The Grange advance., 1876-12-27
BANGS'S CLARA.
BY NJ. S. II.

Bangs lived with his grandmother.
His grandmother occupied part Of the
garret of tenement-house. This ten
ement.hOuse was situated in Rag Alley,
a place of residence that had it's advan.
tages and its disadvantages. But Bangs
never thought much about that. He
was always ont during the day, trying
to scrape together few cents, or wan.
dering around with the boys, so it didn't
matter how dark and gloomy it was
indoors. And at night, when he skunk
in and threw himself down on his bed
of rags, softly as he could, for fear of
waking his grandmother and starting
her to swearing, he could see the star
light shining through the cracks in the
slOplng roof. This he rather liked.
He used to lie for hours watching it,
and wandering if it was not fresh from
Heaven, ''strained out som chow through
the sky.''
You may think it strange that boy
like Bangs, who was fighting and swear.
ing every day, should think of such a
thing, but he did, and in a way un-
known to himself took comfort in it.
The way he happened to know any
thing at all about Heaven was that he
went to mlsSlOn-schOOl.
He and many other Rag Alley boys
attended. 1t was the best fun they
had they wouldn't have missed it for
anything. The people there were kind
to them, gave them books, papers, and
good things. But now the boys did
act! Their nice young-lady teachers
would shake their heads and say:
"Boys, don't you know that's very
naughty = Then the boys would see
them laugh behind their handkerchiefs,
and look at one another. So they con.
cluded it was rather expected that they
would be naughty, and took care never
to disappoint. Nevertheless, the boys
got good out of it. And as I tell you,
when Bangs found himself in bed
watching the starlight,a ,all he had learn
ed would come to him, and he would
lie and think until he went to sleep.
On Christmas they had a tree "a
huge one, covered with tapers and
laden with presents. When the teach
ers were making their arrangements,
Bangs's teacher, pretty young lady
named Clara, was tying WreathS with
a young doctor, and was SO busy with
her work, and scolding the doctor,
whose clumsy fingers were always in
the way, that when she gave the names
of her class, she didn't pay much at.
tention, and they got Bangs down as
Jenny Bangs, when really his name
was Jenny. So, when the night came,
and the boys with clean faces, at last
were ranged in their seats and behav-
ing really just as well as they knew
how, listening for their names to be
called, Bangs was among the rest, won
dering which of all those pretty things
were to belong to him. Finally he
heard Jenny Bangs" Everybody
looked. Bangs sat still, though it was
his class which was being called.
''Jenny Bangs!'
The boys began to giggle.
Miss Clara ran to the superintendent
nd whispered something.
''James Bangs
"Ye anita gal after all. Be you,
old fellow?''
"Jenny, how are you?''
''Bangs, wasn't you feared you'd
have to put on petticuts e.
Every boy had something to say.
But Bangs stood ur gravely, and oh !!
when the present was found, what
should it be but a doll-a beauty of a
thing in silk and lace
Bangs colored, the superintendent
stopped, and the boys screamed.
''No use, Bangs; pants won't save
you!"
''Take your gal, Bangs
'Ye,re purwided with soon-hey,
Bangs?'
Bangs turned round and gave them
such look, and then said to the puz.
zled young lady who had approached
him with the doll:
'sI'll take her ma am she's beauty.
and tankey.''
Bangs sat moment amid ieers of
the boys; and then, holding the doll
in one hand, he kicked two or three,
got a handful of hair out of one head,
and was preparing further to distribute
his attentions when some of the young
gentleman teachers rushed in and Miss
Clara bent over him.
s'Don't Jenny! You'll make these
people think you have a very bad teach
er.'
Bangs sat down then, and didn't
speak another word, though the boys
whispered all the provoking things
they knew so well how to say.
That night Bangs carried his doll
carefully home. ''Clara,' he called
her to himself, and when he went to
bed, laid her carefully down by him,
until morning, when he could find
place to hide her.
Then he watched the starlight and
thought and thought.
''lt'll be purity nice to have Clara
here. Somethin' clean, like other peo.
Dle. 7 don't helieve there WIZ ever q