The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-10-07

upon me If do not give the exac
genealOgy Of Skiggs' little boy. The fac
Is, it would be hard to trace It, since il
his tenderest years-say four or there
abouts-Skiggs senior adopted him of
the streets.
He was then in the care of hideou.
old beggar, afflicted with blindness al
stated times; and the old beggar having
fallen in fit, and the child, by his grief
but more particularly by his bright
dark eyes and pretty face, appealing
strongly to Skiggs' sympathies, he took
him home to give him decent shelter, al
least for one night.
"Cut the bread thick, Nancy, cut il
very thick" said Skiggs out of the full.
ness of his generous heart. "Don't
skimp; none O. the seventh miss it,"
But, Skiggs, where are you going to
put him ?" asked his wife there's three
to bed now-and my sakes, all that
bread gone? What little bear!
"Cut him another slice, Nancy, and
cut it little thicker" Skiggs responded,
unbuttoning his green baize jacket, that
his noble heart might have more room to
swell in, |" the little Teller must a. been
starving"
But, Skiggs, where wM we put
him 7" queried the anxious wife, divid-
ing the loaf with-it must be told-a
little less alacrity than before, for she
knew another loaf would cost Just six
pence to a farthing, and sixpences were
scarce.
well put him-with another coat"
said Skiggss, musingly, surveying the
small bundle Of rags; show lucky it is
that Jimmy's outgrown his before it's
too"-
Goodness, Skiggs, you can't think of
adopting him p cried Mrs. Skiggs, turn
ing pale with dismay. "Seven children,
and one in arms, Skiggs. You are only
goin' to keep him to-nightW
"Six times three make eighteen, and
two over is twenty" murmured Skiggs,
absently, his eyes fastened on the cracked
ceiling. Nancy, John Potter is dead"
John Potter dead p exclaimed Nancy.
"What'll become of Sally"
"Well, Sally's got plenty o. friends"
said Skiggs, now seating himself, and fix
ing his glance upon the small creature,
who had eaten his second slice almost as
voraciously as the first, and now stood
wistfully eying the loaf, "but I'm gone
up, bless your SOUL"
"Gone upp muttcred Mrs. Skiggs,
helplessly.
eyes, into twenty dollars instead G.
fourteen. At the close of this month
our house says to me (his place of bust
ness was always "our house ", 'hold out
your hand, Mr.. J. Skiggs, Sen. Here's
your eighty dollarsP Think of that
for flour, Mrs: Skiggs. Nancy, cut the
boy another slice"
The knife went through the loaf with
swifter motion this time, and Mrs.
Skiggs, coming out of her trance, turned
the boys face to the light. Like all
great minds, she was calm and self.con-
tanned under this exciting news. Her
heart might throb almost to bursting as
she thought of that blue and yellow
shawl she had been signing for SO many
years, to say nothing of the feather she
was determined to buy the first time she
went out shopping, but not even Skiggs
should know it. Instead of going into
ecstacies, she controlled her emotions,
and merely said:
" He's got black eyes, amt he,
Skiggs9"
Yes, Nancy, and not a black eve in
the family, except when little Tom gifts
thrashed. / say, Nancy, if that was one
of ours"
"Whatr
"And we was laid snugly under the
cold ground, and no relations and no
friends to take him, only a scaly beggar
who shams blind, and beats and abuses
him. Now, suppose it was Tom, and
some good-hearted fellow came along and |
give him homeland we could know |
itp
eyes, but Skiggs!"
cor say we knew, Stead of that, he
goes and carries him to the poorhouse,
and lets him grow up pauper, with
nobody to teach him selfrespect, and no
boys to play with-Nancy, gi' me a
han kercher I"
Mrs. Skiggs was silent before this mov-
ing picture, for mother never loved six
sturdy, hOmely boys better than she loved
he brood who slept three ina bed upstairs
'nugly tucked in by her hands, every
freckled face kissed tenderly
before they slept.
She made no further objections, but
,ook her old shawl and made up a couch
n the corner, and after she had washed
he wondering little face. she kissed it, it
vas no pretty. That was the sign and
cal Of adoption.
He's almost as handsome as little
Angie" she said, as the child, refreshed
md wondering at his clean, white bed
clothes, sank off to sleep.
Angie was the baby, one year old, and
he only girl. Nature, in denying come
mess to the boys, had made it all up in
hat face of lilies and roses. The child
vas perfectly beautiful. Not a spot
narred the soft whiteness of her baby
kin. The long, shining curls hung in
littering splendor to her pretty, dimpled
and nothing was too good or ,
90 fair for the fairy-like creature.
Well, twelve years passed into the
reat eternity. Skiggs has slept under
ne daisies ever since little Angie was
IN years old. The six boys are working !
n in their homely way, not very ambi. j
Gus, but good and honest.
After Skiggs' death, the little waif un-
bic to bear the great loss, unwilling to !
urden the poor widow, disappeared one :
ny. Nobody knew where he went. and I