The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1858-02-04

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Ier, g 'taints often we taste anything bu, dry
bread and cheese, and hayn't forgotten
that it's your birthday, sis-you're ten years
old to-day. Besides, you need something to
put shade Of color into these pale checks
the doctor said you must have something 20
tempt your appetite"
He bent down to kiss the marble forehead
as he spoke,
How lovely that rose Is, to be sure IT,
It's almost as good as company to you,
Katy, isn't il Are you willing I should
leave you alone again for a little while ="
Yes. Jamie, I don't mind it much, !" she
answered, with deep, weary sigh, but be
as soon rs you can, please r.
And her wistful, hollow eyes watched him
from the room, with that earnest, startling
look that we only find beneath the very
shadow Of Death.
Down at the piers all was confusion and
uproar-busy passengers hurrying from new
ly arrived boats--turbid waters flashing
and rolling against mossy posts--swaying
crowds and loud, dissonant voices, created
small Bedlam around the docks, and little
Jamie wandered around with his board Of
fruit, feeling very lonely and bcwildercd.---
BE had piled up the golden oranges with
their sunniest sides upward--he had polish
ed the red-cheeked apples until they shone
like mirrors--yet nobody stopped to buy.
Carriage, sir - Take you to the Astor
House y up Broadway in twinkling,
ma'amP 'Ere's your 'Erald, Tribune aud
Express --latest steamer from EuropeI"
!" Have you paper, sir 7"
Poor Jamie amid all this tumult, what
chance had he of being heard or noticed
He had picked out the very bunch of grapes
that he intended for Katy, in Taylor,s win.
dow, as he came by--a plump. apopletic
bunch, dangling from a crimson thread,
where the sunshine lay full on the purple
bloom, and amethystic shadows iurked
among its fulness Of frni,age. Just at pres.
ent, the tempting morsel seemed very far of
TO Janlie's Inauguration.
Determined not to give way without WIG.
orous effort, however, Jamie stepped boldly
forward 10 the fist person he saw, and held
up his wares with modest, /" Buy an orange,
sir 7"
Now. as i'll fortune would have il, this
possible customer was fat, ill.tempered.
pursy old man. whose choler had just been
infamed to fever heat by the inadvertent
descent Of heavy nailed boot heel on his
fayorite corn. At all times he considered
orange boys nuisance. but Just now his
slen Ter quota Of patience was entirely ex.
hausted. lie aimed mattered oath and
furious blow at the fairhaired boy, and
rushed past, to catch a retreating omnibus.
Jamie sprang aside just in time to escape
The brutal blow, hut il descended full upon
his stock in trade, scattering apples and
otanges far and wide He was standing
close to the edge of the pier, and most Of
the fruit flew into the water, where il went
bobbing op and down with the tide, in a
most tantalizing manner. A few apples
rolled under the feet of the crowd, but il
was impossible to sesure them agains
Jamies first sensation was that of indig-
nant wra.h--the blood rushed in angry tor
rent TO his cheek and brow, and he shook
his email fist impotendy in the direction
woich the fat man had taken. But In an in.
stant a feeling Of forlorn Indebtedness came
over him-no tempting bit of cake--no
purple grapes for poor little Katy--perhaps
not even a supper, for he well knew that his
mothers wages must go towards the rent Of
the room. They depended yenfirely on his
exertions for their evening meal and the
l lSuu was ucSitutuS tu tue west NiTeNuy
| The reflection was too much for his boy
ish heart, and he was sobbiug violently when
a gentle hand was laid on his shoulder. He
started up, and before him stsod pleasant.
looking gentleman, who had watched the
whole Transaction.
There, my boy" he said, laying silver
dollar in the boys bard pain, "that will
set you up again. No thanks-ihe money
was intended for some piece of extravaeance,
and choose to lay it out thus. But re-.
member this. my boy--when you are push.
ed down in the race, don't stop to r1b your
bruises. but pick yourself up and start
again ]"
! Jamie thought the smile with which this
was said the pleasanlest and kindest express
sion that ever heightened human face, but
ere he could stammer out his thanks, the
gentleman was gone.
The boy started for home with a lieh1 and
joyous heart. stopping to purchase The cher
Iished rrorsels of fruit and sweetcake ON his
way. The gentleman walked leisureiy up
Broadway. Seeing at bookstore the title
of newly publislIed work thst he much de.
sired to read, his footsteps involuntarjiy turn
ed in that direction, but in an instant he
went on, buttoning up his pockets, and mur.