Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1875-10-02

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Plain Tom. 1t might have been more
than Tom once, when he was babe, and
had father and mOther-s0me one TO
care for him, even if they had but little
love for him. After they died, after ne
was turned out in the wide world 70 ~. -. IL
his own way, to hunger for 1000; 70 eaa u
for sympathy and kind words HIS l ea
was TOM 1t was name enough loI
waif- dragged, hungry boy VINO ,sscls = !
moro t;cLs than pennies, and who used
tn s;t on the postoffice steps and try to re-
member when any one had said q kind
The how sometimes wondered and pom
dered over the words sssympathy, s-mer-
cv.n and .scharity." lie heard people use
them-tlie same pe6bie who cuffed him
about and were content to see him in
rags. He thought the words must mean
something way Oif-Something he could
not grasp then, but migLtapproacl when
he had grown to mars estate. If Toms
voice had sadness and sorrow in as be
cried "Shinei" or if it had exultation as
he shouted Morning papers J" no one in
the busy throng seemed 70 notice or care
He realized that; he was standing UP
single handed to battle against great
world, and sometimes when the world
struck him down the boy crcpt away into
an alley to sorrow aid grieve that he had
eyer been born ERkE
They found bundle of rags in a public
hallway Yesterday morning. The old
;anitor pushed at the bundle with his
broom. and growled and mi:ttered over
IL being left there by some vagrant. The
bundle of rags was Tom. The janitor
bent over him and pusliettat him again
and called to him to rise'up ard go about
his business. But the bundle did not
move. Tom was dead, One arm was
thrown around his boot box that it might
not he srolen while he slumbered; the
other rested on his breast, fingers tightly
'clenched. as if death had come while the
boy was resolving TO carry on the une,
DUAL hattie against poverty anu cold
world to the bitter end.
There should have been sadness in the
hearts of those who lifted upSthe body
and sent it away to be buried in POtters
field. but there was not. They were
men. to be sure, but they could not un-
derstand how it made any difference to
the world whether it had one waif more
rless. They couldn't feel the heart
aches which Tom had felt-his deSpera-
ton, his grim despair. his bitter, ccrush-
inc, everyday SORROWS. They. could have
at least uncovered their heads as the body
was lifted up and said to each other, "He
was brave to fight such a BATTLE" But
they did not. There would have been nc
word of eulogy had not another waii
passed the door by chance. He saw the
body, recognized it, and as he let his box
fall to the flags that he might brush &
tear from his eye, be whispered:
'sIf there are angels, | know that Tom'll
see EN-"
And no man shallsdare to take from OF
add TO the simple, fearful eulogy. There
will be shallow grave which will soon
sink out of sight and memory, AMI
scarce mouth will pass before even the
lads name will be forgotten by the WORLD
the world which prides itself on it;
charity and mercy, and which let poo
Tom stand up alone in his battle for food
and raiment and place to rest his feet
let him creep off to. die alone in the
shadows of midnight, feeling in his
young heart that every mans hand was
against him becausehe was a wait, u rag
ged, hungering orphan.-Detrott Free
Press