Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-11-24
The Little 0utcast.

Alaynt stay, ma'am III do anything
You give me--cut wood, 90 after water, and
do all your errands." The troubled eyes Of
the speaker were filed with tears. 1t was a
lad that stood at the outer door, pleading
with a kindly-looking woman who still
seemed TO doubt the reality of his good in
tentions. The cottage stood by itself ON a
bleak moor or what in Scotland would have
been called such. The time was near the
latter end of September, and fierce wind
ratified the boughs of the only two naked
trees near the house, and fled with a SILVER
ing sound into the narrow doorway, as if
seeking for warmth at the blazing fire within.
Now and then snowflake touched with
its soft chill the check Of the listener,
or whitened the angry redness of the poor
boys benumbed hands. The woman was
evidently 10th to grant the boys request,
and the peculiar look stamped upon his
features would have suggested to any mind
an idea Of deprayity far beyond his years.
But her woman's heart could not resist the
sorrow in those large, but 10y no means hand
some gray eyes.
"Come in, at any rate, till the good man
comes home there, sit down by the fire
you look perishing with cold, and she drew
rude chair up TO the warmest corner; then,
suspiciously looking at the child from the
corners Of her eyes, she continued setting
the table for supper, now and then looking
up at the yagrant
Presently came the tramp of hoavy shoes
the door was swung open with a quick Jerk,
aud the good man" presented himself,
wearied with labor A look of intelligence
passed between his wife and himself. He,
too, scanned the boys face with an express
sion not evincing satisfaction, but, neverthe-
less, made him come to the table, and then
enjoyed the zest with which he dispatched
his supper.
Day after day passed. and yet the boy
begged to be kept only till tomorrow; " so
the good couple, after due consideration,
concluded that as long as he was so docile,
and worked so heartily, they would retain
him. One day in the middle Of the winter,
q peddler, long accustomed to trade at the
cottage, made his appearance, and disposed of
his goods readily, as if he had been waited sor.
You have boy out there, splitting
wood, ! see" he said, pointing to the yard.
Yes do you know him ?"
81 have seen him." replied the peddler,
evasively.
"And where-who is he what is he z"
"A jail-brd and the peddler swung his
pack over his shoulder; that boy, young
as he looks, saw in court myself, and heard
his sentence ten months : he's n hard one.
You'd do well to look keerfully after him"
Oh there was something so horrible in
the word jaii-the poor woman trembled as
she laid away her purchases; nor could she
be easy till she called the boy in, and assured
him that she knew that dark part of his his
tory. Ashamed, distressed, the child hung
down his head his checks seemed bursting
with the hot blood his lips quiyered and
anguish was painted as wildly upon his
forehead as if the word were branded into
his flesh
"Well," he muttered, his whole frame re-
| Taxing, as if burden of guilt or joy had been
rolled off, " may as well 60 TO ruin at onc't
there's no use in my trying TO do better
everybody hates and despises me--nobody
cares about mel may as well 60 to ruin
at onc't."
"Tell me- said the woman, who stood of
far enough for fight, if that should be neces-
sary how came you to go so young to that
dreadful place Where was your mother
where was your motherY"
"Oh" exclaimed the boy with a burst Of
| grief that was terrible to behold, Oh
hain'tno mother OH hain't had no mother
ever since | was a baby If I'd only had a
mother" he continued his anguish growing
vehement, and the tears gushing out from
his strange-looking gray eyes, Z" | wouldn't a
been bound out, and kicked, and cuifed, and
laid on to with whips. ] wouldn't a been
sducy, and got knocked down, and run away,
and then stole because | was hungry. Oh
| haint got no mother-I haint got no
MOTHER haven't had no mother since
was baby"
The strength was all gone from the poor
boy, and he sank on his knees, sobbing great
choking sobs, and rubbing the hot tears
away with his poor knuckes. And could
! that woman stand there unmoved Did
she coldly bid him pack up and be off-the
jail-bird? No, no. she had been a mother,
and though all her children slept under the
cold sod in the churchyard, she was a mother
still. She went up to that poor boy, not to
hasten him away, but TO lay her fingers
kindly, softly ON his head TO tell him to
look up, and from henceforth find in her a
mother. Yes she even put her arm about
the neck Of that forsaken, deserted child /;
she poured from her mothers heart sweet,
womanly words-words of counsel and ten
demess. Oh how sweet was her sleep that
night how soft her pillow She had linked
a poor, suffering heart to hers, by the most
silken, the strongest bands of love; she had
plucked some thorns from the path of lit
tie SHINING but striving mortal, None but
the angels could witness her holy joy, and
not envy. Did the boy leave her Never !
He is with her STILL a vigorous, manly,
promising youth. The low character of his
countenance has given place to an open,
pleasing expression with depth enough to
make it an interesting study. His foster.
father is dead his good iostermother is aged
and sickly, but she knows no want The
once poor outcast is her only dependence,
and nobly does he repay the trust "He
that saveth a soul from death, hdeth null
iilnde of sinsn