River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-12-16

corner, and while Mrs. Grey S tears flow.
cd freely, Bridget was sent 10 the nearest
station house to give information to tho
police.
Anu now what of the missing child 2
After leaving the strange man who took
all hsr dandeiions, Kitty walked rapidly
on, now rolling her barrow, now dragging
It after her. She couldn't find her way
home, and the streets looked more and
more strange as she proceeded. To crown
all crowd Of Toys seized her little wheel.
grog-shops around His face was red and
his eyes watery, and he clutched the
wooded railing as il to hold himself up.
This was really and truly poor person,
thought Kitty, and she called quickly,
"Man man! does you want S me Towers!
got some to give you for nossin'." The
man turned. "Hollol little 'unr' he
said, ''you don't belong in these parts, |
reckon p Then approaching her he
glanced into the little barrow from
whence most Of the flowers had disap.
peared. Kitty said shyly, "I'm flower
missiner," and she handed him a knot
of roses and dandelions. lie leaned be.
side lamp-post and gazed at her gift in
silence. The roses he smel.ed carelcssly,
but the dandelions !-ah in moment
his thoughts went back over long.gone
years and something seemed to choke
him, for he pressed the yellow flowers
close to his face and asked for more,
which the child gave him, half frightened
at his looks. She wished she had prac.
ticed her charity at home instead of
abroad, after all for her little feet began
to ache, and the tender cheeks were
flushed and burned with the sun. So
when the man laid his rough hand on her
head, she grew more than ever alarmed
and trudged on with her barrow as fast
as the tired feet would carry her, while
the man turned from the grog-shop to a
low, wooden building near by.
"0h Jim, you didn't go to the shop
after all J" exclaimed a pale.faced
woman. meeting him at the door. so |!
if YOU knew how glad am, Jim, dear !"
The man threw himselfinto chair and
covered his face with his hands ats al
the young un's doiH's, Betty" he said
finally. Il couldn't 60 in there with
the dandelions speaking Of the old
mother and the old home that ain't
seen for many year. / don't know,
wife, but somehow that little gal. bless
her, came like an angel afore my face and
Civ me these yer things as seemed like a
wall atween the grog.shop and me, and
couldn't do the thing l started to do--at
least, not just yet"
Did God know the unspoken gratitude
in that poor wife's heart as she lifted her
eyes to the blue patch of sky visible be-
barrow and pulled it away from her tiny
hand and, regardless Of her crying, ran
off with the toy. 80, dearr' sighed
Kitty; 81 do wish hadn't been a flower
mlssiuer. l do wish had stayed at home
and played with my new dolly. do
wish mamma didn't have some flowers at
all, or else | wish there wasn't little
Kitty G'ey" 1t was getting late in the
afternoon: the child was hungry and
tired almost beyond her small powers Of
endurance. Twice she tried TO cross a
street, and twice she was seized roughly
by passer by and dragged back to the
sidewalk again, with the advice to &c
home; keep out of the street." which ad
vice poor Kitty would gladly have fol
lowed had anybody told her how to dc
so. But she was too frightened to speak
and only trembled like a little leaf,
showed here and there in the crowd, and
only wishing her papa wonld come out of
his store and take her home.
When five o'clock came our little girl
was on Broadway, and pitiable little
spectacle, with her hat jammed out of
shape and her pretty dress torn beyond
repair. Tired nature CAV" out at last,
and with one loud cry of mamma!
want my mamma J" Kitty fell against a
gentlemen who turned with others to see
what the trouble was. She didn't faint
children never do that easily,-but her
little arms chung to the gentleman tightly
and her blue eyes, swollen with crying,
though they were, were not too dim to
recognize him as her sisters friend and
the original OF the likeness Isabel had
kissed.
80! Mr.. Frank !" she sobbed, "you
know where my house is; take me home.
| m tired of bein' flower missin, and |
amt got any wheelbarrow any more; oh,
dear y
iuotaitiJ bhC 1culb BShbASiiuh COui piS-
hended the matter and knew from Kitty's
appearance that she must have been wan
dering the streets long time. Calling a
policeman, he was about to give the child
into the latter's charge with directions
where to take her, (his own heart longing
the while that he himself might 60 to Is
abel's home, yet under the unfortunate
circumstances once alluded to, not daring
to intrude,) when Kitty drew back from
the policeman with cry of alarm and
chung to Frank 0sgood.
"YoU take me home yourself" she
pleaded with twining arms and sobbing
voice.
II can't, darling 7" whispered Frank.
"Your mother wouldn't like to see me
to-day" thinking thus to reason more
successfully with Kitty: but she persist
ed and said loudly, "Mamma would J
Thank you, mister y and sister Isabe
would be glad, cause ! saw her kissing
your
80, Kitty, do hush, dear !" exclaimed
Frank in low, hasty tone, wishing thu
earth could swallow him from the crowd
The policeman winked and walked away
] The crowd smiled, and Frank in sef.de
tense, got conscious Of a new joy in hi
heart, lifted the little lost puss in hi