The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1874-01-15
MY LITTLE GENTLEMAN.
BY L. NJ. ALCOTT.

NO one would have thought of call
ing him SO, this ragged, barefooted
frecklefaced Jack, who spent hi
days carrying market baskets for tn
butcher, or cleaning clothes for Mrs
Quinp, selling chips, or grubbing il
the ash heap of cinders. But he wa
honestly earning his living, doing
his duty as well as be knew how, an(
serving those poorer and more help
less than himself, and that is being ,
gentleman in the best sense of tha
fine old word. He had no home bu
in Mrs. Quinn's garret, and for thi.
he paid by carrying bundles and get
ting cinders for her fire. Food and
clothes he picked mp as he could, ano
his only friend was little Nanny
Her mother had been kind to hin
when the death of his father hao
left him all alone in the world, and
when she too had passed away the
boy tried to show his gratitude b,
comforting the little girl, who though,
there was no one in the world like
her Jack.
Old Mrs. Quinn took care of her
waiting till she was strong enough to
work for herself; but Nanny had
been sick, and still sat about, a pale
little shadow of her former self with
white film coming over her pretty
blue eyes. This was Jacks great
trouble, and he couldn't whistle ii
away as he did his worries; for he was
CHEEKY lad and when the basket as
heavy, the way long, the weather
bitter cold, his poor clothes in rags,
or his stomach empty, he Just whist
led and somehow things got along
all right. But the day he carried Nan
ny the first dandelions, and she felt
of them instead of looking at them,
as she said, with prophetic patience
in her little face, 81 don't see 'em but
know they are pretty, and 1 like
'em lots" Jack thought that the
blithe spring sunshine was all spoil
ed, and when he tried to cheer him
selfup With whistle, his lips trem-
bled SO they wouldn't pucker.
"The poor things eyes could be
cured l amt doubt; but it would
take heap of money, and who's a
going to pay it ?" said Mrs. Quinn,
scrubbing away at her tub.
"How much money 7" asked Jack.
ga hundred dollars, l dare say.
DR.. Wilkinson's cook told me once
that he did something to a lady's
eyes and asked her one hundred dol
laIs for It"
Jack sighed long, hopeless sigh,
and went away to fill the water pals,
but be remembered the DOCTORS
name and began to wonder how ma.
ny years it would take to earn hun
dred dollars.
Nanny vas very patient but by
and by Mrs. Quinn began to talk OF
sending her to some almshouse, for
she was too poor to be burdened
with helpless child. The fear OF
this nearly broke Jacks heprt, and he
went about with such an anxious
lace, that it was mercy Nanny did
not see it. Jack was only twelve,
but he had heavy load to carry
just then for the thought of his lit
tie friend, doomed to lifelong dark
ness for the want of little money
tempted him to steal more than once,
and gave him the hrst bitter feeling
against those better off than he
When he carried nice dinners to the
great houses and saw the plenty that
prevailed therr he couldn't help feel
ing that it wasn't fair for some to
have so much and others 80 little
When he saw pretty children play
ing in the park, or driving with their
mothers, SO gay, so well dressed, SO
tenderly loved, the poor boys eyes
would fill to think of poor little Nan
ny with no friend in the world but
himself, and he so powerless to help
her.
When, one day, he mustered up
courage to ring at the great doctors
bell begging TO see him a minute,
and the servant answered him gruff
ly, as he shut the door, eco along,
be can't be bothered wild the likes O
ye !" Jack clutched his hand hard
as be went down the steps, and said
to himself with most unboyish tone,
"Ill get the money and make him
let me in."
He did get it, and in most unex-
pected way; but he never forgot the
terriole feeling that came to him tn at
day, and all his life long he was very
tender to the people who were temp.
ted in their time of trouble, and yield
ed, as he was saved from doing, by
what seems an accident.
Some days after his atte mpt at the
doctors, as he was grubbing in q
newly deposited ash heap, with the
bitter feeling very bad, and the
trouble very heavy, he found dirty
old pocket pook, and put it into his
bosom without stopping to examine
it, for many boys and girls were
scattered, like brood of chickens,
all around him, and the pickingf
were unusually good, SO no time
must be lost. Bindings is havings,' .
was one of the laws of the ash heap
hunters, and no one thought of dis
putting another's right to the spoons
and knives that occasionally found
their way into the ash barrels while
bottles, old shoes, rags and paper
were articles of traffic among them
and when the hurry was over, Jack
sat down to rest and clear the dus'
off his face with an old silk dustel
which he had picked up out of thu
rubbish, thinking Mrs. Quinn Nigh
wash it up for a handkerchief. Blu
he didn't wipe his dirty face much
that day, for with the rag out tumb
led the pocket book, and on opening
it he saw-money. Yea, a roll o
bills, with two figures on all of them
three tens and one twenty !; il tool
away his breath FOR minute, \thel
he hugged the old book tight in hi
grimy hands, rocked to and fro al
in heap among the oyster shell
and old tin kettles, saying to himsel
with tears running down his cheeks
so, Nanny Nanny, now l can d.
it'll"
| / don't think that basket of Gin
ders ever travelled at such rate be
fore as Mrs. Quinn's did that day
for Jack rushed home at a grea
pace, and burst into the room way
ing the old duster and shouting
/ q. ..t 10