The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-11-12

FLYWHEEL BOB.

Down in a dismal cellar, poorly lighted
| indeed, that You could scarce distinguish his
| tlry figure when it came into the world, Bob
was born. Oar little hero began life where we
all must end it-underground; and certainly
| many Il buIial vault mi sht have seemed q less
grimy, gloomy home than his. But B,b's
wretchedpess being r0Hval with his birth, he
never know what i'll WAS to be otherwise than
~tetched He cried and crowed pretty much
like othsr infants, and his mother declare d that
he WAS the finest child ever born in this cell ar
And, Darlipg" she sighed more than once.
while lie snugged to her bosom" o darling
if yon could stay always what you are" 1t
now. How would he fare along the rugged
road winding through the misty futuref
Nothing looked so beautiful to his baby eyes
as the golden streak across the floor which ap-
peared once day for n few minutes and as
soon as he was able TO creep he moved towards
it and tried to catch it, and wondered very
mnch when the streak faded away.
Bob's only playmate was o poodle dog, who
loved the sunshine too, and was able at first to
get more of it than he and the child always
whimpered when Pin left him to 60 bask on tie
sidew ak. Bat by and by, when be grew older
he followed his dumb friend up the steps and
would sit for hours beside him and the dog
was very fond of his little master. if we may
judge by the constant wsggipg of bis bushy
tail
When B ID was four years old his mother
died This was too young an age for him to
comprehend what had happened. 1t surprised
him little when they carried the body away
and when she breathed her last words al am
going, dear one; wish could take you with
me- he answered: going where, mamma 1"
When Is mamma coming home ~ he asked of
several persons who lodged in the cellar with
bour waiting for her to return. But ere long
Bob ceased to think about his mother, and in
the course of q month, twas as if she had never
been thtre was rather more space in the I'M
O0rQrOQTd chamber than hnfora aud ba
had all the blanket to himself.
Thus we see that the boy began early the |
battle of life. When be felt hungry, he would
enter a bakers shop near by, and stretch forth |
his puuy hand; and sometimes he was given q |
morstl of bread, ard Sometimes he was not |
But Bob was too spirited to lie down and |
starve. So. when the baker shook his head
saying. "You come here too often," he watched
a chauce and stole peanuts from the stand on
the corner. The Ten Commandments did not
trouble him in the least; for he had never
beard of them. Bob only knew that there was
D day in the week when the baker looked more
solemn than on other days, and when the streets
were less crowded.
The one thing in the world Bob cherished
Was Pin. Aud the feeling was mutual; for not
'eldom, when the dog discovered q bone or
rust of bread among the rubbish heaps, he
y ould let himself be deprived of the treasure
'ame round, Bob aud the poodle would stand
~ the shop-windows and admire the toys to-
;ether; and the child would talk to h y pet,
toe's ark. Once he managed TO posses himself
# toy which lady let drop on tie side walk.
5ut he did not keep it long; for another
Tc hin offered BIN "a dune for IT., which B Jb | l
ccepted, then forthwith turned tho money
nto gingerbread, which lie shared With Pin. {
Such was ths orphans childhood. He was (
oily one vagrant amid thousands of others. In I
he great beehive of humanity, his faint buZs T
'as uuheaTd, aud he was crowded ont of sight r
y the swarm Of other bees. STILL there he t
'as, mem Der of the hive; moving about aud 8
linz f,r
9 needed it, and getting what honey he could O
Yhen the boy was in his seventh year, o mis-.
'rtune befell him which really smote his heart
the poodle disappeared. Aud now for the 4
rst time in his life, Bob shed tears. He in t.
uirec of everybody in the tenement house il k
ley had seen him hs put The same query to z
early every inhabitant of Mott street. But +
Il smiled as they ans wered: In big city b
ke New York lost dog is like needle in q | II
~ stack" Many a day did Bob pass seeking &
10 friend He wandered to alleys and SO u ares TX
here be bad never been before, calling ont:
Pin! Pinv bnt no Pin came. Then, when Il
ght arrived and he lay down alone in bis b
snket, be felt lonely indeed. Poor child OF
was hard to lose the only creature on earth a
at he loved-the only creature on earth, too n,
at loved him. PHI never forget YOU" he je
ghed-" never forget you And sometimes, x,
hen another dog would gag his tail and try 60
make fIiends, Bob would shake his cad aud ct
y: No, no, you're rot my lost Pir.' "
1t took twclyemonth 70 become Iecouciled 70
this misfortune Bot Time has broad wings, re
I'd on them Time bore away Bcbs grief, as IL Mt
ars away all ouPgriefs; otberwise, one sor. pI
W would not be able to make room for an ca
Der sorrow, and We should Siuk down and die lie
meath cur accumulated burSens. ri
We have styled Bob "a vagEaDt. Here we IN
Ike the name back, is aught of bad be implied Ill
it. II was not his fault that he was born ib st
cellar; and If he stole peanuts and other ID
ings, twas only when hunger drove him to tn
Doubtless, had he frat Been the light in hi
fth Avenue, he would have known ere this trr
" TO spell and cay bis prayers might have as
nes psrhaps, % many childrens party, with oil
gloves on his delicate handa and 3 Per "a