The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-03-07
BANC,S CLARA.
How the Doll Became a Missionary.

His grandmother occupied part OF the
garnet of a tenement-house. The tene-
ment-house was situated in Rag Alley,
a place of residence that had its advan-
tages and disadvantages. But Bangs
never thought much about that. He
was always out during the day, trying
to scrape together a few cents, or wan
dering around with the boys, SO it didn't
matter how dark and gloomy it was in
doors. And at night, when he skunk in
and threw himself down on his bed of
rags, softly as he could, for fear of
waking his grandmother and starting
her to swearing, he could see the star
light shining through the cracks in the
sloping roof. This he rather liked. He
used to lie for hours watching it. and
wondering if it was not fresh from
heaven, strained out somewhere
through the sky"
You may think it strange that a boy
like Bangs, who was fighting and swear
ing every day, should think of such a
thing, but he did, and in a way unknown
to himself took comfort in it. The way
he happened to know anything at all
about heaven was that he went to mis-
si~on-school. He and many other Rag
Alley boys attended. 1t was the best
fun they had they wouldn't have
missed it for anything. The people
there were kind to them, gave them
books, papers, and good things. But
how the boys did act Their nice young
lady teachers would shake their heads
and say "Boys, don't you know that
is very naughty?" Then the boys
would see them laugh behind their
handkerchiefs, and look at n another.
So they concluded it was rather ex-
pected that they would be naughty, and
took care never to disappoint. Never
theless, the boys got good out of it.
And, as l tell you, when Bangs found
himself in bed watching the starlight,
all he had learned would come to him,
and he would lie and think until he
went to sleep.
On Christmas they had a tree-a
huge one, covered with tapers and laden
with presents. When the teachers
were making the arrangements, Bangs
teacher, a pretty young lady named
Clara, was tying wreaths with a young
doctor, and was SO busy with her work,
and scolding the doctor, whose clumsy
fingers were always in the way, that
when she gave the names of her class.
she didn't pay much attention, and they
got Bangs down as Jenny Bangs, when
really his name was Jenny. So, when
the night came, and the boys, with
clean faces, at last were ranged in their
seats and behaving really just as well
as they knew how, listening for their
names to be called, Bangs was, among
the rest, wondering which of those
pretty things was to belong to him.
Finally he heard Jenny Bangs"
Everybody looked. Bangs sat still,
4Io,o1 - uyao biC o1ocC which II hoi0n
called.
"Jenny Bangs!"
The boys began to giggle.
Miss Clara ran to the superintendent
and whispered something.
"James Bangs"
eye ant a gal after all. Be you, old
fellow"
"Jenny, how are yOu?'
Bangs, wasn't you feared you'd
have to put on petticuts? ?"
Every boy had something to say. But
Bangs stood up gravely, and oh when
the present was found, what should it
be but q doll-a beauty of a thing in
silk and lace
Bangs colored, the superintendent
stopped, and the boys screamed.
"No use, Bangs; pants won't save
you'll"
"Take your gal, Bangs"
"Ye're purwided with soon-hey,
Bangs"
Bangs turned round and gave them
such a look, and then said to the puz-
zled young lady who had approached
him with the doll =
"Tll take her, ma'am; she is a
beauty, and thankey."
Bangs sat a moment amid the ieers of
} the boys then holding the doll off in
one hand, he kicked two or three, got a
} handful of hair out of one head, and
was preparing further to distribute his
attentions, when some of the young
gentlemen teachers rushed in and Miss
Clara bent over him.
"Don't Jenny! You'll make these
people think you have a very bad
teacher"
, Bangs sat down then, and didn't
speak another word, though the boys
whispered all the provoking things they
knew so well how to say. That night
: Bangs carried his doll carefully home.
, "Clara," he called her her to himself,
and when he went to bed, laid her care
fully down by him, until morning,
when he could find a place to hide her.
Then he watched the starlight, and
> thought n Thought.
cit will be purity nice to have Clara
=, here. Somethin' clean, like other
r people. I don't believe there wuz even
l a clean thing up these stairs afore.'
: Jings, but won't she be somethin' to
come home to. if granny don't find her.
I'll never dare to leave her lynn round
!, promiscus. But it'll be lonesome fo1
, her, days. I'll have to fix her in bed.
She'll think she's sleepin'. I'll git a
{ nice clean piece of white stuff. A lady
: like her ought to have a decent bed"
Then Bangs reached out for her, and
, by the starlight inspected her again,
> smoothed out he dress, and took the
curls tenderly in his finger, saying IN
der his breath, Real ones. Hi! That's
a good one. Just like Miss Clara's. "
Bangs chuckled a good while over this
, discovery, then examined her fingers,
her boots, each article of dress, looked
into her round, rosy face, then raised
it to his lips.
"No, golly! Bangs amt no such a
spoony." and he took her down and
reverently placed her on his pillow, his
face blushing at his soft-heartedness.
The next morning, before his granny
was astir, he had put Clara in a safe
p1dGGs III do % hS oAC IA III IA
find, and was off to see what the day
in store, and how he did work! He
swept crossings, ran of errands, held
horses. Wherever a penny could be
turned, Bangs turned it, never once
taking time to fight during the day, and
passing his cronies with a careless word
or two. When evening came, he had
some very small change and a dirty ten
cent note. Bsngs regarded this as a
mine of wealth. Going up to one of
the city hydrants, he wasked his face
and hands with great care, finally dash
ing the water over his hair and combing
it with his fingers.
"Purty clean thing! It'll never do
to go home to her dirty"
The toilet made, Bangs went into a
little corner store and bought a half
yard of cotton cloth, which he tore in
two.
"Got any spare box, missus? I'd like
to buy one
After some deliberation he selected a