The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-10-25

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AN ANGEL.
4 little pauper boy sat down on the
curhstop& AVID tried to think. His feet
were bare, red and cold; but never mind
that. The chill air penetrated his ragged
garments; but never mind that lie want
I I'd TO think. Who are those people pass
! ing him, looking 50 warm and c0niorta-
Bile: What did it mean that they should
he happy and cheerful. and he 50 sad =
None of them had such heavy hearts; that
he was Snre Of
lie looked up into the cold blue sky.
What was it, and who lived up there
/ Somebody said once that God would take
care Of him. Where was Godg Why
didn't He take care Of him? Oh, if he
could only see God for one little minute.
or the angel that the good man told him of
when his poor mother died! Did folks
ever see God? Did they ever even see
angels
/ An orEan-Erinder came near and took
his stand. The melody he played light
ened the ltt!c boys heart somewhat; but
it didn't warm him, it didn't make him
less hungry. lie kel shiverin, in spite
Of music and he f,lt 81 all alone, so de-
spalrny.
Thea tn organ grinder pass, 4 away :;
he never needed the little child sitting on
tn" cnrhStone; he had so many things to
think Of The carriages passed by, and
! the carts. and a company of >oldierS; but
it was all dnnb show to hin-he was try
t., fI,t,l. Il l.;
heart.
Presently three or four coarse looking
boys gath, red behind him, and winked
and lrughcd At each other. ln another
moment the youngest gave thrust, and
over went the poor little homeless child
into the gutter. One scream, or,e Sub Of
atEul>h, as hc gathered hir>rlf up aud
,onktd after the boys, now flying away
with shouts Of mirth. q, how cruel it
seemed in thc.l-how cruel. The little
hungry boy walked slowly on Snhhing and
S!tiv,rIt.g 10 himself He Didn't know
Wnat he was walking for, cr why he was
li,irs. He felt out Of '1rc-a poor little
I.ri.ua Sp,t that bad lost his way--a
trn>c, reed that any one might brcaE--a
litte heart ~ tender that a look was an
.,ui>', ilow uuc!l more blow!
tn little boy stood at last near the cor
nrr of a street. An apple stand, at which
lie eazel with longing eyes, not far off,
was tended by cross looking old man.
| iir,c were cakes on the stand. aud the
poor little mouth OF the homeless child
wtt"r"l ns he saw one boy after another
d.p">li his penny aud take his cake. He
hal 40 l''ny, ard though thrrc was hun
ger ia III eyes, the cross booking old man
Ii Yer otlrrr! hun lnuls,l.
l!r tcnpter came; the u,i mans back
na> turned. \ vile boy at hi> >ide-at
.i> hoN,
You take one, he whispered; III give
YOU Aali.'
rne nttie child grzesl at him steadily.
, lie SAW something III the hlearcd eyes thai
made hIm Sill ,nk >omtttlns set his heuyt
to hratinL.
4 TIL you, hook one, whispered the
boy; i won't tell, and well 90 away and
eat it,
Il don't want to steal, said the home.
less chlld.
-, YOU fool" muttered the brutal temp
Ter, and Smote him in the eyes, his heavy
hand dealing blow that sent the poor lit
tie child against the wall, his whole frame
dlivcilng WITH anguish.
rhe terrible blow had almost blinded
him for IA moment. \ great sob came up
in his throat. ", what have done to be
tt, ated So:'
There never, never was a God, or He
would not 1T him suffer 80, and that be-
cau>r he refused To be wicked. don't
believe that ever man in his deadliest
brrravrrnrut> suffered more than that sad
child. His heart was literally swelling
ri I, aud though he could not reason about
it, he felt as ii there were great and sore
injustice somewhere.
lie started to cross the street. A dark
binding pain made his poor little temples
liug, -
Back back! Good heavens. the child
is under his feet. Back back y
U, mamma, it is our horses ran over
poor little boy! 0, namma, mamma"
is he hurt much, coachman The
woman's face is pale as ashes. Yes, he
is hurt badly. Take him right in, uOn't
wait; carry him right in and up stairs; it
was your carelcssness. The child Shall
be attended to-
There is no anguish now. Perhaps
God saw he had b"rnr all he could, and so
took the poor little broken heart there to
heal.
How very white and quiet! %, a sweet
lace-a sweet facet murmured the wo-
man, bending over the boy; and tears
fell upon his forehead, bet he did not feel
them. -.-..-....
%, the poor little boy = sobs Nelly; the
poor little boy! wish he had kept on
the sidewalk wish he had stayed home
with his mother
Alas in this world there was no mother
to keep him.
The doctor came, said he was not dead,
but would very likely die. There was
hospital near the poor thing had better
be sent there. But the good woman would
not allow that. She would care for him
herself, she said. He had been injured
by one of her horses, and she felt II was
her duty TO attend to him; besides, it was
likely that the child had not mother
Such boy as he, with his face 50 sweet
and girlsh, SO pure and loveable, would
never be sent on the streets like that if he
had a mother. Besides (and here tears
fell) there was little mound not yet green
over just such child. No, no, it was not
in her heart to put the poor wounded boy
away. Let him stay whether he lived or
died.
The weary, weary days passed on. One
morning the little boy opened his dim
blue eyes, bnt he did not know himself
His glance fell wearily on his hands; there
were white bands around his wrists, with
ruttles on them. The bed was snowy
white, too, and a crimson white fell over
everything.
Dear God! am in heaven, murmured
the child. Yes, God will take care of me
now