The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1866-11-22
The Little Ontcast.T


The troubled eyes of the speaker
were,flled with teafs5si ItiwaSa lad that
stood, one eoIdl day il winter at the
outer door of a cottage on bleak moor
in Scotland. The snow had been fait-
ingAgery fast and the poor boy looked
very cold and hungry ,..l..-I
! Presently came the tramp OF heavy
boots, aud the door was swung open
with a quick jerk, and the husband en-
tered, wearied with his days work. - s
"A look Of INTEL igeuce passed between
his wife and himself. He looked at the
boy, but did not seem very well pleased:
he nevertheless made him come to the
table, and was glad to see how heartily
he ate his supper. .r.'...
Day after day passed, and yet the
boy begged to be kept until to-mor-
rowj''i 50 the good people, after due
consideration, concluded that, as long
as he was such good hoy, and worked
SO Willingly, they would keep him.
One day in the middle of,winter, a
pcddler, who often traded at the cot
tage, called, and, after disposing of
several Of his goods, was preparing to
go, when he said to the woman ::
"You have boy out there, splitting
wood, | see," pointing to the yard.
Eyes, do you know him?"' r,,s..
~ have seen him,2 replied the ped
dler. ...-
Where who i he! What is
he 9"' '''' 1'''' % u '''i
"a jail-bird Y and the peddIerswung
his pack over his shoulder. "That boy,
young as he looks, l saw in court my
self, gahd heard him sentenced-'Ten
months. You'd do well to look care
fully after him."
Oh there was something 50 dreadful
in the word '.jaiF' : The poor woman
trembled as she laid away the things
she had bought Of the peddler; nor
could she be easy till she had called the
boyin, and assured him that She knew
that dark part Of his history. W
Ashamedand distressed, theboy hung
down his head; his cheeks seemed
bursting with the hot blood, and his
lips quivered. "Well," he muttered,
his whole frame shaking, 'there's no
use in my trying to do better; every
body hates and despises Inc nobody
cares about me-"
"Tell me-" said the woman, chow
came you to go SO young to that dreadful
place 2 Where is your mother"
"Oh! !" exclaimed the boy, with a
burst Of grief that was terrible to be-
hold, "Oh! han't no mother ever
since | was a baby. If I'd only had a
MOTHER" he continued, while tears
gushed from his eyes, Il wouldn't have
been bound ont, and Kicked, and cuffcd
and horsewhipped. / wouldn't have
been saucy, aud got knocked down, and
run away, and then stole, because was
hungry. Oh! if I'D onlyamother."
The strength was all gone from the
poor boy, and he sunk on his knees,
sobbing great choking sobs, and rubbing
the hot tears away with the sleeve OF
his jacket. s..-,f.
The woman was mother, aud though
all her children slept under The cold sod
in the churchyard, she waS mother still.
She put her hand kindly on the head of
the boy, and told him to look up, and
said from that time he should find in
her mother. Yes, she even put her
arm around the neck of that forsaken,
deserted child; she poured from her
mothers heart sweet kind words, words
Of counsel and tenderness, Oh! how
sweet was her sleep that night-how
soft her'pillow! She had plucked some
thorns from the path Of little SHINING
but striving mortal, .a u0a4
That poor boy is now a promising
man. His foster-l father is dead, his
foster-mother aged and sickIyi but she
knows no want, The "poor outcast'
is her support. Nobly does he repay
the trust reposed in him, 81 DU,L, i
"When my father and mother forsake
me, thon VIII the Lord take me up"