Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1868-10-17
"a Jail Bird"

"Msyn'tI stay, ma'am I'll work,
Gu, wood. 90 for water, and DO all your
errsnds."
The troubled eyes OF The speaker were
filed with tears. /! was a lad thai stood
one cold day in winter, al the outer door
OF a cottage on bleak moor in Scotland.
The snow had been falling very fast. and
the poor boy looked very cold and hun
cry.
"You may come in, 9, any rate, I'LL
my husband comes home. There. ell
down by the FIRE you look perishing
with cold :" and she drew chair up TO
rhe wsrTest corner; then, ruspiclonly
gIancing al the boy from the corners Of
her eyes, she continued setting the table
for supper. -.rr
Presently came the tramp Of heavy
boots, and the door was swung open with
aquck jerk, and the husbsud entered
wesTied with his days work.
A look Of intelligence passed between
his vile and himself. lie looked at tie
boy, but did not seem very well pleased
he nevertheless made him come 10 the ia
bic. and wss glad 10 see how heartily he
ale his supper.
Day a('er day passed, and yet the boy
begged to be kept until tomorrow :"
so The good couple, after due ihoughLssid
that as long as he was such a good boy,
and worked 20 willingly, they would
keep him.
One day in the middle Of winter, a ped.
dler, who often traded al the co:isRe, call
ed, and alter selling his goods, was max.
ing ready 10 go, when he said 10 the wo-
man
"You fsve boy out there, splitting
wood, see : pointing to the yard.
"Ies ; do you know him
81 have seen him"
"Where' Who is he 7 Whs, is he 7"
"A Jail bird :" and the peddIer swung
his pack over bis shoulder. "Ths, boy,
youngss he looks, saw in court myself,
and heard him sentenced-"ten months" :"
You'd do well to look carefully after
him."
Oh, there was something go dreadful in
the word "jail ~ The poor woman
trembIed as she laid away the things shc
had bought Of the peddIer Tor could she
be easy until sbeboy called the in and as.
suTed him that she knew ihe dark part OF
his history.
Ashamed and distressed. The boy hung
down his head. His cheeks seemed
bursting with the hol blood, and his lips
quivered.
"Well," he muitered, his whole frame
shaking. there's no use in my trying 10
do better, everybody hates and despises
me nobody ssrss about me"
TEL me-" said the woman. show
came you to 90, so young, 10 that dread
fol place Where is your mother 7"
"Oh !" exclaimed the boy. with
burst OF grief that was terrible TO behold,
"0h, | hadn't no mother had no
mother ever since was bsby ! II Id
only bad a mother" he continued. while
tears Qushet from his eyes, II wouljn'i
have been bound out. and kicked. and
cufed, and horewbipped. voUldn'l
have been ssucy and got knocked down.
and run away, and then stole because
was hungry. Oh, it'd only bad a moth
er 90
The strength vas all gone from The
poor boy, and he sunk on his knees. sob
bing great, choking sobs, sDd rubbing
the hot tears away with the sleeve Of bis
jacket.
The woman was noIber snd, iboogh
all her children ,lepl under The cold GOD
in the church yard. she wss a mother
still. She put her hand kindly on the
head If the boy. and told him 10 look or.
and said from that time lie ,houid 6ndin
bers mother YES. she even pot her
arms around The neck Of that forsaksn.
deserted child. She poured from her
molher's besusweet, kind words-sords
Of counsel and tenderness. Oh, how
sweet was her sleep that night! how soft
her pillow! She bad plucked some
!horns from tie path OF q lille SHINING.
DO, striving. mortal.
That poor boy Is DOW a promising
man. His fo5ier-lalhsr Is dead. lis losier
no'hfT sged and sickly bot she knows
no want. The "poor ouicsst" is her on
Iy support. Molly does he repay The
t,,,rg .,,oz.I a.. L.