The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1874-12-24
THE STORY OF TOM FANSHAW
\ Christmas Tale.
ETV EbTEIt

Tom FANsHAw, of the n Y. c. RaIl
way Company's service, thought it q
hard case to have To turn out of his
warm bed at the unearlhly hour of the
morning at which his wife gave him q
push and told him it was time to get up
He rose in dudgeon, went to the window
and looked out. \ cold, aggravating
December morning; nothing to be seen
except the candle he held in his hand
and his own unshaven, unwashed visagc
glowering sulkily at him. His wife, q
CHEEKY little body, was on her knees be,
fore the CRATE, trying to kindle the
embers of last nights fire with the
bellows
Come, Tom she said. "look sharp,
or you'll be late. Drat the fire, it won't
light, and tirewood's so awful dear" She
drew little bundle from its hiding place
and lighted match beneath it. There
thatll do now. What sort of morning
is IT,"
Don't jaw. l declare it's an abomina
BILE shame"
What particular abuse the railroad
man alluded to can never be known, for
at this moment the baby began to squall
and drowned all other voices in its own
The wife went to take it up.
Hushs sh-sh; bless its little heart, ii
shall, 50 it shall
Warm my coffee" said Nj Fanshaw
magisterially.
Yes, directly. DID it wants its pap
the precious chicken, did it," and Mrs.
FanShaw set on the fire a can which did
not contain her lords coffee.
Fanshaw buttoned on his uniform and
unused upon the insufficiency of his
salary In an adjoining room three other
small persons awoke, and, running in
clung in their night gowns round nam
my, and demanded to be dressed
My coffee" thundered FGlshaw
above the ClamUr.
Yes, directly; only baby must have
his pap first" pleaded Mrs. Fanshaw, has
tening toward the fire.
Tom Fanshaw was decidedly cross that
morning. He had full five minutes tc
spare; but "A gloomy desire for martyr
dom came upon him.
Very well. 1 see | am to have nc
coffee this morning he said. and stalked
herOlCally out of the house in the direc
ton of the depot, where it was his fate tC
attend to the cars arriving by the train
due every morning at seven O'Clock, and
at intervals thereafter throughout the
day. As he stood by the gate he sudden
ly felt something which might be claw
or "a mouth, take fir.r hold of his calf
He gave "a little jump, eXCusable in d
man who had been for some time ewing
white bulldog, tie property of 3
shabby dog-fancier, standing suspicious
ly close to his legs. Tom Fanshaw
started, but the claw still kept its grasp
without any of those incisions peculiar
to teeth, and at last he looked down. He
saw, a long way below him, a small boy
a little child, not more than two or three
years old, crying bitterly. After two OIL
three seconds, apparently spent in max
ing up his mind that it did not intend tC
bite, Fan,haw stopped down and looked
| more closely. He saw a small bit OF
puckered face and two large bits OF
chubby hands, and the thing said be
| tween its sobs, PLEASE, sir, where,
mammy?''
Tom Fanshaw. was not by any means
hard man, albeit the weather had gone {
long way toward making him so; so ht
said kindly: Hullo, young 'un, what
the row. Want nanny, Ell? Well fine
| her in ii minute as he really thought h,
| should, believing that the child hat
! strayed from its mother while she wa
looking Tor her baggage. They walked
down The platform together, the big MAJ
and the little one, the small hand lait
| contidingly in the great red fist; but n,
| nanny was To be found.
Look here, what's to he done?" salt
Fanshaw, showing the child to police
man.
"Oh, hand him over to me-" replied tn
| knight of the baton. In take him t.
/ IL ..-s., 1.
/ in day or two. Come along, Johnny
| The Child frightened at the name il wa
evidently the right one.
Come along, Johnny" repeated tn
policeman, trying to lead him away. Bu
the little hand clung to its first protector
and Mr.. Fanshaw fingered.
Where are you going TO take him.
| he asked. "Twenty-first Precinct Sta
tion-house, Ell, I'll come and look a.te
him in day or two. Poor little fellow
J | suppose the Commissioners of Chart,
and Correction will get him eventually
| but there-I've got torments enough a
1 home" He hardened his heart at til
! thought of the mornings scene, and cor
| signed his small charge to the policeman
care.
Flnshaw related the circumstance I
E'- wife, and the next morning Mr..
FAHShaw found time to accompany hs
! husband on visit to the station -hous
/ TO : look after little Johnny
! Mrs. F. carried with her a couple @
oranges and tin trumpet, the confiscate
/ property of her son and heir. They ha
nearly reached their destination, whe
a woman, poorly clad, with young
| pinched face that was not without Gel
tain wild beauty, and disheveled hail
turning the corner of narrow stree
came into violent collision with Mr.. Fan
shaw Recovering herself immediatel,
she brushed roughly past him and ran a
full speed down dark passage Mr..
Fanshaw looked after her with some sul