Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1859-08-04
CHAPTER I.


sAre all your matches sold, Jim!
Are all your matches done?
Then let us to the fowery fields,
To warm US in the sun
To warm us in the sweet, sweet sun
To feel his heavenly glow;
For his kind looks are the only looks
Of Kindness that we know"
"Want to buy any matches, sir?" asked a
barefooted boyof handsomely attired young
man.
"No!-be OFF, was the stern reply.
"Guess I won't do anything ofthe kind y
replied the boy, the indignant blood rushing
to his cheeks.
"How dare you use such language to me, u
asked the young man, raising his cane.
"Aud how dare you raise your cane to me,
sir?" replied the boy, stamping his foot.
"You unhung vagabond open your lips
to me again and III cane you within an
inch of your life, said the young man.
nYou mean what you say" asked the
boy. deliberately setting down his box. "If
you do, the sooner you get at it the better" "
Down came the cane upon the bare shoul-
ders of the boy, leaving long, blue and pur-
pie marks upon his white and delicate skin
Whack- k-whack-whack, went the cane ;
while the boy stood motionless beneath every
blow.
"Take that for your impudence said the
young man, as he ceased his operations.
care you done, sir ?" asked the suffering
boy, stopping to take up his box, asif nothing
had occurred.
"Yes-be OFF, was the reply.
ri SEQ no reason why I should be of, sir.
The street is quite public, and if choose
to remain here short while, I do not see
how you can prevent me-"
"WGat is your name p asked the young
man, surprised at the remarkable conduct of
the boy, and half ashamed of the unneces-
sarily cruel manner in which he had treated
him.
"Jim, sir~ replied the boy.
"What else Z"
"Never had any other, sir" said Jim.
"What is your fathers name?"
"Ain't got father as I knows Of"
oHe is dead then-is not that it,"
"Don't know, SIR" replied Jim.
"You are very strange lad. Is your
mother living"
uDon't know as I ever had mother, sir,
said Jim.
uDo not know if you ever had mother !
why, what in the name of common sense
do you know?"
ri know" replied Jim, brushing a tear
from his eyes, "that I am very poor boy,
and that have been very cruelty treated
by you, sir. If it does you any good to look
upon my bleeding shoulders, I hope you will
remember, that you have drawn my blood,
simply because I tried to make penny by
selling you matches"
~ struck you for your insolence, not for
endeavoring to dispose of your matches. l
am sorry that I so did," said the young
man.
"You called me an unhung vagabond, and
spoke to me as if I wereyour dog" said Jim
with quivering lips.
dwell, we'll; I acknowledge, that I have
done wrong, my lad let us make friends"
"Whatw exclaimed Jim, Indignantly re-
fusing the profered hand Of the young man.
"You don't suppose, that you can abuse me,
and draw my blood in one moment, and make
it up in the next never"
"Do not be foolish, my little lad" said
the young man. "When you met me, I
was Just returning from the Bank, the off,
GERS of which have decamped with almost
the entire funds. I have one thousand
pounds invested in that very Bank, and
can Ill to lose is--44piie+ls the-prusprct
of such heavy loss before ME, you can very
readily seewhy was out Of humor, and why
treated you so cruelty"
nNo sir; l don't see" said Jim.
"Come along with me, and I will take
you to see my wife; and, perhaps, will be
able to get good situation for you in a
friends store," said the young man.
~ will not accept your offer, sir" said
Jim, firmly.
"Pshaw. have little daughter, who
will be glad to make you her companion
and"
II have no desire to become such, " said
Jim, turning away.
eff you will accept this" said the young
man, handing Jim crown, "you will do me
favor"
"That's to pay for these scars upon my
shoulder, Isuppose," said the boy. 81 put
higher price upon my blood, sir. Please
put up your money-you may need it before
I will"
l7oolish child! will you not even conde-
scend to inform me where you liVe?"
ri must attend to my business wish
you Joy, sir, of your manly conduct!
So saying, the boy hastily turned corner,
and was gone before the young man could
reply.
George Vandry-such being the name of
the young man-was so struck with surprise
at the conduct of the boy, and so completely
overpowered with sense of shame and woun-
ded pride, by Jim's last remark, that he
stood motionless for several minutes, where
IL L. LIZ,