North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-04-04
gelert gtnry.
From the Sixpenny Magazine
TEE MISER'g sTGRNs

| l was porn In England. 4 remember nOtl-
inc bnt poverty = stalking crime and abso.
lutte want. The houses where / lived were
| lived were all in various stages of filth
aud decay. Whether the old bear-eyed
old man who kicked and commanded ne
was my father. never knew. Whether
the old woman who sometimes fed and Of
tener beat me, was my mother, | cannot
say. All that | know is that | had mis-
cradle drag about life Of it, going round af
ter col Notwithstanding smaller boys
down to get the contents OF their broken
task stS,aId hunting for rags IN the gutter.
r | suppose was a rather good looking
boy they call me good-looking now, for
an old man know was smart, ,compar-
ing myself with children "a see them
OF course | was like the rest IF nv class.
| could fight little. and swear a little,
steal little. and eat a good deal-that j.
when got the chAncc. Which was seldom.
| wis icnOrant--didn't know one letter
from another, aud didn't want to. What
| did care about tducation-I, who never
saw hook f. ON one years end to anoth-
er? And love-grar rtu,!e-hope--l could
! of course III d.rstand neither Nobody
! loved me. therefore loved nobody No
body haG ever made me gratetul--had ev-
IT held out hope to me Some strange
impulse WAS given me one day. | walked
up, Sprang from my bundle OF straw, and
inv"iua,arily the word came from mY lips
II m going to do something to-day
| What that something wa, l. ad not the
rrmotrst idea, bnr / put on my ap"I- girs
! FIR clot es, AMI sailed out i'll my vagabond
rav. wIistIirg, caring for nobody.
| 1t was about noon, and had not yet
tas'ed a mputhful of food. / was hun grv,
and skulkcd abont grocery shops, hoping |
could get an apple Or SOMETHING that would
stay my appetite, till felt in the humor
Tor begging. Passing around the corner of
a public street, | saw & gentcel looking
man standing 1t his horses head, gazing
ab ,ut him, somewhat perplexed. ......r
Boy" he c;ied oct. won't you take
care of my horse for half an hour 2"
''Yrs sir" said /.
think it was the Grst time had ever
put IN the sir"
There's man p he e1claimcd.-'Ive
got considerable fruit, and yon must guard
it well. Here's couple of peaches for
you inst stand here quietly guess no
body VII disturb YOU
He went away, and stood fora Will"
till / was tired Then, thinks I. III get q
handful of the fruit and run. But for the
? first time ftIt an instinct of shame at the
suggestion. "He entrusted me-he saw
was mean To- king fellow, too, but he
trusted me, and | wont abuse his kind
n-ss."
Something like this reasoning ran iu my
head,and | squatted down on the curbstone
feeling the importance of AN honorable
trust, as had never felt such thing be-
fore. Presently some Of my fellows came
along and hailed me. told them to &C
on. They peered about the cart, and saw
the sunny fac s of the peaches.
We'll have some of them," they said
"Nc. YOU won't" says 7. I'm put If
charge here, and l won't see the first thing
stole"
With that they began a rumpus.--
They reached over the cart -truci
thcm, and used such efforts that they nj
came pell-mcll upon me, and we fought til
the blood came, but l vanquish-d them
Just then "ut came the proprietor.
whats the mqtter?" says he.
20, nothing, only | had to fight for you
stuff there" saws !. r-.
'Y"u did, eh ? You've got back eye
for ill.,
No matter" SAYS I 81 meant them
boys shouldn't steal a-peach and they
didn't peither"
We'll, you'v" got good plnck, my hoy
! here's dollar for you--but don't swear.
Ny eyes stood out.
"a whole dollar saws |.
'Yes, do what You please with it, but Ii
advise vou to bny pair of shoes"
Thank you,' says J, with beating
heart. at pays to be good. don't it p
He smiled curious smile, asked m,
several questions, and ended by taking me
home with him in his wagon
Home! thought was in heaven. AL
belt bad seldom heard of such place
Nv heart beat heavily every time darcC
to put my fert upon those rich carpets -
The mirrors were something now to me-
The next dav there came man TO So,
me- was washed clean, and had gooC
suit of clothes. Says he ~. .-
"Ynungster, I'm going in where vol
live. and probably | shall make bargait
with vour people. want a boy-jns
such bold, clever bov as you are. and i
you behave yourself promise YOU tha
you shall have as pleasant home as yo,
desire"
We'll. that was good. l hardly daret
to speak, to breath, for fear of breakin;
the Illusion. Inever was so happy clea
through as | was that day. They gave m
some light tasks to do wish they were
more important
From that dav | was treated as one O
the household. The man was wido~e
and had no children, consequently | be-
came to him as a son. He educated m
haDdSapiv apd u,ho, I uos tmanfV.ooa h.