The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-08-14
4 Night in a Station House.

II was fOrlorn sight.
"A drunken father. bear-eved and bloated
70 whose hand child OF five years old clunJ
with tenacious grasp.
What's this man in for9" asked IN,
Chief Of Police.
Dlsorderly conduct, throwing stones A
people, and cursing and swearing
cry well; put him into the cell. But
stop; there's the child"
/ The little fellow was an exceptionally
beautiful boy. He had grave blue eyes 81
| large and 50 pltitul that their glance ap-
! Pealed 10 the Chiefs stout heart. His com
! pleXlon, where ii was not diseoorcd by dir
and tears was the finest and fairest. Ills
! llps, were like cherries. His yellow hair
| curled thlckly over a nohlv shared head
hat man has seen better days" said the
Ihiei To himself Come, bub. your father
must go in the cell. Wen find place for
you somewhere"
NO, no, sir; OH, no :" cried the bov in a
terrified voice. "Ill 20 with papa. Oh
please don take me from my papa"
But, child, you must. See here. Colbert
you must take the child away"
Easier said than done. The little fellow
caught his fathers hands, chung TO his body
which staggered at his touch all the time
screaming IN heart-brcaking tones. that he
must, he would go with papa
IL m alone, SAID the man at last seem
lng to come out of his stupor for a moment.
Don We see-he's got nobody but me 2 l.
IN lone"
Il can't allow the child to 90 into the
cell" said the Chief but | cant hear Ia
hear his cries. suppose there's nothing
else to do. lie must 30. Put them in To-
gcther, Colbert"
30 they were put in together in the dark, /
sitting den, and the door was shut. The
little fellow cudded himself against the
halt-insensible form, and laid his head upon
his fathers bosom. 80 they slept together.
The faint light looked in through the
grimy bars when, on the following morning
the father awoke and bcstirred himself or |
course, AS is usually the case he wondered |
where he was and how he came there. The |
last thing he remembered, he had gone into |
n saloon alone and drank Il few glasses and |
then recollection ceased. Where was his |
hat where his coat? And looking round. |
he cried out in agony:
God of heaven there's my little Ben
ny !"
Yes; there was little Benny, the pure,
Iair child, the idol Of II broken-hearted
mother. There was little Benny, and he
had spent night in this hole
The man fairly beat his breast rs he looked
iown on that bright curly head.
Husband and child both" lac muttered
bitterly. "Ioo bad too bad"
At that moment, the blue eyes of the boy
opened. He raised himself in wonder, but
rs he met his fathers gaze he smiled rs an
angel
The bad man would put you in here
papa, but wouldn't let him take me You
iIdn't know anything, papa, when found
'ou in the street. You lost your hat
,uess the wind took it-and the bows were
III laughing. You WAS sick wasn't Won
'apa2 And when the bad man took YOU
w. came too. Now, lett 20 home and tell
mamma all about it, Let's tell her we was
toled," and the dear, unconscious little fell
ow laughed merrily over the brilliant idea
But that father! God help him. His
cart was touched a it never had been be-
ore. lie could not speak-coud scarcely
hink. What wa' the mother suffering that |
loment? And this awful sin that had led
i'm into its foils-it never had looked rs it |
Doked to him now, within the unsightly
ell, the faint light lying on the curls Of his
Innocent boy
And when they went out, there stood the
lother, who, hali-distracted, had been wan
ering and searching all night. Oh what
sight for her gentle loving eyes With
lid cry, she fell upon the neck Of the child,
nd drawing him away sank TO the floor I
18th him, sobbing as if her heart would
reak d
Think Of the bitter anguish so many good | ]
nd gentle women are called to endure, and
len look in the face of the respectable rum }
,ller and call him gentleman if you can.