Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1860-08-04
THE LITTLE -ouTcAsT.

with tears. IT was q lad that stood at the
outer door, pleading with a kindly-lOoking
woman, who still seemed to doubt the reality
Of his good intentions.
The cottage stood by itself on bleak moor,
or what in Scotland would have been called
such. The time was near the latter end OF
September, and q fierce wind ratified the
boughs Of the only two naked trees near the
house, and fed with Shivering sound into
the narrow doorway, as II seeking for warmth
at the blazing fire within.
Now and then snow fake touched with its
soft chill the check Of the listener, or whitencd
the angry redness Of the poor boy bcnumbed
hands.
The woman was evidently 10th to grant the
boy S request; and the peculiar look stamped
upon his features would have suggested to any
mind an idea Of dcpravity far beyond his years.
But her woman's heart could not resist the
sorrow in those large, but by no means hand
some, gray eyes.
"Come in, nt any rate, till the good man
comes home There, down by the fire
you look perishing it0Eold," and she drew
a rude chair up to the Brincst corner then,
suspiciOusly glancing at Echd from the cor.
nerS Other eyes, she continued setting the table
for supper.
Presently came the tramp Of heavy shoes,
the door was swung open with quick jerk,
and the good man" presented himself, wearicd
with labor. A look of intelligence passed be-
tween his wife and himself lie, too, scanned
the boys face with an expression not cvincing
satisfaction, but nevertheless bade him come
to the table, and then enjoyed the zest with
which he dispatched his supper.
Day after day passed, and yet the poor boy
begged to BE- kept +only till tomorrow" So,
the good people, after due consideration. con.
-cluded that so long as he Was SO docile and
worked so heartily, they would retain him.
One day, in the middle of wintcr, u ped.
dlcr, long accustomed to trade at the cottage,
made his appearance and disposed Of his goods
readily as il he had been waited fnr.
You have boy out there splitting wood,
SEE, he said, pointing to the yard.
Yes do you know him. :"
=" have seen him." replied the pcddler,
evasively.
Where? Who is he? What is he ?"
asked the good woman.
"A jail.bird !" and the pcldler swung his
pack over his shoulder THAT boy, young
as he looks, saw in court myself, and heard
his sentence, Ten months He's hard one
you'd do well TO look carefully after him."
o! there was something SO horrible in the
/ word jail" the poor woman tremblcd ns she
laid away her purchases; nor could she be
I easy till she called the boy in, and assured
him she knew the dark part Of his history.
Ashamed, distressed, the child hung down
his head; his cheeks seemed bursting with
hot blood; his lips quivered, and anguish was
painted as vividly on his forehead as if the
words were branded into the flesh.
Well" he muttered, his whole frame re-
laxing, as il suddenly relieved from burden,
81 may as well 60 to ruin at once; /; there's no
use in my trying to do better; everybody
hates and dcspiscs me nobody cares about
I me may as we'll 60 to ruin at once"
! Tell me-" said the woman, who stood of
far enough for flight, should that be necessary
"how came you to go 50 young to that dread
full place? Where was your mother?"
90" exclaimed the boy, with burst Of
grief that was terrible to behold, go! hoin't
, no mother! q! hain't any mother ever
since was baby. lfrdonly had mother,
he continued, his anguish growing more vchc-
ment. and the tears gushing out from his wild
! gray eyes, ~ wouldn't ha' been bound, and
kicked, and cutfcd, and laid on with whips.
| wouldn't ha' been saucy, and got knocked
down and run away, and then stole because
was hungry. 0! | hain't got no mother:
haven't had no mother since was baby"
The strength was all gone from the poor
boy, and he sank on his knees, sobbing great
choking sobs, and rubbing the hot tears away
with his knucklcs. And did that woman
stand there unInovcd? Did she cOldly bid him
Pack up and be off-thc jai.birdy"
No, no. She had been mother, and tho
all her children slept under the cold sod in the
church.yard, she was a mother still. She
went up to that poor boy, not to hasten him
away, but to lay her hand kindly, softly on
his head to tell him to look up, and from
henccforth find in her a mother. Yes, she
, even put her arms about the neck Of that for.
sakcn, deserted child; she poured from her
mothers heart sweet, womanly wordS-wOrdS
Of counsel and tenderness.
., how sweet was her sleep that night =
how soft her pillow! She had linked poor
suffering heart to hers, by the most silkcn
the strongest bands Of love; she had plucked
thorns from the path Of SHINING but striving
mortal.
Did the boy leave her? Never. lie il
with her still vigorous, manly, promising
youth. The unIavorable cast Of his countc
nance has given place to an open, pleasing cx
preston, with depth enough to make it an in
tercsting study. His foster. father is dead
his good fOster.mothcr aged and feeble, but
she knows no want. The once poor Outcas
is her only dependence, and nobly does he re
pay the truSt.-LOndOn Pdper.
4~A~%
A SENSIBLE VIEw.-The London Times in
leader on the slavery question in the United