The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1868-12-31
The Little Outcast.

The troubled eyes OF the speaker were
titled with tears. It was lad that stood at
1.-THE outer door, pleading with kindly
/ looking woman, who still seemed to doubt
the realitysof his good intention.
The cottage sat by itself on bleak
moor or what in Scotland would have
been called such The time was near the
latter part of November, and fierce wind
ratified the boughs of the two naked trees
near the house, and fled with shlverlng
sound into the narrow doorway, as seek
! ing for warmth at the blazing fire within.
| Now and then snowflake touched with
its soft chill, the cheek of the listener, or
whitened the angry redness of the poor
boys benumbed hands.
F. The woman was evidently unwilling to
grant his III quest and the peculiar look
stamped upon his features would have
suggested to any mind an idea OF de-
pravity for beyond his years.
7 But her Wonians' heart could not resist
ithe sorrow in those large gray eyes, or ap-
| parent heartfelt distress his words sug
gestied.
Come IN at any rate, till the good man
comes home there, sit down by the tire !;
You look perisned with the cold, and she
drew APP rude cDeir co the warmest cor
ner then suspici0usly glancing at the
child every little while, she continued set
ting the table for supper. 4
Day after day passed and yet the boy
begged to be kept only till tomorrow /;
so the kind couple concluded, after due
consideration, that as long he as was docile
and worked 50 heartily, they would take
care of him.
~ ~ IA 10 for Nd.
dlcr, long accstomcd to trade at the cot
tage made his appearance and readily
disposed CT his goods, as IL he had been
waited for
You have boy out here splitting wood
1 see, he said, pointing to the yard signi :
icantly
Ycs-vou know him
| have seen him, replied the peddler
evasiyely
And WdcTe--who is he:
A Jail bird and the peddler swung his
pack over his.shoulder; that boy, young
las lie looks, saw in court myself, and
heard his scntence-ten months He's a
hard one luu'd do well to look keerful-
ly after him
Oh there was something SO horrible in
the word jail; the poor woman trembled as
Size laid away her purchase nor could she
rest till she had called the boy in and as
surcd him that she knew that dark spot in
lIlis history s
Ashamed and distressed the child hung
down his head, his cheeks bursting with
hot blood, his lips quivered, and anguish
/. was painted as wildly upon his forhead
as if the word was branded into the whole
frame relaxing, as If a burden of con
cealed guilt had rolled off / may as well go
to ruin at once there is no use of trying
TO do better-everybod hates and hespis-
es mel may as well go to ruin at once.
1 Tell me, said the woman, who had been
gradually lessening the distance between
them, how came you, so young, to go to
Isuch horrible place ?-Where was your
fmother ?-Whcre was you mother where
3 was
OH exclaimed the boy, with burst OF
fgrief that was terrible to behold; OH I
han't got no mother, oh han't had no
mother since / was little baby If I'd
only mother he continued, his anguish
growing amore vehement, and the tears
gushing out from his strange eyes, Iwould
not have been bound out, and then kicked
land cufed, and laid on with whips,-I
wouldn't a been saucy, and got knocked
down, and then run away, and then stole
because was hungry oh! han got no
mother since was a baby w S.
With strength all exhausted, the poor
boy sank upon his knees, sobbing great
choking sobs, and rubbing the hot tears
away with his knuckles And did that
woman stand there unmoved Did she
coolly bid him pack up and be off? No,
no! She had been mother; and though
all her children slept under the cold sod,
in the church yard, she was mother still
She wentup to the poor boy, not to has
ten him away, but to lay her fingers kind
ly, and softly, upon his head-to tell him
. to look up, and from hence find in her O
mother Yes, she even put her arms
alb ,ut the neck of that neglected, forsak-
en- one; she poured from her mothers
helrt sweet womanly words words OF
go ID counsel and tenderness.
Oh! how calm was her sleep that night
how soft her pillow! Visions ethereal
; filed up her dreams Her angel children
came to her with smiles, and pressed theil
little palms within hers She had linked
; q poor suffering heart to her own by bands
! the most silken--the bands of love She
! had plucked some thorns from the path O
SHINING, but repentsnt mortal. None
bnt angels could witness her holy ios
: without envy.
Did the boy leave her?
No!-he iswith her still a vigorous
manly youth. The low character of his
Z Z Icountenanee has given place to an open
pleasing expression, with depth enough
; to make itan interesting study. His fos
:, ter father is dead; his good foster mother
is aged and sickly, butshe knows no want
|. The poor out-cast is her only dependence
and nobly does he repay the trust. Truly
g he that saveth soul from death. hidetI
multitude of sinsn