The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1875-09-28
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Plain Tom. 1t might have been more
than Tom once, when he was a babe,
and had a Father and mother, some one
to care for" him, even if they had But
little love for llim After they died.
after he WAS turned out on the wideII
world TO fight his own way; to- hunger
for food. to yearn for sympathy and
kind words, his name was "Tom.' 1t
was name enough for a waif-a ragged,
hungry boy who received, more kicks
than pennies, and wao used to sit on the
Postofiice steps and try to remember
when any one had spoken q kind word
to him. 80 ,'-.''3 ~
The Boy sometimes wondered aud
pondered over the, words s'syrhpathy,N
ENERGY and tscharitY.lln He heard some
people use them-the same people who
cutfed him about aud were content to
see him in rags. He thought the words
must mean something way off-some
thing he could not grasp then, but might
approach when he had grown to mars
estate. If Tom'ssvoice had sadness and
sorrow in it AS he, cried "shinei' ,orif
Fit had exultation as he, shouted '",morn
ling papers" no one in the busy throng
seemed to notice or care. He realized
that he was standing up single handed
to battle against "a great world, and
sometimes whenn the world struck bin
down the boy crept away into an alley
Ito sorrow and grieve that he had ever
been born. -''lA 'oi'''S >''' 10 20
!. They found bundle Of rags IN apub
lie. hallway yesterday morning: 1.-The
old janitor pushed at the bundle with
his broom, and lgfowled, aud muttered
over its being lett there by some va
I grant The bundle Of rags was Tom
I The tjanitor bent over him and pushed
at him again, and called to- him to rise
up and goabous his, business, but the
bundle did not move. Tom was dead
/ One arm was thrown around his boot.
box that it might not be stolen While he
slamberedMthem other. rested on his
breast, fingers tightly jcenched, as III
death had come while the boy was re-
Esolving to carry on. the. unequal battle
against poverty and cold world to The
bitter end. - "0' ''f.'-J ao3 NJ il3iaS'i
i There should have been nIsadness0ir
the hearts, oftthose who iaed up qtht
4 body aud sent it, away 10, be buried in
.1Potter's field, but there was not They
> were men, to be sure, but they could
r not understand no W il made any differ
encerto the world whether, = it had one
ewaif more less. I'D They couldn't, fee
bthe heartaches which Tom had ,felt-his
desperation-his grim despair-his bit
. ter, crushing. everyday sorrows. They
could, have at least. uncovered theil
heads as tue body was lifted up and saii
(, to each other: ''He was brave ito figh
such a. battle" But they did not There
would have been no word, no enlogy
!, haa not another waif passed the dool
by chance. He saw the body, recogni
! zed it, and as he let his box fall to tn,
a flags that he might brush a. tear from
| his eye, he whispered: -'e8'h ~" ;.'.H -
"If there is angels I'know that Toni
lsee 'em "a A'D'' an 't1'i.ii'i' aae
. Aud no man shall dare TO take from
: or add to the simple, fearful eulogy.-
. There will be shallow grave whicl
! will soon sink out of sight and memory
and scarce month will pass away be
) fore even the lad 8 name will be forgot
. ten by the world-the world wlIic
4 prides itself on its charity and mercy
a and which let poor Tom Stand up aloh
q in his battle for food and raiment and
place to rest his feet; let him creep o
: to die alone in the shadows f'midnigh'
feeling in his young heart that ever
Il mans hand was against him because h
was waif, i ragged, huhgeriDg orphan
n Detroit Free Press .e27