New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-02-04
THE BOY.

can see that day. White cumuli were
heaped over the wood tops, but the middle
sky was blue and clear. Though was doz-
ing on a saloon step, this day OF beauty got
even through my wavering sight. Perhaps
l sat there an hour. perhaps an age, in
which the blinks l got were the recurrlng
days.
1t suddenly occurred to lie that such a
long continuance Of fine weather ought to be
enjoyed more actively. But the world
whirls, as everybody knows. mumbled a
number of Jokes on nature as l staggered
abroad. After a tiresOme journey, came
upon an alley and group of boys travelling
through game Of marbles on their knees
like penitents stumping through Jerusalem
And in their midst was Billy. Billy was a
noble looking boy. Ipaused and tried to
get in position to look at him. | felt a
maudlin pride in Billy. He had Nora's blue
eyes. blessed Nora. She was gone where
she couldn't be cursed any more; poor little
broken-hearted thing.)
As Billy photographed himself in my
eyes, his bright HAIR blowing, his lusty fin
gers gouging pit for the centre marble,
the contrast between what he and l were
born to be. and what We were, struck me
like bullet.
l had tried to reform. Oh, yes. And
every failure was link in my chain.
was utterly given over to the snakes and
the furies.
Now here was Bill, walking in my va
grant steps vicious Arab under beauti-
full Caucasian guise.
'Say. Bill" begged one Of the tribe, cast
ing q covetOus eve ON his Industrious jaws,
''let me chew your wax awhile
Bill, with graceful generosity and con-
tempt Of gain tossed it over saying:
There you can take it and keep it
don't want it no more
While stood in drunken dolor against
the fence, the group whirled up suddenly
into a maelstrom. The centre to which
they were all sucked was steadfast rock
with churning fists and a yellow top.
"Bill. shouted in fury, 'come here, you
Hearing my voice over the brOil, he
dashed through the boys, and came, crying,
bloody and rutfled.
"What are you fighting about p I asked,
standing in tremulOus judgment over him.
II can't tell you, father" he answered
bravely.
What Even the boy despised and dared
me! lifted my hand and felt that could
kill him.
Take that. then-and that, you little
wretch; I'll show you how to be bully, and
turn against your own father"
NV muscular hand brought frightful
blood gush out of his bruised face. l
thought he should feel that his father was
a solid man in one respect, if the rest of
my body was mass of moist wretched-
ness.
The boy, the boy. l groan when re-
member it.
..Oh, don't father" he begged. wringing
his dirty little hands. "Oh. father. please
don't strike me, and I'll tell you all about
it. The boys said you was drunken old
bloat; and I'll fight any body that calls you
that, father will if you kill me for it,
sat prone down npon the ground. That
was the hardest blow ever had.
"Get up. father" said Billy, casting a
bloody aud warlike glance behind him,
land I'll help you along"
took hold of him, but a weakness not
born of rum kept me at his cracked. stub
by little feet There was no one in the
world who cared whether | rose or went on
down but him. He cared. l put my arms
around the boy and cried against him. No
more drunken, glazing repentance for me.
Every tear was hard as a pearl with resolu-
ton. The good Christ appeared that in
slant in his love and long suffering, through
the boy as plainly as he appeared to dying
Sir Lamntal through the leper. When on
earth, lie was always going about picking
up the abominable. and since He has left
the earth He sends for them by messengers
they can not help knowing.
Men should respect in me that spark
which the boy respected. l would show
him what grand and over-mastering
thing is that soul which the God of glory
values.
Don't cry, father" requested Billy,
while ne ceased not to paint bloody sunrise
on his lace. letter than sunrise was that
little face to me. His eyes look bluer and
more heaven-like than the sky.
'Do you love your father " 1 asked, hold
ing to him like woman
''Yes, sir, I'll lick any body that calls YOU
Names" the bright, tender ornaments in
his face gushing with another shower
A horizontal hail of mud and pebbles hit |
US while he was speaking. Billy reared up