The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-07-30

not have one for myself. 1 put on my
wraps and started. The streets were
thronged; how brilliantly the lights
shone and what an array of Christina.
cheer they illumined. And then to see
the toys-O, if L had only child tc
make happy with gift. Why, here il
a whole bevy of ragged little urchins
shivering around a pastry cooks win.
dow. Now, good spirits, whose duty
it is to inspire us to generosity, shall
commit no act of disinterested benevo
lence to night but will make these
youngsters happy if you will grant me
some reasonable recompense. So
called them in, and bought as they
directed. They were so engrossed and
SO joyful that they forgot to thank me,
and departed with arms full of good
things for their different homes. But
when they were gone the old lonely
feeling returned to me, and 1 thought
uncomfortably OF my bachelor Christ
mas again.
I passed the rext day somehow. ]
gave good deal to friendless little
ones on the strcct-God's children
still holding firm = by my compact with
my spirit friends, and asking frankly
for reimbursement. Why not? Have
not we the promise that if we cast oul
bread upon the waters, after many DAYS
it will return to us?
On Christmas morning as l passed
out of my door, found child sitting
quietly on the ste ps eating bunch of
raisins. He looked hearty and com.
fortably though poorly clad, that al
first thought he must belong to some
of the neighbors. Butno. L had look.
ed at all of these longingly and so ten.
derly, L knew them as well as if they
had been my own. 1 thought I'd speak
to him.
How do you do, young man?"
"Dood morny," he said, slowly, in q
rich baby contrato.
1 did not know what to say next. Nc
matter-he did. He took wet raisin
from out his rosy mouth and handed il
to me.
"Aint 90 hungry, posr man ?" he
said.
I declined his hospitality, but his lips
quivered, and tears came into his eyes.
go, yes" said quickly, seeing what
allied him, 81 would like to have some
raisins y and stopped down beside
him. His face instantly cleared and he
commenced feeding me-alternately
putting one grape in my mouth and one
in his. thought was doing him a
favor; he knew he was doing me a
favor, and as the grapes disappeared
began to look uneasy.
"Ain't 90 dot enough ?" he said.
go no, not half enough yet"
" Els 90 dot enough now dey'll make
90 Sick" and he actually put all the
rest, good-sized handful-into his own
mouth. Well, it was not fair, but I re-
served my opinion of his conduct, and
asked him his name.
"Dotty," he said. q.
"Where is your mother?"
"Don't know"
"Where is your father"
"Don't know"
"Where do you live ?"
Mes doin to live with 90 p'
"With me ?"
Es-my nanny told me so."
Your NANNY told you so? Where
! is your mammy?"
Her don'd Off"
What is your mammy's name ?"
He looked me over from head to foot,
mentally gauging the extent of my
idiocy, and then answered, scornfully {:
Nanny named nanny don't 90
know dat ?"
"And she said you were to live with
me ?'
"Es she said if me would, oo'd div
me lots of pretty sings"
1 felt like the man who drew the ele-
phant by lottery. It's most deuced
COOL" 1 said.
Es, it awfuy tool" said the young
man, rising; "et's do in the house.
In the house, and divested of his
wraps, he was as much at home as if he
had always lived there. The first thing
he did was to harness a chair at the
head of the lounge with an old pair of
suspenders, and then get on himself
and commenced driving, talking
horse most uproariously.
Get ape, now, won't 90 Get ape.
Whoa, Danuary! Do long dere, won't
500? Darn 90 fool"
He was evidently all right but what
sort of fix was I in ? Well, to con-
dense the matter, I gave him in charge
of the landlady, and went out to see if
/ could find his mother. 1t was of no
use. advertised him in every possible
way. Nobody claimed him, and con-
cluded he had dropped out of the
clouds for my especial benefit. Per-
haps the bread had thrown upon the
waters had been metamorphosed into
meat, and in this shape had returned to
me sooner than 1 expected. would
be careful how made another compact
with my spirit friends. But even yet
it seems that they had not fully recon-
pensed me for my kindness to the chill
dren of the past Christmas.
was sitting one evening with Dotty
by the fire, some six weeks after his ad-
vent, when there was shuffiing in the
hall, and soon a tiny rap at the door. 1
opened it, and little girl came IN tim
idly with her finger in her mouth. At
first the light dazzled her, but she soon
peered around the table and espied
Dotty. He, too, had seen her, and with
little scream he rushed towards her,
and then commenced the most extrava-
CANT demonstrations of Joy 1 ever wit
messed in my life.
OF course, L was curious to know
what it all meant, but they did not
answer my questions. They did not seem
to hear them. 1t was "Oh, Dotty,"
and sob, Lilly" kiss-kiss-kiss, and
"Tum up to de fire, Lily, ct me shake
de snow off oor cloak ;" and "Where
did 90 dit dat petty horsey, Dotty ?"
and then more exclamations and more
kissing. was utterly bewildered, and
after cudgeling my brain to an extent
undreamed of in all my previous years,
i gave ii Mn aa hnneless for that nioht