The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-03-14
ming Star and Catholic Messenger.
Gu ORLEANS, SUNDAY. MARCH IA 1875.
JUVENILE COLUMN.
CRAY THoRNToN's cHEsNuTs.

upt st nightful a rough-looking man
aS walking past "Chesnut Woods"
|Ff1en he fancied he saw some one gliding
Etealthily through the underbush, as
khoRR1s seeking to avoid observation. He
Btpz5ed and looked more closely but now
s& Hes not 30 much as the rustic of a
|5Sf ~ betray the presence of another. He
tn3H into p narrow footpath and at that
ht boy sprang from behind clump
]1hes.
this you, Cray 7" he exclaimed.
&at on earth are you here for at this
o4k bag7"
|*s4n going home, and I've got chesnuts
my bag" was the reply.
ssHnt / thought the chesnuts were all
ssThey be. They we're most gone when
began to pick. But Mr.. Oliver said
might have what was left; and so I've been
la the woods every day this week. I've
got every one there was"
GAN right. But what made you skulk
lxsse-because-I was afraid some
bee me and tell father. If there
he'd sell them for rum. There
Nobody know, only mother. You
fell, will you, Mr. Westonq'
sNpt a word, Cray. You needn't be
fkaf&ef my getting you in trouble. What
EnvBEDn done with your chesnutsq T.
v1<a6 IL. Waters comes along, she's going
|fS me some shoes with them. han't
|fae6 &8E Shoes"
Ms hats it. Well, you need the shoes,
81 you don't have quite enough, tell
zs I'll make it up. He'll trust me if
"a 4le& drunk once in a while"
Mr.. Weston wish you didn't.
be so good if you didn't, and per
father'd be good, too, if he didn't
|fs5a1x rum.
Sxza ought too, with such a boy as you
Ill. IL my Jimmy and his mother had
|lEsSd. should have been different from
|sA&& Enm now" And as he said this, Mr..
|FSstoM brushed the tears from his eyes.
9N won't meet your father tonight
|klSsH rot some money to spend before he'll
|onnss home; so hurry along to your
|za0fhsr, and good luck to you both"
T6a speaker was one of those men who
|afe 0aually described as "good- hearted,
|Kankep genius for the Yankee trade of
|finkering, and wherever he might go, was
sure of being welcomed as the
livery person whose presence was most de-
|5irea. He might have been rich, and yet
|V&s poor. living in bit Of a house on the
|fNFkAar edge of the wood.
After he had parted from Cray Thornton,
|1loNAlked slowly and irresolutely t.; some
|}ts9es stopping for moment, as he thought
|&sdiy of bis wasted life. He was never
or quarrelsome, but he was
@0wn worst enemy, and this he knew SO
|75e3i That he needed not to be reminded of
ret.
geek had passed when he saw Cray
! d mons father enter the miserable
|Etasefy which by compliment was called
En- &rFner Store. He quickened his steps,
f 6NDhed in just in time to see the bag of
|keEnss carried by Mr.. Thornton poured
half-bushel measure. -.
1}&Is2A nn xhera ~ thoaa chpannka are
|telen property, and can prove it. I've
|4ene some mean things in the way of
lag, but 1 never got so bad as to steal
|&s4ts from boy. Thornton stole them
cray. I know he did, and if there
cough here to see fair play, it's a
Cray hasn't got pair shoes to HE
nd he picked those chesnuts one by
kfter every body else got through.
seon, you're q brute, If you sell them
nor. never abused my boy, and if
Fed, he shouldn't agone barefoot such
20 as this. If you've got human feel.
you'll stop drinking, and take care of
GN2 mily."
un,re a fine fellow to preach, - was re-
sneeringly. "rll quit drinking
4ou do"
axe your oath on that Z"
- EeBj I'll quit when you do"
Ihen here goes-I never'll taste an
crop of liquor while live. So help
III his right hand still uplifted, Mr..
regarded his companion with a
|axeH 5pEk, until the latter, as if moved by
Il eaAdAn impulse, raised his own hand,
$50 repeated the very words have trans
so help me God" Once and
asain Wne this adjuration uttered rever-
|ently and solemnly.
~ will take back Cray's chesnuts," then
aid she father in a husky voice.
Without hesitation remembrance,
IHf1 rakn tn him Tho
SsAre ave struck by what had occurred, and
|the eilence remained unbroken.
Thornton left the store, followed
~ his friend. They, too, were silent.
ano time for talking; but from that
gre was plenty in two homes where
zen poverty, and happiness where
q been fear and wretchedness.
Thornton's chesputs were like
|pfloela gems-the ransom of two souls
from u thraldom a drunkard's appetite.
AuT1TUL FIoURE.-Two painters were