The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1872-01-23

X
up.
"What are you going to do to me, sir2'
he asked, suddenly t.....f s.s.
Warm you and dry you first, and then
give you some supper" said DR.. Grafton.
"Yeu don't say 30 That's nice l
Are you lmngryP''
"Awful p said the small stranger, sig
nifcantly laying his little skeleton hand
upon certain concavity, which should
have been a convexity. "But it seems too
good to be true. Doctor you--you" He
hesitated.
"speak out" said the doctor "What
is it ?"
Well, then, you see, all this is very
nice, you know; but ! hope you do not
mean to finish off by making an anatomy
of me, such as you gentleman keep in
closets, do you ?'' And as he spoke he
rose to his feet, dropped his hands with his
fingers hanging loosley at his side, his head
bent forward, let his under-jaw fall, and
standing with loose -jointed, and knock
kneed limbs and expressionless face, with
quick, effective, inimitable art, he repre-
sented a prepared skeleton.
"Lord bless you, child, no r replied he
laughing "You are only too much like
that already"
"All right" said the little mimic !;
springing into life and action in moment
"You will excuse me, sir; only thought
would just give you hint that that sort
Of thing would not be agreeable to me.
And now when is that supper you were
talking about likely to come offP'' 10
"At once" said the doctor, ringing the
bell as he spoke. "Tell Mrs. Jones'" he
said, "to send up supper for two as quick
ley as she can; and tell her not to spare
for plenty of hot toast, bread and butter
and cold meat" H
"And piclslesP" suggested the stranger
| in modest tones.
"And pickles." repeated the amused
host. "Is there anything else you would
like to suggestP'
Something hot to drink would be nice +;
don't you think sop
"To drink-of what sort ?" apprehen-
sively questioned the doctor, rather "tak-
en- aback' by the last proposition.
"Oh, tea-or coffee-or shells-which-
ever you like. / am not particular, if it is
only hot" said the child, calmly, but still
shivering from head to foot.
"Oh, yes plenty of tea, of course" said
the doctor, much relieved ; and the servant
withdrew.
That's bully p' said the boy, drawing
nearer to the fire again.
The doctor opened the door to an adjoining
closet, and came back with large, thick,
tweed shawl and woollen scarf. "Sup.
pose" he said, "you take off the wettest
of your clothes, and wrap yourself up in
these"
The boy obeyed instantly. But as hG
drew off his miserable rags piecemeal the
doctor looked and shuddered at his ex.
treme emaciation. The hollow-chest; the
hatchet-like shoulder blades; the ghastly
prOtruding ribs and coIlar-bones /; the skel
eton arms, scarce larger than those of {
newborn child, but with the joints stand
ing out in knotty projection. Only in thu
dissecting room-never ON any living sub
ject-had his professional eyes rested upor
such limbs before.
In few moments the supper was sen
up, and the strangly assorted.pair sat dow
to it together. The doctor helped the CUES
at once and bountifully, fully expecting t,
see him fall upon his food like some raven
GUS beast of prey; but, to his astonishmen
the boy, though evidently famished, ate will
avidity, but with perfect propriety. .recog
nizing all the little conventionalities of th
table, and eating with evident relish, bu
without greediness OF rude haste.
"When did you dine, my boyp" aske'
the doctor, as the child drew back his plate
declining any further supplies.
81 had handful of peanuts at noon,
said the boy, quietly.
"And what else 9'
} Nothing else to-day, sir"
"Good Heavens Is 1t possible9" sai'
the doctor. "a hanful Of peanuts on sucl
day as this ?"
The boy smiled, lifted his thin shoulder
in quiet, expressive shrug, but said moth
ing.
"Now tell me, child" said DR.. Grafton
as they left the table and returned to tn
, fire, the doctor lighting his cigar TO dispe
the not over agreeable steam from the boy
! wet clothing-"O Oh, by the way, you dom