Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1873-06-28

looking very much disgusted: "I'd like
to pour a bucket of water on him. and
make him clear out"
81 should think he'd like it, this hot
morning." said little Bess, audaciously.
'sThey ought to be suppressed as Il
nuisance continued Harry, quite un-
moved by the laughter which Bessie had
provoked.
t'I like them when they have dolls" !"
said Mollie, the youngest.
Cor when they have monkeys" added
Ned.
81 like the little tamborine girls,'' said
Bess.
s'There, Harry, there seems some
thing to be said for them even here,
where, l must say, they are not very
popular. -,
ma ?''
swell, 1 don't know, the music isn't
very pleasant; but except tor that l
don't mind"
Another laugh followed Mammals de-
fence.
A very shaky jig proved too attract tive
to the younger children, and they all
rnshed to the front door. notWithstand-
ing secret fear that they were expos
ing themselves to big brother Harry's
contempt.
Elsie, Harry and their mother lin
gered around the table. Presently Bess
rushed back.
"Oh, Mamma, mayn't give him some
pennies? He's such a nice boy, and has
been playing for us ever so long"
ssIf your brother Harry does not OBJ
ject," she answered, looking in her purse
| for the pennies.
''Oh. | don'5 care,'' replied Harry,
gl loomily.
81 wonder how they get along" said
Elsie; "a penny Or two at about half the
doors where they play does not seem a
great deal to live on"
"And if they did not find it pay they
| wouldn't do it,'' answered Harry, deci-
| dedly.
"Bus perhaps they can't do anything
else," insisted Elsie; ''they may have
been sick or something, so that they
can't work hard. | wonder if they get
| enough to eat. T"
"Why don't you find out, child" said
| her mother. s'The children say this is a
nice boy. Go out and ask him if he
| would like to have some breakfast.
There's plenty ofcoffee left that he might
! have just as well as not"
"Well, 1 will," said Elsie, feeling
| quite i'm the mood for even so small an
| adventure as finding out something
| about one specimen of that, to her, un-
known class, the organ grinders. She
/ had never spoken to one in her life, and
was rather afraid to begin. But the
boy looked harmless and good-natured
so, with little effort, she said:
'sWould you like-have you had any
breakfast?"
The boy smiled little wistfully.
s'Ich kann nicht verstehn. lch bin
| Deutsch."
Elsie had studied "Otto'' too long moi
to be able to understand, but this was hel
first encounter with foreign language
out of the school room. She was hal
inclined to retreat, but "a feeling of pity
and Kindness toward the boy kept her.
"Poor fellow" she said to herself
Chow forlorn he must be, all alone in
j foreign country. If my German is eve
to be of any use | may as well make
beginning.'' So, with some hesitation
she slowly repeated her question in Ger
man How the boys face lighted up a
she spoke, and how eagerly he poured
out his story in answer! 1t was no
a very long one, nor, perhaps, very un
i common, but it touched her. And she
ienioyed the relish with which he at,
the bread and drank the coffee she hat
provided. His father was dead. and h,
and his mother had come to try their for
tune in the wonderful western land. IL,
had got work, in New York, he said
but city life was strange and hard to hin
at first. Elsie questioned further, as t,
how he now appeared with an organ
and found that the organ was borrowed
from friend for the day, and with it h,
had left the city for a glimpse of th
country again. hoping to earn enough
to paw his fare in the steamboat. Ant
| i l. I,o 10 leso
|, toned little further. He smiled lit
tie doubtfully. He hoped he might; a
. any rate his regular work was stoppe,
for the day, so his mother would not b
poorer for his excursion. And was h
content to have nothing to eat all dav
or did he hope to earn enough for that
too? Else asked, in her slow, stiff Ger
man sentences.
He smiled merrily in answer. Th
smell of the sweet flowers would b.
enough for that day, and he had. be
sides, the breakfast that the graciou
young lady had so kindly given.
: the children, who had been listening il
astonlshment, ego quick into the gar
den and pick some lilacs and syringas
and some of the little delicate flowers
tool" The children ran merrily OF
their errand. Elsie detained the bo
!. till their return. When he understoo,
that the great, sweet bunch they brough
was really for him it seemed to
much-tears filed his eyes. And
in broken sentences, he told hoy
these were the first flowers h
had touched since lie had left tn
!, 'sFatherland," and how he had longed
in vain, to speak just one word to am
, one of the many who passed him ever
t day. With his precious flowers in hi
I hand he shouldered his organ and start
ed again on his round. The childre
r smiled good-by, and Elsie stood on tn
! broad doorstep Watching him out G
+. sight, with a puzzled, thoughtful loo
0 on her bright face.
!, "Well, DEAR" said her mother, joil
e ing her, "you seem to have had quite a
e entertaining interview with your littl
:. organ-boy. Poor little fellowl | al
+ glad you went out to see hun. Froi
y what the children say, | should thin
o you must have succeeded nicely in yo,
d German
e eyes," said Elsie, abstractedlv; &
|. believe made myself intelligible."
e What are you thinking about nov
IS child?"
II Elsie looked up, with little laugh.
II "I was thinking over all the sit
Is streets where my neighbors live; l u
n sure l can't do my duty to my vel
II next door ones, and now an endle
If vista of hand organ grinders rises b
ID fore me. | never thought anythil
re about them before. 1t was a mere chan