The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1861-12-19
IBC 9omr Circle.
The Little outcast.

INC blJll8 OuJca9J.
"Mayn't I stay, ma'am? I'll do any
thing you give me, cut wood, go for
water, and do all your orrands."
The troubled eyes Of the speaker
were filled with tears. II was 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 havl
been called such. The time was near
Il o lattor end of September, and fierce
wind rittled the boughs of the only two
naked trees near the house, and fed
wi b q shivering sound into the narrow
doorway as if seeking for warmth at
the blazing Ere within.
Now and then a snow fake touched
with its soft chill the cheek of the lis
tener, or whitened the angry redness
of the poor boys beuumbed hands
The woman was evidently loath to
grant tho boys request; and the peou-
liar look stamped upon his features
would have suggested to any mind an
idea of depravity far beyond his years.
But tho wOman's heart could not resist
the sorrow in those large, but by no
means handsome gray eyes.
"Come in, at any rate, till the good
man comes home. There, sit down by
the fire; you leok porishing with cold, .
and she drew a rude chair up to the
warmost corner; then, suspiciously
glancing at the child from the corner
of her eyes, she continued setting the
table for supper.
Presently came the tramp of heavy
shoes, the door was swung open with a
qui, k jerk, and the "good man" present
ed himself wearied with labor. A look
of intelligence passed between his wife
and himself He, too scanned the boys
face with an expression not evinciug
satisfaction, but, nevertheless made him
come to the table, and then enjoyed the
zest with which he dispatched his sup
per.
Day after day passed, and yet tho
poor boy begged to be kept "only till
tomorrow" So the good people, after
due consideration, concluded that so
long az he was so docle and worked so
heartily they would retain him.
Ono day, in the middle Of winter,
Peddler long accustomed to trade at
the cottage made his appearance and
disposed of his goods readily, as if he
had been waited for.
You have a boy out there splitting
wood, l see, - he said, pointing to the
yard.
"Yes; do you know him2'
IL have seen him." replied the ped
der ovasively.
"And whero' Who is he? What is
he?"
"A Jail Bird" and the poddlor swung
his pack over his shoulder. "That boy,
young as he looks, I saw in court, my.
self, and heard his sentence ten months.
Ho'sa bad one; you'd do we'll to look
after him"
OF there was something so horrible
in the word gail" the poor woman
trembled as she laid away her purch-
ases; nor could she be easy tin she
called the boy in, and assured him that
she knew that dark part Of his story.
Ashamed, distressed, the child hung
down his head; his checks seemed burst
ing with hot blood; his lips quivered,
and anguish was painted as vividly on
his forehead as it th3 words wore br aud
cd into the flesh.
"Well, " he muttcred, his whole frame
relaxing, as if a burden had suddenly
rolled off, "I might as we'll go to ruin
at once; there's no use in my trying to
do better; everybody hates and despises
me; nobody cares about me; l may as
we'll 20 to ruin at once"
"Tell me, said the woman, who stood
of far enough for fight if that was nec-
essary chow came you to 60 so young
to that dreadful placer Where was
your mother-Whoro?"
"O" exclaimed the boy with burst
of grief that was terrible to behold;
"Ol ! hain't any mother OF / hain't
any mother ever since l was a baby
IfId only had a mother" he continued,
his anguish growing more vehement,
and the tears gushing out from his
strange looking gray eyes. "I wouldn't
ha been bound, and kicked, aud suffer.
ed, and laid on with whips. 1 wouldn't
ha been sauoy and got knocked down
and run away, and then stole because /
was hungry. OF hain't got no mother
i hain't got no motberi I haven't had
no mother since was a babyI"
The strength was all gone from the
poor boy and he sank on his knees,
sobbiug great choking sobs, and rub