Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-06-13
A MAN.CHILD.

Scene: in the country. DrGn1atiS
porSon@: : Opal, aged seven Inspired
idiot, aged five.
Opal OoQuitev): "Eh I. T., won't
you feel nice by-and-by, when we go
back to town, and you have to have a
nurse following you round everywhere?'
I. I. feels the iron enter into his soul,
but the far-off shining sun of manhood
rises with healing in his wings
"But one Of these days, Opal, I shall
be big boy. shall be thirteen years
old. I shall be big as Vaughan. and
then shall go every where. But you,
Opal, you never will be boy. You will
always be girl.
eyes, but I shan't have q nurse al
ways. I shall go by myself"
This I. I. cannot gainsay, and he
squares himself as bravely as may be to
endure the degradation of nurse. Or
to fling it off. Which shall it be? I
know of boy nine years old who has
never been outdoors in the city with
out being under the eyes of his nurse
There is certain sense of safety and
protection in this which must be very
comforting to the mother but does it
not mar self-reliance, and irritate the
love of adventure that ought to exist in
boys? The Inspired Idiot gradually
wears away from the thralldom of
nurse and guardian, and fronts the
world alone, A thousand dangers men
ace him. He is caught swinging under
carriages in the thronged streets, and
violently brought home. He strays in
to horse-cars, rides into the suburbs,
and is brought back by the police. He
wanders into hotels, and motherly wo-
men lay hands upon him, and wash his
face-an attention which he seems 10
consider as much in order as any other
rite of fashionable call. Here he
comes now swing up tAe steps, overcoat
unbuttoncd and flying open, cap brave
4 ly set on the back of his head, both
hands in his pockets, we'll content with
+ all the world.
"Eh Opal! Yoh a! See what I've
bought for you Bertha Blonde, eh !! "
"But where did you get the money p
"Mr. Olde gave it to me and all that
4 is her dresses. Look-a-here. Opal"
"But who is Mr.. Olde? What Mr..
Olde gave you the money ?"
"Mr. Olde gave it to me. That's up
where father is"
Chow did you know his name was
Olde?"
"Cause k,ao,O him. I tumbled over
his leg once"
This must be accepted as proof of in
timacy.
"But, 1. l., did you ask him fo1
money? Beggar- boys do that"
"No, didn't ask him, neither in
an aggrieved tone.
Chow came he to give it to you, then
Tell us all about it. Where did you see
Z him?
son the avenue"
"And you went up and asked him fol
"No, I didn't ask him. He gave il
to me"
"Tell me just what he said first.
Did you speak to him first, or he to
you?"
"He spoke to me. He said what was
I crying for and I said a boy got my
rattle-bones and he said all right and
he gave me twenty-five cents"
"But where did you get your rattle.
bones ?"
81 bought EN-"
"Where did you get that money! .
81 got it at home. Father gave it to
me and I went down street and [ went
+ into store and bought my rattle.
bones and"
elbow much did you pay for them -
~ I
a-here-I bought my rattle-bones and
9 I come out and boy came along-e-h
h" (gasping for breath in the rapidly
i increasing rush of narrative) -" lemmt
tell you land a boy came up and sale
would lend him my rattle-bones anc
S he would give me some cake and l gave
s him my rattle bones and he said ht
s must go round the corner and get the
cake and he took my rattle bones anC
ell .h-he went round the corner
Opal, would you rather have Bessy
Blue than Bertha Blonde cause I'll &c
s down thavenue and change it II
"N0, no; never mind Bessy Blue
What did the boy do when he go
E round the corner"
Lemme tell you! He got my rat
tle-bones and he went round tC
get the cake and never came back ant
I went round to get him and he WASH
there and the man that had the CAKE
said he had not been there no more
never and-eh-h-h-he had my rattle
bones and never came back and-ht
ought to a told me he's a thief p will
sudden yell, as it dawned upon hin
that he had been chented.
"Then Mr.. Olde came up, and yoI
asked him to give you some money, die
you p
"No, did not ask him. Mr.. Old
came along and I was crying cause tha
S boy he didn't come back with my rattle
bones he'd gone of with nay rattle