyes and
fixed them upon her in undisguised ad-
miratiOn.
The child of wealth stopped before
him and turning to her companion eX-
claimed /:
Marian, Just see this fellar on my
steps ! Boy what are you doing hcreE
Il am trying to learn to read upon
this little bit of paper answered the
boy.
The girl laughed dcrisivcly and
said
Well, truly, have heard of intel
lect in rags, Marian, and here it is
personitied.'
Marian's soft hazle eyes filled with
tears as she replied
"Oh, Louise, do not talk 50, you
know what Miss Fannie teaches in
school. The rich and the poor meet
together and the Lord is the maker of
them ALL"
Louisa laughed again, and said to
the boy:
Get up from here, you shall not
sit on my steps, you are too ragged
and dirty"
The boy arose, and blush Grim
soncd his face. He was walking away,
when Marian said
Don't so, little boy, you are so
cold, come to my house and get warm
Oh, do come" she continued, as he
hcsitated. and he followed her into a
large kitchen, where a bright farm
fire was shedding its genial warmth
around.
"Well, Miss Marian, who are you
bringing here now ?" asked the SER
want woman.
"A poor boy, who is almost per-
ished you will let him warm, will
you not, Rachel"
"Oh, he shall warm sit here little
boy and Rachel pushed chair in
front of the stove she then gave him
piece of bread and meat.
Marian watched these arrangements,
and then glided from the room when
she returned, she had a primer, with
the first rudimcnts of spelling and
reading. Going to the boy she said /:
Little boy, here is book that you
can learn TO read from better than u
piece of paper. Do You know your
letters :"
Some Of them, but not all, | never
had anybody to teach me. just
learned myself; but oh, | want to
read so badly"
Marian sat down beside him, and
began teaching him his letters. She
was so busily occupied in this work
that she did not see her mother enter
the room, nor hear Rachel explain
about the boy, and she knew not that
her mother stood sometime behind
them, listening to her noble child
teaching the beggar boy his letters.
There were but few that he had not
already learned himself, and it was not
long before Marian had the satistac-
ton of hearing him repeat the alpha
bet.
When he arose to go, he thanked
Rachel for her kindness, and offered
Marian her book.
"No, | don't want it," she said, i
have givefi it to you to learn to read
from. Won't you tell Inc your name p
Jimmie" he replied.
Il will not forget you Jimmie, you
must always remember Marian Hayes"
was the little girls farewell.
Louise Gardner and Marian Hayes
were playmates and friends. Their
dwellings, joined, and every hour of
the day they were together, for they
attended the same school. These two
children were very differently dis.
positioned, and very differently brought
up. Louise was proud and naughty
Poverty, in her eyes. was disgrace