The Shasta courier., 1869-09-04

Every particle of dirt had been removed,
and in some places, the skin with it. The
feet were tied up in bits of old play bills,
and some pieces of the rags on his clothes
were tied together, also, with ends of color
ed twine Altogether, the boy was, ifany-
thing, more pitiabe looking than before !;
Tor now the wear and tear of his life of sin
and shame was distinctly visible
Ted said Mr.. Grayton, after looking
at him few minutes in silence, "would
You like to be a rich man ?''
kinder guess would" said Ted, quite
readily.
Would you like to own large store,
filled up to the top Of the sixth story with
goods, as l do to. day?'
Il guess | would, again answered the
boy
Mr.. Grayton took well filed purse and
laid it on the table near him Ted watched
every movement.
g Now, suppose left my purse there
and went into the next room, shutting the
door between us, could you held taking one
of these bills?
1t was enough to make the tears come
into anybody's eyes, to see the wild, long
ing look that dashed into the boys face
and to watch the almost convulsive twitch-
ing of the long, supple fingers.
g You couldn't, could you, poor little
Ted
Poor little Ted Poor little Ted :
The boy kept repeating these words over
and over again, as he sat there, looking from
the open pocket-book. Nobody had ever
said poor to him before Did this great
man, with his gentle, kindly face looking
down into his, pity him ?''-him, with only
his Eliases and his mothers profanities for
his names.
You have stolen, Ted p ased Mr.. G.,
at last
Ted nodded his head
"Often p
He nodded his head again, then added
in a whisper, but they didn't cotch me,
though"
MIR. Grayton, put up his money, and
walked two or three times up and down the
room, then came back to the spot where
Ted still sat, intently watching him
Must you steal, and lie, and swear?-
Don't you think you could get along with
out them, if you had something else to do?"
Ted only opened his eyes the wider,
dropping his mouth open now, also
g Listen, Ted = and Mr. Grayton placed
his hand gently on the boy rough, dis
hevelled hair You asked me for a penny
to keep Christmas with Do you k ow
what Christmas is.
+" Dress 'em up pretty green have lots of
slick thinks to buy and sell the old, wick
ed look settling down again" don't they
go it?"
But what made Christmas? What
does it mean %
"Guess it growed," said Ted, with leer
Did you ever hear of Jesus Chr ST,
who came to love and save just such boys
as you 7"
:" Guess I have, I've been to Mission
school. Give me penny, and I'll sing
youa song learnt there" begininga vulgar
street song. =" No, that amt it. Now
here goes!' and he broke out, in rich
contralto voice, into
"Comc to Jesus
eyes," said Dr. Grayton, after having
listened to the tune, and words given per
fectly to the end, g that is the same Jesus
whose birthday Christmas is 2"
Birthday? What is that?"
"The day upon which He was born
When is your birthday"
"Guess | never had one. Dun know"
" "To-day," went on Mr.. Grayton, with
out taking any notice of this answer
''Jesus Christ came into the world to
be the friend and Savior of Just such boys
as you are. Do you understand me p
g Shouldn't WONDER" answered Ted,
making an evident effort to do so
But lie can't be your friend so long
as you sin-lie, steal, swear and the like.
He don't love boys that have eliases. He
wants them good, honest, and true Teds;
and nothing else"
They would cotch me, then"
!" Your must not do anything for which
they would want to catch you Now Ted,
| began by asking you if you would like to
be rich man and own big store like this
Do you know | never did any of these
wicked things when | was little boy like
you 1T had, | should have been in Jail,
OF dead, or not here day My name
was always John Grayton, and never any
thing else; and when Christmas, this very
Christmas came, used to go to church
and hear what Christ had done for me; how
He was baby and laid in manager, with
the great, brown-eyed cattle round Him,
and how angels sang His birth hymn"
Mr. Grayton stopped abruptly. Ted,
evidently, was not interested in word he
was saying
Ted" he said, after moments pause,
" | will make another bargain with you"
Ted was again allattention. Was there
another quarter coming? What lucky
Christmas this wss
!" am going to trust you little while,
and see whether it is possible to make
good, honest boy of you | want you to
begin this very Christmas day, because to-
day, it seems as if Christ was. little
nearer to His children than at any other
time, and even now more ready and willing
to help them Now, if / give you work