The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1868-12-25
gelett gtnrp.
The Little Peddler.

ber, as we stood at the door of the New
Royal. in Prince Street, while stoppiug
for day or two in Edingburg, q short time
since
NO, we don't want any,"
"Fusees, penny hunder, sir; this days
paper. sir-half price, sir-only bawbee {"
persisted the young countryman of Adam
Smith.
"Get along-don't want any," growled my
travelling companion, Philips
They're good fuses, sir; penny a hun
der" r -.r'-r
Don't smoke .
"Theyr'e guide fuses, sir, hunder and twen.
ty for penny, sir" coming round on my
flank
No. don't want EN-, my boy"
The keen, blue face, with its red, bare
feet ingraned with dirt, and bundle of scan
ty rags, looked pitpously up at me, moved off
little, but still hovered round US. Now,
when | put down my first subscription to
the Ragged School in Westminster, ! took
mental pledge from myself to encourage
vagrant children in the streets no more.
Somehow. in this instance, that pledge
wouldn't stand by me, hut gave way.
"Give me penn orth, young un.
ayes, sir; they diuua SMELL"
"Ah, haven't got a coppcr-nothng else
than shilling; so never mind my boy, Iii
buy from you tomorrow.
"Bny them the ulcht, if you please. I'm
very hungry, sir.
HIS little cold face, which had lightened
up, now iel-tor, from his bundle of papers
saw his sales had been few that day.
"Tll gang for change, SIR
"Well, I'll try you. There is a. shilling;
now be good boy, and bring me the change
tomorrow morning to the hotel. Ask for
Mr. Turner"
CAS- sutes death, sir. I'll bring the change
the morn was the promise OF the boy before
he vanished with the shilling.
"Well, Turner said Phillips, as we
strolled along Prince street. lyon don't
expect to see your ragged friend again, do
your
Il do
"The boy will dishonor his 1. o. U. as sure
''Well, won't grieve about The money;
but think | can trust the boy"
''Can? Why, you have trusted him.
'Well, well see.
eyes, good many remarkable things,
but not young Briniston aud your money"
Next mornngwe spent in seeing the lions.
On our return to the Inn, inquired
'Waiter, did little boy call for me to.
day?"
boy, slr--eall, sir! NO. SIR
'Of course be didn't said Phillips. "Did
you really expect 10 see our yOug Arab
againY
"Irdeed, did"
Later in the evening small hoy was in
troduced who wanted TO speak with me.
He was a duOdecimo edition Of the small oc-
tavo of the previous day-a shocless, shirt
less, shrunk, ragged, wrptcEpd, keen-wtted
Arab of the streets and closes of the city.
He was so ve"y small, and cold, and child
like though with the same shiverihg feet and
frame, thin blue-cold face, down which tears
had worn their weary chunucl--that | saw
at once the child was not my friend of the
previous night. He stood for few moments
diving and running into the recesses of his
rags. AT last he said
"Are you the gentleman that BOUGHT fuses
frae Sandy. yesterday?'
"Gess my little man,"
''Weli, here's seven pence Counting out
divers copper COINS. Sandy Gamma come;
he's no weel; a cart ru1 over him the day, and
broken his legs, and lost his bonnet and his
fusees, and he's no weel. He's no weel ava,
and the doctor says-says he's der-dee-
in, and-and that a he can gle you noe.
And the poor child, commencing with sobs
ended in a sore fit of crying
| gave him food. for, though his cup of
sorrow was full enough, his stomach was
empty, as he looked wistfuly at the display
on the tpa-table
"Are you Sandy's brother?"
Say, sir"
And the foodgates of his heart again
opened.
Where do you live? Are your father and
mother alive?"
1--WE bide in Black(rar's Wynd, in the
Coegate. My mither's dead, ana fathers
ava, and we hide whles wi our guiemither'
sibbing bitterly,
Where did mis- accident happen?"
''Nenr the college, sir"
Calling cab, we were speedily set down
at Blackfriar's Wind. l had never penetrat-
ed the wretched places of these ancient ci-
ties by day, and here | entered one by night
and almost alone. Preceded by my little
guide, entered dark, wide winding stair,
until, climbing many flights of stairs in to-
tai darkness, he opened IA door, whence a
light maintained a feeble, unequal struggle
with the thick. close smelling heavy gloom
My courage nearly gave way as the spectacle
of that room burst upon me. In an apart
ment, certainly spacious in extent but
scarcely made visible by one guttering can.
die stTck in bottle were an overcrowded
mass of wretched beings, sleeping on miser.
able beds spread out upon the foor. or
squatted or reclining upon cold, unlurnished
boards
Stepping over a PROSTATE quarreling
drunkard, | found little Sandy on a bed of
carpenters shavings on the floor. He was
still in his rags, aud torn scanty coveflet
had been thrown over him. Poor lad! he
was so changed. His sharp, pallid face was
clammy and cold-beads of the sweat of
agony standing on his brow-his briiised and
mangled body lay motionless and still, ex-
cept when sobs and moaning heaved his fut-
tering breast A bloated woman, in maud
lin drunkenness (the dead or banished fathers
second wife, and not his mother,) now and
then bathed his lips with whisky and water,
while she applied to her OVID a bottle of spir
its to drown the grief she hic coughed and
assumed, A doctor from the Royal Iufr-
rna,u had called and Loft sonno r,,.a;a;.,a !.