The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1874-12-25

Ry degrees Tom learned her sad
story, q story uf neglect abuse apd
draefllon. Her father and mother
were both dead, aud the lille property
they had lefl her had been mostly
squandered long aga hy ihr miserable
bring she called her huslmul rh1 nt
last, unable 10 eglorl either by epuNing
or violence any more money lrow her
abandoned herand their llllledelormed
child THE fruit Of sorrow and abuse,
at that time about Eve years old,
she knew she must shortly dle, and
her darling llllle Jim had no friend In
all the world-unless, she said TIM
idly looking up into lom'a face with
most beseecllug eyes, 'you would take
care Of himi you were always ~ KIND
aud good 10 everything aud here she
broke down utterly, anu Tom, big,
strong Tom broke down too, and with
the tears failing down his face aud his
frame shaking with sole, he took the
poor little dying creatur In hls arms
aud kissed, for the first time, the only
woman he had over loved, aud whIa'
pered brokenly, "hayo no fear, Susie, !
will take care Of him alwayTn aud
then hei pale face lighted up with a
wonderful rapture, aud lying thus pill
lowed on Toms loyal brenst, aud hold
Ing his hand In hersi she fell asleep,
her whole boug full Of Iho peace and
10y which had come 10 her NJ this last
hour, aud from TINT sleep she pissed
awny into That more profound sumber
which comes At last 90 all,
Faithfully Tom kept his word, lie
tack the little de(ormod boy into the
place hls mother mad once occupied,
aud layishcd upon him the love Of his
deeply flowing and tender soul, He
gave him all the devotion aud loving
care TINT had been pcnt up In him all
these years, aud, instead Of feeling
him In any way q burden, hoNlwNyS
felt half mtouishcd at his great good
GoItuuo IN thus possessing something
to l0Vp.
Ofcoursc he was compelled to leave
the child much alone; but this the III.
Tie fellow was accustomed 10, hut he
brought him every play thing suitable
for his age, aud AT night, when the two
were together he abandoned his hooks
and his loved studies and devoted hlm.
self 10 the child,
Az first, he thought he must bring
himself down TO the level Of the child f;
but jim was one Of those rarely pre-.
couclous children one sometimes sees
where suffering seems to have dcvel-
opcd the intellect, and he soon found
that little JIm comprchendeA almost
every subject he talked about, More
than that, he possessed II wonder
full wisdom, at whose feet he himself
might sit and learn.
SO the two became companions in
| the truCst sense of the WORT only the
child kept fdlng andgrew whcrsweet-
er and more ethereal every da". But
this Tom seemed not to see, for his very
heart had become bound up in the
child.
it may MS well be told here that Tom
never acquired much of that outward
polish he had ONCE thought so desira-
bic, but, ON the contrary, had conceived
contempt for it, and 80 delicate, little
Jim, to whom Tom was the embodi-
ment Of perfection, hadadopted num-
Der Of Toms more emphatic than ele-
CANT expressions.
So Tom wrapped his treasure care
fully up and carried him in his arms
out on the brilliantly lighted streets to
see the gay windows aud the busy,
active market.
Jim's delight was unbounded He
loved to feel the snow-nakes ON his
face, and it was so pleasant to be car
ried in Toms big, strong arms.
After they had been to the market
and We're slowly walkingup the avenue,
looking at the Respondent windows,
Jim suddenly cried, "Oh, Tom, look
therow They were in front of pic
ture store, and there were many beau
tiful pictures ON exhibition. Now, if
there was one thing more than another
that Jim's soul delighted in it was pie
lures, but the one he pointed out was
an exquisite wood engraving of the
infant Christ, surrounded by garland
of evergreen, "rom, was there any
thing ever SO beautiful" They stopped
before the window, and Tom, looking
into the store, saw pleasant faced
young woman behind the counter
while the store seemed almost empty,
and the thought struck him to leave
Jim there for n short time, while he
made some purchases for the morrow,
which he wished to keep secret from
him.
So they went in, and Tom asked the
pleasant-iacea young woman if he
might leave Jim there for short time.
Her answer was as pleasant as her face,
80 Tom LEFT him seated on high stool,
with a portfolio of pictures before him.
The lady commenced talking to Jim,
whose sweet, delicate face pathetic
with suffering and endurance, no real
woman could resist, and said: "You
don't mind staying here, do you, dear?
Your father will soon be back"
"NIy father,u said jim, with faint.