East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1864-07-06
THE BEGGAR BOY.

DegBar Doy Ia Ike TO kpw what
right you have to look over lhe fence
at our flowers"
The speaker was q ittleDoy not
more than eleven years d, and,
though people called It handane, its
face looked very harsh and csagrea-
bic just then.
He stood in beautiful garSn, Just
in the suburbs Of the city. II was
June, and the tulips wore pening
themselves to the sunshine. oh it
was great JOY to look at tim as
they bowed so gracefully to tin light,
with their necks OF crimson, ofyellow
and carnation.
The beds tlankedeither side ,f the
path that curved around small
arbor, where the young grape clus-
ters that lay hidden among thelarge
leaves wrote beautiful prophecy for
"A White panng ran III uvno ., rne
garden, and over this the little beggar
boy so rudely dressed was leaning
lie was very thin, very dirty, and
very ragged. l am afraid you would
have turned away in disgust from so
repulsive a spectacle, and yet God and
the angels loved him
He was looking with all his soul in
his eyes on the beautiful blossoms as
they swayed to and fro in the summer
wind, and his heart softened while
he leaned his arm on the fence railing
and forgot everything in that long alb
sorbed gaze. All it was seldom that
the beggar boy saw anythingthat was
either good or beautiful, and it was
sad that his dream should have such
Weakening.
The blood rushed up to his face,
and glance full of evil and defiance
rushed to his eyes. But before the
boy could retort little girl sprang
out Of the arbor, and looked eagerly
fair with soft hazal ia alH eyes, th oveS Shs %sTicsss Tss
dropped long, shining lashes. Rich
curls hung over her almost bare white
shoulders, and her lips were the color
of the crimson tulip blossoms.
"How could you speak so cross to
the little boy, Hinton ?' she asked
with a tone of sad reproach quivoring
through. the sweetness of her voice =
"l'm sure il does not do us any harm
to have him look at the flowers if he
likes"
"Well, Helen" urged her Brother,
slightly Modified and ashamed, 81
don't like to have beggars gaping over
the fence it looks so low"
"Now that's notion of yours, Hin
ton. I'm sure if the flowers can do
any good we ought to be glad. Little
boy" and the child turned to the beg
gar, and addressed him as courteous
ly as though he had been a prince,
'l'll pick you somo Of the tulips If you
will wait moment"
"Hellen, L do believe you are the
funniest girl ever lived p calculated
the child's brother as he turned away,
and with a low whistle sauntered
down the path, feeling very uncom-
Portable, for her conduct was strong
er reproof to him than any word
could have been.
Helen plucked one of each speci-
men of the tulips-and there was
great variety of them-and gave them
to the child. His face frightened as
he received the flowers and thanked
her,
Oh ! tho littlo girl had dropped q
"pearl of great price" into the black,
turbid pillows of the boys life, and
the after years would bring it up
beautiful and fair again
Twelve years had passed. The lit
tie hazel eyed girl had grown into
tall, graceful woman. One bright
June afternoon she walked with her
husband through the garden, for she
was OH visit TO her parents. The
place was little changed, and the tu-
lips had opened their lips of crimson
and gold to the sunshine, just as they
had twelve years before. Suddenly
they observed a young man, in a
worlman's blue overalls leaning on
tho fence, his eyes following eagerly
from the flowers to herself. He had
frank open countenance which
pleased the gentleman and lady.
"I.ook here, Edward" said, 'I'll
pluck some of the flowers. 1t always
does me good to sec people admiring
them," and then releasing from her
husband arm she approached the pal
ing, saying-and the smile around
her lips was very like the old child
one-"Are you fond Of flowers, sirY
1t will give me great pleasure togather
| you some
The young workman looked mo-
ment very earnestly into her fair, sweet
face.
"Twelve years ago this very month
/ stood here, leaning on this railing,
a dirty, ragged little boy, and you
asked mo this very question. Twelve
years ago you placed the bright flowers
in my hand, and they made me a new
boy; aye, and they made man Of me
too. Your face has been light,
ma'am, all along the dark hours of
my life, and this day that little
beggar boy can stand on the old place
and say to you, though he's a humble
and working man, yet, thank
God, he's an honest one"
/ Tear-drops trembled like morning
dew on the shining lashes of tho lady
as she turned to her husband, who
had joined her, and listened in alb
sorbed astonishment to tho workman
words. "God," said she, 'put it into
my child heart to do that little decd
of kindness, and sec how very great
is the reward he has given me-"
And the setting sun poured flood
Of rich, purple light over the GROUP
that stood there over the workman
in his blue overalls, over the lady
with her golden hair, and over the
,~o,I 1ooL,po. eropf1o,pap at her eIlf