The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1866-10-13
HE NiScr,S story.

. poyerty-stalking crime and absolute want. The
houses where lived were ali in various stages OF
filth and decay. Whether the old blear-eyed
T man who kicked and commanded me was nv
father. l never knew. Whether the old woman
who sometimes fed and oftener beat me. was nv
mother, | cannot say. All | know is that | had
q miserable drag-about life Of it, going round at
ter cold Misunderstanding smaller boys down
70 get the contents of their broken baskets, and
bunting for rags in the gutter.
! suppose | was rather a gOod-lOoking boy {:
they call me good looking now, for an old man.
know, | WAS smart, comparing myself with
children as | see them OF course | was like the
rest of nay class. could fight a little and swear
n little, steal a little, and eat a good deal-tha
IL, when | got the chance, which was seldom.
| was iEnorant-didn't know one letter from
another, and didn't want TO. What did | care
about cducation-l, who never saw a book from
one years end to another? And love-grati-
tude-hope--I could ofcourse understand neither.
Nobody loved me, therefore | loved nobody.
Nobody had ever made the grateful-had ever
held out hope TO me.
Some strange impulse was given me one day.
| walked up, slrang from my bundle Of straw, and
invUluntarily the words came from nv livS-"Tm
going 10 do something to-day" What that
something was. l had not the remote>t idea. but
| put on my apologies for clothes, and sailed out
in my vagabond way, whistling, caring for
nobody.
1t was about noon. and 1 had not Yet tasted a
mouthiul of food. | was hungry and skulked
about grocery shops, hoping could get an OPP
portunity to take an apple or something that
would stay my appetite, till l felt in the hunor
for beginning. Passing round the corner of u
public street, | saw Il grnteel looking man, stan
ding at his horses head gazing about somewhat
perllexed.
- Boy" he cried out, wont you take care
of my horse for half an hour?''
Yes, sir said |.
| think it was the first time l have ever put on
the '. sir"
There's a man - he exclaimed. s.I've got
considerable fruit here, and you must guard it
well. Here's a couple OF peaches for you lust
stand here quietly guess nobOdy'il disturb
you"
He went away, and ! stood for awhile, till l
was tired. Then, thinks /, I'll get a handful of
the fruit, and run. But for the first time | felt
an instinct of shame ut the suggestion. He
trusted me-he saw l was a mean looking fellow
too, but he trusted me, and | won't abuse his
kindness"
Something like this reasoning ran in my head.
and | squatted down on the curbstone feeling the
Importance of an honorable trust. as | had never
felt such a thing before. Presently some of my
fellows came along and hailed me. | told them
to go on. They peered about the cart, and saw
the sunny faces OF the peaches.
Well have some of them" they said.
"No you WON'T says L. I'm put in
charge here, and | won see the first thing stole
With that they began Il rumpus. They reached
over the cart. L struck them, and used such eff
forts that they came pell nell upon me. and we
fought till the blood came, but l vanquished
them; just then out came the proprietor.
WHATS the matter p says he.
90, nothing only | had to fight for your stuff
there says l.
You did, Ell? You've got a black eye for
it"
mo NATTER says 1. 81 meant them boys
We'll, you've got good pluck, my boy here's
a dollar for you-but dent swear"
Ny eyes stood out. =
A wH0e --ar? nsazzI- :
Yes. do what You please with it, but I'd ad- 5
you to buy Il pair of shoes" I
Thank you" says 1, with a beating heart. Il
: 1t pays to be good, don't it?"
He smiled 4 curious smile, asked me several )
questions, and ended by taking me home with him
n his WACO. o
Home! l thought 1 was in heaven, albeit I had l
heard of such a place. My heart beat u
leayily every time | dared to put my feet upon "
hose rich carpets. The mirrors were something =
lew to me. 4
The next day there came a man to see me. l =
vas washed clean, and had a good suit of clothes.
he
&" Youngster. I'm going in where you i've, and
probably | shall make a bargain with your peo-
lie. l want a boy, just such a bold, clever boy as
lou are, and if YOU behave yourself promise you
hat you shall have as pleasant a home as you de-
ire.
Well, that was good. l hardly dared to speak.
breathe, for fear of breaking the illusion. l
ever was SO happy clear through as | was that ,
ay. They gave me some light tasks to do u.
they were more important.
From that day l was treated as one of the l
OusehOld. The man was Il widower., and had no
hildren, consequently | became 70 him as a son.
lie educated me handsomely, and when | was
Tenty-One he died, and left me seventeen thou
and dollars.
Well. ! considered myselfa rich man. | gloat-
/ over my wealth; 1t became an idol to me-
low to increase it was now my first desire. |
onsulted competent men, and under their
1unsel | put my money out at nterest-boug
had stocked me n fancy store) pros
cred, and | was in a fair way, L thought, to
larry Lucy Manning.
Sweet Lucy Manning! the most %artless, win
ing maiden IN all the world to me. | loved her
eeply, dearly. She was blue eyed, auburn
disposition was that of an angel, and
had plighted my vows 10 her.
One night | was invited to the house of a pros
erous merchant and there | met Il siren in the
erson Of his niece, n black eyed girl, whose
larms and whose fortune were equally splendid!
he was an hciress in her own right-she was
eautiiul and plshed. Heavens! what a
Jice was hers-pure, clear. sweet, ravishing. l
as charmed and she was pleased with me.
las | met her too often. In her presence |
sgot my gentle Lucy she magnetized, thralled
e. 1t was a triumph to feel that 50 beautiful,
fled, and wealthy a woman loved meme, who
i'd known misery and corruption all the first
of my life.
Gradually | broke off my intimacy with Lucy.
no token from her-she was too proud.
ut that cheek grew pale-that heavenly eye
nguid-and though | seldom met her, l knew
my heart that she was suffering, and branded
yself a villain.
At last she knew with certainty that | was to
Miss Bellair. She sent Inc a letter, a
uching letter, not one word Of upbraiding. not
e regret Oh, what a noble soul | v wounded :
nj she could calmly wish me Joy, though the
made her heart bleed. | knew it did.
| tried however, to forget her, but l could not.