Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1866-06-13
THE aiYsER's STORY.

w EejQer Une Ol0 Dleal-cyeu Ildl WIZ klChSu
and commanded me was my father, l never
knew, Whether the old woman who some
times fedan oftner beatme, was my mother,
[ cannot say All that [ know is that had
miserable drag-aboutlife of it, going round
after cold Misunderstanding smaller boys
down to get the contents of their broken
baskets, and hunting for rags in the gutter
/ suppose | was rather good-lookIRg boy ;
they call me good-looking now, for an old
man. [ know [ was smart, comparing my
self with children as | see them. OF course
| was like the rest Of my class / could
fight little, and swear little, steal little,
and eat good deal-that is, when | got the
chance, which was seldom.
L was ignorant-didn' t know one letter from
another, and didn't want to. What did [
care about education-I, who never saw a
book from one year end to another. And
gratitude-hope-I could of course
understand neither. Nobody loved me,
therefore / loved nobody Nobody had ever
made me grateful-had ever held out hope
to me. Some strange impulse was given me
one day. L walked up, sprang from my bun
die of straw, and inYolUntarily the words
came from my lips-''I IN going to- do some
thing to-day . What that something was l
had not the remotest idea, but put ON my
apologies for clothes and sailed out In my
yagabOnd way, whistling, caring for nobody.
1t was obOutnoon, and had not yet tasted
a mouthfui of food l was hungry, and
skulked about grocery shops, hoping / could
get an apple or something that would stay
my appetite, till [ felt In the humor for beg
ging. Passing round the corner of public
street, | saw genteel-looking man standing
at his horses head gazing about him some-
what perplexed.
Boy, he cried out, ''won' t you take care
of my horse for half an hour?"
''Y es sir," said l.
l think it wss the first time had ever put
on the SIR
There's man, he exclaimed. GIVE
got considerable fruit, and you must guard
it well. Here acouple of peaches for you !;
just stand here quitly-I guess nobody Il dis
turb you
He went away, and l stood for awhile, till
i was tired Then, thinks /, L II get a hand
full of the fruit and run But for the first
time L felt an instinct of shame at the sug-
gestien He trusted me-he saw | was a
mean looking fellow, too, but be trusted me,
and | won't abuse his kindness
Something like this reasoning ran in my
head, and ! squatted down on the cur5stone,
feeling the importance of an honorable trust
as had never felt such thing before. -
Presently some of my fellows came along and
hailed me. | told them to 90 on They
peered about the cart, and saw the sunny
faces of the peaches
We'll have some of them, they said
No, you won I, says l. j IN put in
charge here, and won't see the first thing
stole
With that they began rumpus They
reached over the cart | struck them, and
used such efforts that they all came peli-mell
upon me, and we fought till the blood came
but / vanquished them. just then out came
the proprietor.
''Oh, nothing, only had to fight for your
stuff there, said j.
you did, Ell? You We got black eye for
it. -
NO natter says I. ''I meant them
boys shouldn't steal - peach, and they
didn't neither
''WeI, you've got good pluck, my boy !;
here a dollar for you-but don't swear.
My eyes stood out
ga whole dollar?' says /.
''Yes, do what you please with it, but I'd
advise you to buy pair of shoes.
Thank you, saysI, with beating heart /;
1T pays to be good, don't it?'
He smiled a curious smile, asked me sew
eral questions, and ended by taking me home
with him in his wagon.
Home [ thought. was in heaven, albeit
| had seldom heard Of such a place My
heart beat heavily every time dared to put
my feet upon those rich carpets. The mir
rors were something new to me.
The next day there came man to see me:
| was washed clean and had good suit of
clothes Says he
''Youngster, m going in where you live,
and probably | shall make a bargain with
your people | want a boy-just such bold
clever boy as you are, and if you behave
yourself j promise you that you shall have
as pleasant home as you desire
Well, that was good. | hardly dared to
speak, to breathe, for fear of breaking the
illusion. / never was so happy clear through
as was that day. They gave me some light
tasks to do wished the were more impOr-
tant. From that day | was treated as one
of the household. The man was a widower
and had no children, consequently became
to him as a son. He educated me handsome
", and when | was twenty-one he died, and
left me seventeen thousand dollars. Well,
/ considered myself rich man. ] glOated
over my wealth, it became an idol to me
How to increase 1t was my first desire. l
consulted competent men, and under their
counsel | put my money out at interest
bought stock and mortgages. l grew veal
thier, my business (ny benefactor had stock
ed me fancy store) prospered, and l was
in fair way, 1 thought, to marry Lucy
Manning
Sweet Lucy Manning the most artless,
winning maiden in all the world to me- |
loved her deeply, dearly. Shewas blue-eyed,
auburn-haired- disposition was that of
an angel, ,and | had plighted my vows to her
One night / was invited to the house of a
prosperous merchant, and there met a siren
in the person of his niece, black-eyed girl,
whose charms and whose fortune were equal
ly splendid. She was an heiress in her own
sweet ravishing. was charmed and she
was pleased with me- Alas / met her too
often. In her presence | forgot my gentle