Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-07-05
THE LITTLE SNOW-BOY
BY MRS. S. c. HALL.

its BIRTH when all the people woke up to
see the whole of their world, were it town
or country, shrouded in spotless white.
Farmer Boyds sheep seemed to know what
was On the wing, for they crowded to-
gether under the trees on the close OF that
New Years day, as sort OF preparation
for the night. The next morning, long
before day, the farmer and his SONS were
i'll the meadow, needless of the thick
binding snow, resolved to preserve the
flock; and if they had not been up and
active, the greater number of Farmer
Boyd's valuable Southdowns would have
been buried in the snow-drift, SO sudden
and violent was the fall, SO deep and dan
gerOus were the drifts.
The farmer said he should not have
saved half but for the perseverance of his
little dOg-nOt sheep-dOg, but small pet
OF his daughters, a little SagaciouS creature
thai was often snubbed because it was not
Thoroughbred" and so they forgot that
it was MOrOugh-heGrted; a queer thing,
who, with a species OF animal economy,
always ran on three legs, giving one of the
four rest, and another a rest i'll its turn.
Very early on that particular morning, be-
tween scratching and barking and whining,
she had managed to wal1en her master be-
fore daybreak on the I'd of January. But
that did not content her; when the door
was opened she ran to the window, and
the farmer, seeing it was nearly blocked
up by snow, reused his sons and set oil to
see after his sheep.
The dog at first wished to accompany
the party, but Immediately on leaving the
porch she became buried III the snow, and
quickly floundered back again, and after
being called 'fgoOd dOg'' and "wise Peg
by her young mistress, she sat quietly
down on the warm kitchen hearth, not
sleeping, however, but cooking first one
ear, and then the other, and quietly
moving her stumpy tail when the masters
voice was heard in the distance. The
farmer knew there would be still heavieu
fall, for the clouds were weighted wifi
snow. "MaIy," he said TO his daughter,
when he returned, ''soe that there is a good
lot OF pea-sOup made the cOttagers beyond
the croft will be glad Of it, for their masters
| are frozen out OF work already"
Mary, like good gil, said Yes, father
but while she shook the snoW-flalles Oil his
coat she added. Gather, what can poor
Aunt Liddy and her one-armcd boy do
this weather?'
"What is that to thec?" he answered
| sharply. Mary said no more but she
| raised her large eyes to her fathers and he
! saw they were full OF tears.
The trees all round the farm looked
| lovely, coated with the glitteling snow, and
one Of the farmers sons cleared place fol
the wild birds to feed on; they cleare it
again and again, for the snow continued to
fail.
80 dear" said Mary 10 her brother Tom,
81 wish father would forgive his sister, and
let her and little Joe come here to us; he
| is so kind, III his rough way, to every one.
If she did marry badly, she only did her
duty rs d wife by refusing to leave her hus-
band; and now that he is dead" Mary
paused.
Tom rubbed his curly red head with his
very red hand. Tom was called ''practi-
! cal.''
81 don't see what little Joe could do
here, with only one ann. Which OF them
is gone" he said at last.
''The left
ooh! we'll, he could tend day school
and Sunday school; they might make a
! scholar OF hi0l more than even they could
make of nGe.''
"Dear Tom," said Mary, "we must get
at fathers heart somehow, and all will be
| we'll. l cannot bear to think of their starry
| ing, perhaps, in that horrid London
''uorrid London '" repeated Tom. 81
like that Oranges down here a penny
| apiece, and there Frank Fowler got three
for penny-such beauties !"
On New Years Day the "Aunt Liddy"
who had such Il strong hold on Mary
| Boyd's sympathy was literally without fire,
and almost without food the miserable
attic where she starved and shivered let in
| the bitter wind, and that day little Joe had
done everything but..steal or beg to procure
! his mother food. One gentleman who had
! tossed him three-pence for holding his
| horse said he was d fine little fellow, and
/ If he had two arms instead of one, he
would get him into the sbeeblack brigade.
! Joe colored, but quickly. recovering him.
! self, answered: ''Please, sir. willing
mind is equal to another arm"
The gentleman smiled, shook his head,
and trotted off. Poor Joe put up his hand
to the remains of his arm; it had been am
| putated just above the elbow in conse-
qucnce OF al accident; Il only wish L bad
| to do all | could do with one arm," lie
murmurcd. He wandered up and down
| the streets the air was growing colder and
! colder; he was very hungry, but he
| passed the temptations of bakers and cooks
| shops, tightening his fingers more closely
on the littler coin.
~ may get something for mother ; l
have another penny" murmured the boy.
| He entered bakers shop and asked for a
| penny loaf, laying down his three-pence.-
! Such fat, jolly baker, rolling and laugh
| ing behind a counter piled with cakes and
| uanlLlcS, lOOhcu III LIS ldlCj I'IlCucu IdCc
! blush from cold.
Only a penny loaf New Years night,
my little man ? Well, there it is"
Joe took it up as the baker took up the
coin he fixed his eyes on the boy, and said,
sternly, g \ Oh arc young to follow SO bad
Z trade this is bad money
! g Bad money" repeated joe. go, sir, l
/ had it from kind gentleman for holding
his horse"
g Have you no other money ?"
. Another penny
g And why did you not pay tor the loaf
with that?"
q Please, sir, wanted change wanted
to buy something more for my mother,
and his large blue eyes filled with tears.
. must keep that three pence. What a
shame for d gentleman to do such thing
as give bad money to Il child like that ~
. ''plcasc, sir, know he didn't intend it
he spoke kind to me ; he didn't know it
! was bad"
The jolly baher looked attcntively at the
little boy.
L" See here, my lad, if yOu knew tie coin
was bad, the sin will be heavy or you; but
[ believe you did not; you wanted food for
your mother, and you would not let blame
fall on the absent-twO right things. God
help you child - he added, pityin@y; you
look half starved Give me back that
! loaf, and here is a bigger one and, 1nlssis.
hand over one Of those ounces OF tea and
half-pounds of sugar we made up for our
poor customers; and there's three penny
pieces for you, little one only always TOOL!
to yo,ir silver before you pass it in future
Joe could not speak for quite minute j;
he walked to tn" shOp-door, and then turn
! Ell back.
"Ifynu l.,,.,se. yol DO not think knew
fiat H., rtt..t ,t
=.