Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1864-08-22

Beggar Boy.

nQLl IltlRSt
afg kansiiae. % it was aagteat joytolo0k
at them, as they bowed gracefully to the
light with their necks Of crimson, Of yellow,
md carnation. The beds fanked either
side ofthe path that curved around q small,
arbor, where the young grape clusters, that
lay hidden among the large leaves, wrote a
beautiful prophecy for the autumn.
Atwhite palipg.ran in front ofthe garden,
and5oyer this the little beggar boy, SO rude
W addressed, was leaning. He was very
lean, very dirty, very ragged. am,affaids
You would have turnedawayin@ dsgusIffom
so repuisiye a spectacle, andyet God ahfthe,
angels loved mmis.
He wassiooking with1hll his soul in his
eyes on the eartHul blossoms, as they sway
ed to and fro In the summer wind, aud his
heart softeaed while heeleaned his arm on
the fence railingsand forgot every thing In;
that long absorbed gaze - All it was sell
domethe beggat boy saw any thing that was
either very good or beautiful, audit wassadl
hlssdrcam should h1gesuch q rude awaken
ing.
glance full of evil and defiance flashed into
bis eyes. But before the boy could retoTt, a
little girl sprang out from the arbor and look
ed eagerly from one childtoth the ether. She
was very fair, with soft hazel. eyes, over
which dropped long, shining lashes. Rich
curls hung over her almost bare, .white.
shoulders, and her lips were the color of the
crimson tulip blossoms.
g How could you. speak so crosg- to. the
boy, Hipton ?" she asked &ithatone Of
sadrepTokekquffeting through the sweet
snesTsuf her voice. I'm sure it doesn't do
ssss9s AasR e es-sisi9 eok assasaonsrs
We'll, Helen, urged her brother, slight
Nv Modified andashamed, " didn't like to
have beggars gapping over the fence. 1t
looks SO low"
"Now, that's a notion of yours, Hinton.
Tn sure, if the flowers can do any body any
good, we ought to be very glad. Little
bov"-ani the child turned to the beggar
boy, and addressed him as. courteously as
though he had been q ,prince-"Il- pick
you some of the tulips if you'll wait a mo-
ment."
"Helen, 1 do believe you're the funniest
girl that ever lived !" CALCULATED the child's
brother, as he turned away, and with a low
whistle sauntered down the. path, feeling
very uncomfortable-for her conduct was a
y stronger reproff to him than any words
could have been. =
Helen plucked one of each specimen Of
the tulips, and there Was a great variety Of
these, and gave them to the child. His face
frightened as he received them and thankec
her. =
O.! the little girl had dropped a "pear
of great price into the black turbi6 blllow'
of the boys life, ard the after years woult
bring it up, beautifukand fair again.
Twelve years had passed, The little blu
eyed girl had grown into a. tall, graceful
woman. One bright June afternoon sh
walked with her husband through the gar
den, for she was on a visit to her. parents
: The place was little changed, and the tu
. lips had opened their lips of crimson an,
GOLD to the sunshine, just as they had lively
years before. Suddenly they. observed
young man in q wsgkman's blue oseralls
ieaning over themf eace,shis eyeas&fnllawin
eagerly from the beautiful flowers to. her
self. He had a frank, pleasant counte
nance. and there was something in his man
ner that Interested the gentleman and lady
-" Look here, Edward y said she, Il
. pluck some of the. flowers. It always doe
me good to see people admiring them" On
then releasing her husbands arms, she ap
preached the paling, saying-and the smi
round her lips was very like the old, chill
one Are you fond Of flowers, sir?
will give me great pleasure to gather yc
some.
The young workman looked a momel
very earnestly into the fair, sweet face:
Twelve years ago this veW month";
said, in a voice deep ana yet tremulous wi
feeling, " l stood here, leaning on this RAJ
ing, a dirty, ragged little beggar boy al
YOU askedsmethis very question. Twel
years4ago you placed the bright flowers
nv hands, and they made me a new toy
ave, and they made asSman of me, too.
Your face has been a light, ma am, all alo,
the dark hours of my life. and this day tn
little beggar' boy can stand On the old pla
and say to you, though he's anhumble a
hard working man, yet, thank God, he's
! honest one
Z Tesr.drops trembled like morning d