The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1869-07-27

/ SttA Mott lhAaNls its protector
SPOKE reassuansly 10 hm, and then,
f ior tie ifst time. noticed how mlsera.
/ bly lie vas clad The boy composed
umse1 under the kind treatment hs
received, aud ivuoh,ngiy preferred a
/ request iaat tie gentleman would give
him four cents 70 rd homo with Say.
ing THAT he had made Sothing that day
Bat Why did sou uol go home soon,
/ ny lad inquired his boaoiactpr
= vas afraid, SIR DO answered, COM
mencing to whimpcr again.
There, now don't cay that's a
good fellow Afraid, you say Afraid
Of what r"
Yes, SIR | was afraid Afraid Of
ue father and me mother"
Afraid o. your father and mother 7
Why certainly, you haven't done any
thing wrong that you should fear tAom
have you21
80, yes, sir, They always Whips me
when / don't bring nolhin homo, And
here the tears flowed down bis little
dirty checks in spite Of his efforts to
check them
1t was a pitiful sight A child scar
cely ten years Of age driven out to gain
4 preesrious subsistence dependent
upon the charity Of the ty, when his
trado failed him, to save his shrinking
form from the blows Of besotied par
ent or, as the only other alternative,
forced to lay his head wherever he
could-perchance to sleep, perchauce
to die but anything rather than 50
home empty-handed.
Fortunate il il that tho Good Sam
aritan still plods along the highway
fortunate that this busy, money making
selfish age has not closed the doors ou
every noble impulse 10 human bosoms,
or hung across each avenue to Christ
ian feeling the dreadful warning, No
.horoughlare.
The gentleman was so interested ns
70 offer to take tie boot black home
and, after making the best provision
possible for his comfort, the two set
forth together. They got IN Third ay-
eauo car and a hghtcd al the corner oi
Mulberry street, where The boy per
formed The office Of guide, and thread
cd bis way through that dark, forbid
ng locality, closely followed ~ his at
tendant Five minutes walk brought
them IN front ol four-story, dlngy-
looking dwelling, the front door OF
whach stood on level with the side
walk, and creaked wildly on its rusty
hinges with every gust Of tho night
wind, Without speaking word the
child turned into tho hallway aaJ
a rickoty old staircase, that sounded
amid the sailnoss Which prevailed rs i
it had been an ecLo-board. Reaching
he third landing he walked directly
hack to the last apartment, and, without
tue fornaAty of turning knob, push
ed the door ajar and waited lor his COM
panion, They entered tue room togeth
er, where all was as still as the grave,
A tallow dip, stuck in bottle, stood up
on the floor in one corner by its flick
ering light the stranger was en- abled to
scan the properties Of the place, Two
beds placed at opposite sides Of the
room, and containing five persons; q
stool aud three common wooden chairs
highly ooloted engraving OF the mar
tyrdom Of st. Sebastian, and one rep
resentiug tue Bleeding Heart Of Christ
hung over the fireplace, where no ira
ces OK fire could DO found an iron
washstand in one corner, where the
adjoining wall showed signs Of the
kind Of ablutions performed there
bushel basket, containing few bits Of
wood aud some charcoal, aud table
that stood against what seemed to be
pantry door, constituted the sole ap
pointments Of the room. A broken
pane Of glass served the purpose " a
ventilator, and keep the atmosphere
ia wholesome condition. II was o
true picture Of the squalor and wretch
edness which attend the tenement
lwellsrs in that part Of the city. The
gentleman had not been there long
enough TO make these observations
when one Of tbs sleepers~-a man pro-
badly about sixty years Of age--arons-
ed aud sat bolt upright in bed, rubbing
ais bleared eyes and mutteriug some
thing which was quite uuinielligiDle.
/ As booH as lie caught sight ot the boy
he jumped up sith an angry scosl up-
on his face and would have LAID yio-
\ lent hands npon him bot Tor the intor
youlion ol tie stranger, whose intru-
sion lie no further resented than to
curse ham 10 a tone thick and husky
from excessive drnk, and tnen tumb-
ling back into bed appeared to fall
q cop the moment he toacAel i. Such
was TIE Aone igom which this little
uniJrtunate graduated. and 10 told
The gentleman IL vas great deal
better than some d tho other ieLIers