St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-01-06


heard his cough as well as l."
Every WELL" said Mr.. Grinby, Zeal
the nearest constable, Mike, and-Mr
Morris, are you in your office, sir ? Per
Enps you'll come down with Us and as
sist in the capture of a burglar Mr. Hum,
phries has discovered in the air-tight
vault below the cellar
lie was very saiirical: SO was Mr.
Morris. But we all went down together,
the constable with Us, and stopped before
the stone vault. The door was shut 50
tight that it took al! Mikes strength 10
force it open. And Mr.. Grinby, looking
straight before him, shouted
''IiI, la, nobody, as | told you"
/ But the next moment he saw what the
rest "i Us had already srcn-., bundle II
ri@s III one corner Ul the vault, down on
the floor. And amid tie RAYS were Il
white face and thin hand, and bare,
bruised, and blcedin4 loot, and they dra.-
gcd nut INTO such air ~ there was in the
"ei.ar IA miserable wretch OF IL little boy.
who seemed 10 hc quite deal.
Up in the utiice, however, we brought
him TO life, and got the story from him
He lived, it seems, among thieves, and
thcy had piaum, 10 rob Us that night.
and he, poor little mider, Ia slipped in
somehow and hidden in the ccIIar,to open
the door for them, never thinking any
one would come there that night.
BUT when Mike an / | went down. hc
took TO the vault aud there would have
smUthercd bnt for my hearing INN.
don't care to tell you now we k,pl HIM.
and filled the place with cou-tabies. who
when the burglars came ,pounccd ont up
m them and took them INTO cusf .lv.-
You can guess aii that. It's the boy
have 10 tell you a5Jut-pOor lien Wade
1t came out during the investigation con-
-equemt upon the arrest that the poor
child was kept among thieves ly force,
and that they had used him cruclly.-
Once Il rutiian OF the gang had broken
his leg in Il drunken fury, and lie limpcd
yet from the injury. He WAS such a pale.
worn, miserable thing that every one felt
mcrci;ul TO him, and it was decided to
pardon him and send him TO the poor
house.
But that very morning, Grinby junior
IA young man-Came into the office
where his father sat, an put lis hand
upon hi- arm.
Father" says hc, Il want TO ask you
one favor. | want my own way in one
hin"
"Wcll, sad the old gentleman, '.let
ne near YOU
81 want 10 take Ben Wade into this
house AS an errand boy" said young Mr..
Grinby.
Hey" said the old gentleman, wan,
a young sc-breaker as crrand boy
Bless my soul
"Fa!her," says young Grinby, "the
boy Is naturally Il good boy. | like him,
i want to save hun. Perhaps il had
not 50 good Il father TO guide me and to
care for me, might have ben worse
than he | don't ask You to trust him,
-il only ask leave 10 trust him my
sell | a.n Su:e ne will prove deserving
If cyn!I,uyc.
Old Mr.. Gr.nby took out hi, snutl-hox,
and ,oos., al IoIr.S.
~, noticed ,ay lads eye : lis q good
our," SAID Mr.. Mori.s.
1t, ri-h." SAID lIr. Grinby. ''nui
wc'ii consider"
And | suppose the result was wh#t
youug Grinby wanted, tor d,,ie Ben Wade
came - us the mcXt Monday.
Now Hc Wa clean and wi.a!. Ee Jija't
lJoL 80 bad, and gool tou,, ;,r.l no ahu-c
made d.i:trcacc III lin in a week.
In q month OF - people stepped ure
dieting that young C'rinby would r,lot,
some day ;,Ad IA year d,a'; ihluh
here was one in the otii,c whD diJu't
love that boy. 81 grateful and 50 trust
worthy, and 50 ready 10 do everything
Ter ever. one. Ioun- III Gginby had
.iu taught, and well I.u1ut. too. The
lightning calculator might beat lin. 5u
doubt It aud never knew that lad to
forget to dot his i or cross MS Is in all
my acquaintance with him after he had
learned 20 write at all.
Al twenty, lie WAS ole OF thc best
clerks in our establishment, besiI2s being
a iine-lookipg young fellow as one would
wish to see. On the whole, | did not
wonder that Hiss Lucy Evans took a
fancy to hlm-a sister, sir. Of one OF the
young fellows at our place, and a girl
who looked like a queen, and was ~ good
rs she was handsome.
| used to meet them walking on the
battery, where lovers used to walk in
those days. lie was 50 fond and proud
Of her, and she had such a tender way OF
looking at him, that they made my old
heart young again, aS often told Mrs
lIumphries, to whom | always conlde
everything. And how he revcrenced her
why, a ribbon or faded flower that
she had worn was cherished by him as
miser cherishes his gold.
At last, he told me, in confidence
spoken before every one-that they were
to be married.
Aud when look back, sir said he,
''and remember the miserable years of
my wre;ched childhood, and think how
friendle>s and forlorn | was, and how
there was nothing before Inc but prison
Or the gallows, and think that now have
everything to make mans life blessed
the power to win respectable livelihood
by reputable labor, the respect of honest
men, and the love of such girl as Lucy
i can never be too grateful to the kind
friend who saved me from life l dare
not contemplate. God bless Mr.. Grinby.."
said he, lifting his hat reverently as he
might in a church, and there was pray