Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-05-07
Mr.. Anderson's Column,
The News Boy,

N ~~''
Il was a cold winiry night that the city mis-
sonary was walking with DR.. Hall in New
York The wind sucked up The narrow streets,
but the filth and blackncss of the street had
been hid by fall Of snow mo longer white,
but still n kind covering. The stars had come
out again, and were blinking in the sky gems
Of gold above the tccming city, and siudding /
the black mantle of night
They were near the Five Points Mission,
when poor, thinly dressed, shivering girl |
came to the missionary and said
"Say, Billy is mighty sick and he wants to !
sec you. Ifyou darcs to 60 down you might
help him. Bnly's a good boy. You know
where he is"
Then she turned 10 her bad companions and
was gone for a night of miserable sin.
"It's Tough ncigbborhood Doctor" said
the missionary, "but you are a brave man, and
| shall be glad if you will 20 and sec Billy. |
He is n little news boy who has been several
tines at the lodging, and have got interested
| in him.
THAT girls face will haunt me" said the
4 Doctor. "She can't be more than eighteen
years old and yet she looks as if she might be
thirty. Sin and poverty are mingled there.
She is young old woman"
"She has always lived 50. Her whole life
has been in sin. She never knew what virtue
was never saw it. Her whole nature seems
corrupt, and yet there is one redeeming fea
ture she loves her brother Billy. She is one
of the unfortunate habtues of Water ST.
dance house. 1t is life she has always lived,
and she knows no other. The green field Oi
the country she knows nothing about; nothing
but the city and sin"
The two men reached the house and careful
ly mounted the Iiekety stairs which led TO the
floor where the poor boy lived. 1t wasa hor-
rid sight that met their eyes. The floor of the
room was covered with filth. On one side was
a miserable bed on which were rags that had
been culled from cutters and kennels by the
hook of the dog-cart chG0nier and on these
lay woman snoring in a drunken sleep. Her
lctid breath only added to the stencil of the
filthy room.
In a corner, on pile of rags, so dirty that
: their colors were all one, lay the poor news
boy in his ragged clothes, and with his uppit
still about his neck, while his pinched face,
that looked all the more haggard for the srcaks
and blotchcs Of dirt that were on it, made his
large luminous eyes seem all the larger.
lie had been round faced handsome boy,
whose brown eyes locked up with the frank
ness of one who had it in him to make some
thing in the world; and whose ready wit, and
rich clear voice had won him friends every
where. But sickness and suffering had told
on those round, rudGy cheeks, and now tn,
missionary could hardly know him, so chang
cd he was.
% Ills large eyes looked wildly out, and hi
i voice was husky and hurried, as he said
i I'm mighty glad you come, mister. Yol
know all about it. Say, tell a ftller, if tel
the Lord all about my sins and ask him to Tor
= give me, will he do it? You know, aoM heY
lo "Ycs Billy, if you do it honestly, he will
Il There isn't any doubt about it,"
- well, will he do it just as quick as l asl
u him to-"
ie "Ycs, Billy"
u "Is that man that's with you parson, too ?
y, asked Billy.
al ','Ycs, Billy. This is DR.. Hall.
~ as that so ?-Thc big preacherT
Ut "Yes, my boy"
y "Well Doctor, do you say so too? Will Ii
; forgive 'em just as quick as | ask =
u "Ycs, my poor boy! The blood of jest
II II Christ cleanselh from all sin"
lio ooh, well, then J am all right" said Bill.
i" as he sank back on his bed, I'm all right"
" His breath grew Shorter, and came in lit
u gasps and he spoke with great difficulty
lie 81 asked hinl-to lorgve-me, | did,-and
na told him-I was sorry-mighty sorry,-and {
Tie i am. Tm-all right,-Oh, Pm-glad,-II
III alright"
'e- DR.. Hall repeated the verse,
IRA Just as am, and waitingnOt
er To rid my soul of one dark blot,
~ But that thy blood can cleanse each spot
ice Oh Lamb OF God, come"
die Billy said,
N, That's so. That's tits bully. I'm {
Tin right"
or. A soft beam came from star through br
len ken window. and shOne on Billys eyes. l
m, followed it up, and tried to point TO it, al
,rv said:
Var "Thats rght-The star comes-to light IL
var I'm ing-forgiven-Im all -"
var The rest of it he told to the blessed. face
od- face The trusting little news boy was dei
- But he was alive in u better land.