The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-12-04
Monday Morning, Dec. 4, 1855.
AS You Have Opportunity.

AS You Have Opportunity. l,r
Mr.. Frazier sat reading in his counting
room. He was in the midst of piece of in
teresting news, when a lad came % the door
and said-SDo you want boy, sir?"
Without lifting his eyes from the paper, Mr..
Frazier answered "No,n to the applicant, and
in rather rough rough way.
Before the lad had reached the street, con-
science had compelled the merchant to listen
to rebuking sentence.
You might have spoken kindly to the poor
boy, at least" said conscience "This is an op-
portunity."
Mr.. Frazier let the paper fall before his eyes,
and turned TO look at the lad. He was small
but clean. The merchant tapped at one of
the windows of the counting-room and the
boy glanced back over his shoulder. A sign
from the merchant caused him to return.
"What did you say just now?
"Do you want a boy, sir?" The lad repeat
ed the words he had spoken, hestatingly, a
few minutes before.
Mr.. Frazier looked at him with suddenly
awakened interest He had fair, girlish face
dark brown eyes and hair and though slender
and delicate in appearance, stood erect, with a
manliness of aspect that showed him to be
already conscious of duty in the world. But
there did not seem to be much of that stuff
in him that is needed for the battle of life.
"Take chair,n said Mr.. Frazier, an invol-
untary respect for the lad getting possession of
his mind.
The boy sat down, with his large, clear eyes
fixed on the merchants face.
p How old are you?"
II was twelve last month, sir" replied the
boy.
'.What splendid eyes," said the merchant to
himself "And I've seen them before, dark and
lustrous as a woman's."
Eaab in ha fbo ,fc ofN M.
Frazier went borne on the light from those
beautiful eyes; and for some moments he for
got the present in the past. But when he
came back into the present again, he had a
softer heart towards the stranger lad
"You should go to school for year or two
longer" he said.
"Imust help my mother" replied the lad.
is your mother very poor~
"Yes sir, and she's SICK"
The lads voice shook little, and his soft,
woman's eyes grew brighter in tears that filled
them. s8
Mr.. Frazier had already forgotten the point
OF interest in the news after which his mind
was searching, when the boy interrupted him.
81 don't want a lad myself" said Mr.. Frazier,
but maybe L can speak good word for you,
and that would help, you know. think you
would make an honest and useful lad. But
you are not strong"
stood up III brave spirit Ts s.fsa
The merchant looked at him with steadily
increasing interest.
what is your name ?" he asked.
"Charles Leonard, SIR"
There was an instant change in the mer-
chants manner, and he turned his face so far
away that the boys eyes could not see its ex-
preston. For a long time he sat still and 81
lent-so long that the boy wondered. @
ssTS VoTr father living q0 Mr. Frazier did not
look at the boy, but still kept his face away
His voice was low, and not very even. 93
mo, sir. He died four years ago" 20
"Where?" The voice was quick and firm
"In London, sir" l.t b
"How long since you came. to American
"Two years."
"Have you been in this city ever since?"
"No, sir. We came here with my uncle a
year ago. But he died month after our ar
rival" lr
There came another long silence, in which
the lad was not able 10 see the merchants
countenance. But when he did look at him
again, there was such new and kind express
sion in the eyes, which seemed almost to de-
YOUR his face, that he felt assurance in his
heart that Mr.. Frazier was a good man and
would be friend to his mother.
"Sit there for little while," said Mr.. Fra
zier, and, turning to his desk, he wrote brief
note, in which, without permitting the lad to
see what he was doing, he enclosed two OF
three bank bills l-i
"Take this to your MOTHER" he said, hand
ing the note to the lad.
"You'n try and get me place, sir, won't
youp The boy lifted to him an appealing
look.
"Oh, yes. You shall have good place. But
stay; you have not told me where you live"
dAt No Melon street, ara
every well. Mr.. Frazier noted the street and
number. "And now take that note to your
mother" 4
The merchant did not resume his newspa-
per after the lad departed. He had lost his
interest in its contents. For time he sat
with his face SO that no one saw its expression
If spoken to on any matter he answered brief
ly, and with nothing of his usual interest in
business. The change in him was so marked
that one of his partners asked him if he were
not we'll "Feel little dull" he evasively an.
swered. tEff ~ ta4
Before his usual time Mr.. Frazier left his
store and went home As he opened the door
of his dwelling, distressed cries and sobbings
of a child came with an unpleasant sound up
on his ears. He went up stairs with two OF
three long strides and entered the nursery from
which the cries came.
"What is the matter, darling?" he said, as
he caught the weeping one in his arms. 'What
ails my little Maggie ?"
"Oh, pa! pap sobbed the child, clinging to
his neck, and leaning her wet face close to
his.
"Jane,n said Mr.. Frazier, looking at the
nurse and speaking with some sternness OF
manner, "why is Maggie crying in this man
ner?" The girl was not excited, but pale
"She has been naughty" was the answer.
"No, pa! l amt been naughty" said the
child Indignantly. 81 didn't want to stay here
all alone, and she pinched and slapped me SC
hard. Oh, pap And the child's wall rans
out again, and she clung to his neck, sobbing
"Has she ever pinched and slapped you be
fore % asked the father.
"She does it most every day." answered th'
little girl.
aWRy haven't you told me?"
"She said she'd throw me out of the win
dow if told! Oh, dear! Don't let her do il
papap
Its a liep exclaimed the nurse passionate
ly.
"Just look at my poor leg, papa" Tn
child said this in hushed whisper, with he
lips close to her fathers ears.
MIR. Frazier sat down, and barring the child.
leg to her MP, saw that it was covered VIII
blue and green spots; all above the knee thef
were not less than dozen of those distin
gushing marks. He examined the other lee
and found it in the same condition.
Mr.. Frazier loved that child with a dee]
tenderness. She was his all to love- He
mother, between whom and himself there ba,
been no sympathy, died two years before. an,
since that time his precious darling-the ami
ofhis eye-had been left to the tender mercie
of hired nurses, over whose conduct it was i'm
possible for him to have any right observation
He had ofeen feared that Maggie was neglect
ed-oflen troubled himself on her account
but suspicion of cruelty like this never cam
;nta his imaoination as nossihle