The true northerner., 1875-05-14

face-not a bad face-not an evil face.
Shutting out the rags and the dirt, it was
really handsome face.
"What is your name my boy 2"
" Hammer Jim. ma am T; and sometimes
Ragged Jim"
+" mean how were you christened p
"W'ich, m Z"
"Don't you know what name your
parents gave You Z"
"O-ye-es. It's down on the 'seers'
books, mum, as James Ammerton.
"Well, James, the hurt on your head
is not bad one, and if you are careful
not to rub off the plaster it will very
soon heal up. Are you hungry"
Please, ma'am, haven't eat nothing
to-day"
Mrs. Walsh brought out some bread
and butter, and a cup of milk, and al
lowed the boy to sit there in the wash
room and eat. And while he eat she
watched him narrowly, scanning every
feature. Surely, if the science of physi
ognomy, which her husband studied so
much, and with such faith, was reliable,
this boy ought to have grand capacities.
Once more, shutting out the rags and the
filth, and only observing the hair, now
CLOSING and waving, from her dexterous
manipulations, over shapely head, and
marking the face, with its eyes of lus-
trous gray, and the perfect nose, and the
mouth like cupid's bow, and the chin
strong, without being unseemly-seeing
this without the dregs, and the boy was
handsome. Mrs. Walsh, thinking of
the little mounds in the church-yard,
praying TO God that she might be yet a
happy mother and if a boy was to bless
her maternity, she could not ask that he
should be handsomer than she believed
she could make this boy.
Jim nnished eating, and stood up.
"James, said the little womRn-for
she was little woman, and a perfect
picture of loving and lovable little
woman" James, when You are hungry,
and have nothing to eat, if you will come
to this door, l will feed you. | don't
want You to go hungry"
' | should like TO come, ma am.
"And, ii / feed you when you are
hungry, will you not try to be good for
my sake Z"
The boy hung his head, and consid-
cred. Some might have wondered that
he did not answer at once, as a grA eful
boy ought but Mrs. Walsh saw deeper
than that. The lad was considering
how he might answer safely and truth
fully,
"If they'd let me be good, ma am,
but they won't, he said, at length.
"Will you try all you can p
Yes, MIL try all / can. "
Mrs. Walsh gave the lad small parcel
of food III a paper, and patted his curly
head. The boy had not yet shed tear
since the pain of the wound had been
assuaged. Some might have thought
that he was not grateful but the little
woman could see the gratitude in the
deeper light of the eye. The old crust
was not broken enough yet for tears.
Afterward Mrs. Walsh told her hus-
band what she had done, and he laughed
at her.
"Do you think, Mary, that your kind
ness can help that ragged waif p
81 do not think it viii hurt him,
Silas."
1t was not the first time that Mrs.
Walsh had delivered answers to the
erudite doctor which effectually estopped
discussion.
After that Jim came often TO the wash
room door, and was fed and he came
cleaner and more orderly with each sue
ceeding visit. At length Mrs. Walsh
was informed that a friend was going
away into the far Western country to
take up land, and make a frontier farm
The thought occurred to her that this
might be good opportunity for James
Ammerton. She saw her friend, and
brought Jim to his notice, and the re-
suit was, that the boy went away with
the emigrant adventurers. And she
heard from her friend a year later that
he liked the boy very much. Two years
later the emigrant wrote that Jim was a
treasure. And Mrs Walsh showed the
letter to her husband and he smiled and
kissed his little wife, and said lie was
glad.
And he had another source of gladness.
Upon her bosom his little wife bore a
robus, healthy boy-their own son-who
gave promise to life and happiness in
the time TO come.
The years sped on, and James Ammer-
ton dropped out from the life which
Mary Walsh knew. The last she heard
was five years after he went away from
Ernsworth, and Jim had started out for
the golden mountains on his own account,
to commence in earnest his own life
battle.
But there was Joy and pride in the
little woman's life which held its place,
and grew and strengthened. Her boy,
whom they called Philip, grew to be a
youth of great promise--a bright, kind
hearted, good boy, whom everybody
loved and none loved him more than
did his parents. In fact, they worshiped
him or, at least, his mother did. Al
the age of seventeen Philip Walsh en-.
tered college, and at the age of twenty.
one he graduated with honor but the
long and severe study had taxed his sys.
tenn, and he entered upon the stage OF
manhood not quite so strong in body as
he should have been. His mother saw
it, and was anxious. His father saw it,
and decided that he should have recrea.
ton asd recuperation before he entered
into active business. DIR. Walsh was
not pecuniarily able to send his son of
on expensive travel, but he found op
portunity for his engagement upon the
staff of an exploring expedition, which