Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1876-12-21
] touched him gently on the

puL was not prepared Tor the
change the simple question pro-
duced. His face flushed up, and
every tear burnt out OF his eyes,
as he said:
"My name is Willie Bell, but
they all call me Little Jinks'
now. That's why l ran away
from 'home.' But | pitched into
them before | left--not for that,
but for something else," and the
recollection seemed to afford the
little man a kind of fierce pleas.
ure.
"ch, SO you ran away from
the home / suppose your
mother was pretty poor, Willie
not well ofl-eh2'
"That's it, sir" he cried, with
sudden intelligence flashing out
of his fearful eyes. That's how
she died-I'm sure of it--beca use
she hadn't enough to eat. |
tried to save her by stealing the
purse after ] ran away from the
'home; but when ! got home
when | got home-she couldn't
Ieat-Hnd she died without know.
ing what / had done. Do YOU
think they'll tell her in heaven
that / stole it?"
He appeared so anxious for
negative that / felt forced to say:
81 don't think they will, Willie,
because that would be sure to
make her wouldn't it2"
This brought q fresh burst of
sobbing, and then he said:
81 hope I'll be hanged. !
want to die now. It's no living
without mother, and everybody
else so cruel. There's nobody to
put their arms round me when |
am hungry. I-I--I'm trying
not 20 cry---I made it all up be-
fore | came that ! wouldn't cry,
but somehow can't help it. 1t
seems very hard that God should
take her away, for l loved her
so, and I'm such small boy"
/ could not get an answer, and
nobody else seemed ready to
speak. l picked up the purse
and motioned to him to follow me
into another room, and there
poor Willie told ne bis mothers
history, and a sad, sad history ii
was.
1t was an old story--a garret,
pinching want, and a hard strug-
gle for bare life, which finally
drove the mother into delicate
health, and the boy into one of
the "bomes" of London.
But here poor WiIlie's troubles
increased. The boys of the home
crowded around the strange little
arrival. and dubbed him "LittIe
Jinks." No rudeness nor unkind.
ness was meant-it was their GUS
tom, and he had to give up ask,
ing them to call him Willie, for
"Liltle Jinks" they would have
him, and nothing else. The first
day passed all well enough--he
made one or two aCquaintarces
aud at night, when all were asleep,
and the cold moonlight stole into
the dormitory, he had n good cry,
keeping his head muffl, ID in the
b .GclOlhes TO stifle the sound.
Bat fresh grielS were in store
for him. In an evil hour he had
confded to some Of his new &C.
quaintances particulars of his own
life and history F; and next day
when he found them torturing one
of their number, a mute named
Johnnie, he Mortified them by fl
ring up, knocking down one of
them, releasing the sufferer, and
daring them to touch him again.
An excited circle instantly form
ed around him,
"What is it 2 cried one, elbow.
ing in.
'It's Jinks,' the beggar, the
starved rat" spiteiully answered
the foored boy, gathering himself
up and wiping the blood from his
nose. "Why couldn't he stay In
his hole, and not come in among
gentlemen ?"
Whats be done?"
"Stuck up for Johnnie" e."
ooh, my! ha! ha! ha !" and
the jeering laugh ran round all.
81 don't care what you say,
chokinqly returned "Jinks, blush.
ing to the ears, and then turning
dangerously white. "You're a
pack of cruel brutes |"
"Ha! hs! ha!' laughed the
boys. "What q pity his mother
lent here. 10! ho! no !"
"Don't you speak of my moth.
err warn you, don't ! said Jinks,
with a strange flashing OF the eyes.
"Ho! ho no 4! Do you hear
him? His mothers q beggar too.
"Ol course she ls. He told me