The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1876-01-29
" DELL"

before evening changed into occasional
guests of sleety snow, accompanied
with biting wind that chilled the un-
fortunate pedestrian to the very bone,
and rendered walking anything but
pleasant. The windows ratified so vio-
lently, and the prospect looked so
cheerless as | gazpd out through the
store door upon the streets that | had
seriously meditated taking car on my
way home, but as l stepped outside and
pockrted the key lull in the blast al
tered my half-fOrmpd resolution, and, q,
buttonng She top button of any over
coat started down the almostdeserted
| street.
| was a bachelor, but, for all that
home hat its attractions for me, even
though presided over by housekeeper
and single man Of ally work to re.
lieve her Of the more ardous duties at
tending upon her position. The mod>
est sign In gilt over the store door
whence | had but just emerged informed
the world and New Workers generally
that 9 r, q. Brooks" was its propiie-
tor and from the display of fabrics in
the show windows it was very evident
that dry goods were retailed within.
Five and thirty winters had passed over
my head, but as yet their sandals had
left no trace in the shape of gray hairs,
and had been 50 disposed could have
stepped into the shackles of matrimony
so far as getting wife was con-
cerned-at most any time but the
TACT was, reader, l was cOntented with
verything-myself included-but the
weather.
" Yer's yer evening paper"
1t was peculiar voice that struck
my ear as / hurried through the slash
and wet. 1t was child's treble voice,
clear aud strong, with slight quaver
on the last syllable, as though the Bit
ting, damp air chilled the utterance.
Evening paper, only two cents"
Again the childish tones and guaver-
ing voice, only the quiver seemed to |
pervade the whole sentence now. As |
| drew near the lamp.post, from whose |
base the voice seemed to proceed, | es- !
pied bundle of rags, clutching a small |
parcel of papers with one hand, and the
other arm circling the Iamp-pOst against
which it leaned.
Drawing my gloves as paused in the
gaslight, and taking some small change
from my pocket, asked the bundle of
lags-now endowed with animation at
The sight of these muvements-fo for
paper. "A small, dirty hand held one
)ut toward me-, and as | took it, |
frOpped the coin into the discolOrud
PALM
" Too much money" it said.
VI know ii, but keep it for yourself"
replied.
Thankee, sir.''
Folding the paper, and putting 1t in
ny pocket, started to go, when a
hOught flashed over my mind.
" Where do you live, boy?" I asked,
urning to the bundle, which had re-
umed its position at the lamp. post.
" Nowhere"
Where are your parents?"
" Ea'n't got none"
What is your name2"
DELL"
"Dell, will you come home and study
nth me tonght?"
G'way, yer foUlin'.''
No, / am not am in earnest
lere is no one but me at home will
ou 60 7'' {
Yes, SIR" !
That night, for the first time In
lonths, after thorough washing at !
le hands of Mrs. Wall, " Dell" slept G
l well-furnished room, and between
arm, fieecy blankets. !
Three years passed, and FROM a child y
nine, Dell" had grown up to :
right lad of twelve. / had virtually !,
lopted the boy, and he had accus- 4,
med himself to calling me "Uncle y
ick." These years spent at school =
I'd done much toward eradicating the .
'oss that had accumulated in his years :,
Don the streets of the great inetropo. y
J., and had instllled into his mind some :,
the nobler qualities essential to life. "
Is real name was WaIdell Holmes. (
is mother, broken-hearted at the \
uTse pursued by her dissolute, worth ~
So husband, had died when Wardel .,
rs but six years old, leaving him to .,
q care Of his father. After her death =,
dimes reformed for while but the
sociatOns of his past life, and the e,
bits formed, were too much for him ~
withstand, and ere long he had gone ~
ok to his boon associates, leaving -, -
ardell to care for himself. DELL" 81 81
| still called him, had formed place ",
my affections that none else could ~,
er otcupy. l had begun to regard y y"
a as father would son, and he in =,
.srn, gave me son respect and g, q,
re. At home, evenings, he was al DO a.,
Iys to be found in the library with ~" th
J, II 1 was writing, "Dell" was W ~,
'ding or sitting beside me watching " "
movements of my pen. We were hs
th happy. to
One evening l returned home as o1 90
nal, and on inquiry was told that o.
Dell" had not returned from school. ~ ~
linking it strange, ate my supper, ~ ~,
proceeded TO the library to write, th' '
could not. Somehow, strange VIZ
r, a dull dread of impending evil, f.,
'vaded my system. Several hours "a, ,a'
'sed, but still he had not returned, 9ei 9e
now thoroughly alarmed, seized ~,
hat and started in quest of the mis- se' se'
& boy, Descriptions of him, name, Wv Wv
}, ETC., were sent to all the police m ha
tlOns. Messengers were dispatched S,l m
tha school he attended, hut retnrnad LIZ