The Hawaiian gazette., 1873-05-21
The Hunchbacls and His secret.

High up on the brown, shaggy noun
tain side there stands an old stone cross,
cracked, lichened, messed, and sinking
on one side into the ground and beneath
the cross there bubbles clear, holy we'll,
to which few go now, except the sheep
that crop the rich green grass that springs
around its brink. Beside the well sat a
little boy, and, as he looked into the crys-
tai water, his tears dimpled it like rain
at only tells me what knew before, /"
said the disappointed little fellow, with a
sigh.
The little boy was weeping because he
was hunchback. His big, sad eyes melt.
ed the heart like minor melodies, but
there was nothing else beautiful in his
stunted, distorted, feeble frame. His
mother lavished fondness on him at times,
but at other times there was look in her
eyes which it was hard to bear,-the NOR
tifying pity of crushed hope. His father
looked at him as if he wished he had never
been born. His sisters were kind to him
after fashion, but their proud love was
reserved for his beautiful younger brother
who patronized and promised to protect
him with halfcontemptuous compassion.
Outside Of his own family the little hunch-
back was either ignored or coarsely pitied
or made the butt of most cruel ridicule,
and the victim of downright brutality :.
He felt very lonely, in world which he
loved because it was so full of beauty
among so many people, whom he longed
to love if they would only let him.
He had heard the old tales that were
told of the curing powers of the deserted
holy we'll 1t dubbed up as brightly as
ever it had bubbled; why should it not
be as good doctor as ever it had been
He determined to try it. Fearing to be
laughed at, he kept his determination TO
himself, and started without telling any
one for the mountain side
As he passed through the village street
he was jeered at and pelted by the village
children; but good-hearted woman rush
ed out from her wash-tub, with brawny,
bare, soapsuddy arms, and drove off his
young tormentors by sounding boxes on
the ear, and breath-taking thumps upon
the back, and teeth-chattering shakings
by the collar. The little boy was grateful
to his protectress, but he thought it hard
that he should need protection, and when
she said, "Poor little boy, it is not his
fault that he is such an object" her pity
made him feel sore.
But he left the village behind him, and
got out into the sunny country beyond,
where he met no one to twit him with bis
ugliness, and the pain of his poor little
smarting heart was lulled. 1t was glo-
rious day in June. The trees were out in
full leaf, but the leaves had not vet lost
their fresh, May green. The mottled hem
lock stalks in the bitches were covered
with veil of creamy lace. Purple and
gold vetches grew in and about the
hedges, and the meadows and patches of
turf between the bitches and the road
were tufted with white and red and vel
low cloYer-heads. The purple thyme was
breathing out honey beneath the suns
warm kiss The fox-glove was nodding
its claret-colored bells, and the globe flow
er was tossing about its golden balls like
a conjurer- The little boy picked hand
iulls of honeysuckle blossoms, and sucked