The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-07-09
rRIss AND THE PocKEr-BooK.


That may have been all the name he
had. No one seemed to know; indeed,
doubt if Triss himself knew of any other
The boys all called him Triss, and that's
the long and short of it.
And goodness knows, Triss knew what
the short of tor of every thing in fact
was. He was short of food, clothes cover.
ing, of a good home, and Of friends. Dear
me, ! do not know of a solitary thing that
! this poor Triss had in abundance, unless il
was an appetite-if that may be mentioned
here.
o, the appetite, the longing for good
things to eattbat Triss had 1T may have
been owing to the fact that ne never hs d
enough to eat, and SO the longing was con-
stant.
Triss knew the worth of money indeed
he did. He had not been kicked from one
street to another, for the sake of being
kicked. Oh no!
eye to business. When he could get any
thing to do, and held five cents in his little
brown 6st-well, there was no limit to his
Importance. The Mayor was rather an in.
significant mortal in the eyes of Triss at
euch a time (; and that reminds me that
Triss was going to be Mayor some day
he had never wondered how this had come
about, but it was to be Mayor or tin ped
pier. Either of these was a position that
Triss envied.
Now, as this is true story, may as
well tell you that Triss, like most vsprants
-lask his pardon for calling him that to-
day-was no good book boy. Ohno He
had never pray ed, "Lead us not into temp
tation." Why, he had never heard the
prayer.
You might as well have asked him to re-
peat the Ten Commandments. And not
having heard them, who could expect him
to do otherwise than to begin at the very
top, and break them clear through, as far
as he couldP
Waiting for my story7 Well, here it is.
Triss was out on business. Some one
might want him to run errands. 1t was a
cold morning, very cold, his feet being
\ without any shoes, were red and swollen,
and the hat that he wore was a very extra
ordinary one, indeed.
think it was the hat that at first at
tracted the attention of young lady who
was passing rapidly along the street and
Snen 1t may have been the poor little red
feet, or sooner, it may have been the sweet
brown eyes that watched her.
The lady halted, and Triss, looking half
scared to death, tried hard to think If he
had ever stolen anything from her, and
then he as quickly decided that he had
never seen her face before.
Are you cold, dear child7" asked the
lady:
"But your feet looks as if they were
frozen"
TTiss kept saying to himself the words
SO loud that the lady heard him. She
smiled. noting the pleased look upon his
face.
81 don't b'long to anybody" said Triss
at Last.
"Don't you, dear 2"
There" said Triss: "there it is agin."
There is whatf"
nth n1Ihat "a S,d dear" and Triss's face shone
did nobody ever call you that 2"
.IWny, no amt got any body"
nat are yo1 doing outdoors on such . |
morning as this Z"
"Biesness, miss"
go, business What can Won do 9n
40, mos anything"
Can you clean sidewalks z" |
Jolly, can't thought"
you something to do"
"Pay, miss Mebby in cold wittel, -
unused Triss, with Sigh.
The girl heard both.
Will you comet"
"Iguess--yes."
The lady passed on.
Triss had way of talking very loud
turned, Triss muttered 3" Coin to the
pos Office" seeing her letters and pack
ages.
"HallO !" Triss sprang ahead, and picked
something up from the ground. "Jolly a
a pocket book.-Ain't it a swell un
ih:Tssy leather. o! two, three-whew
TEiss clapped the pocket book shut, put
IL in his pocket, and stood still, looking
after the lady. He knew to whom it be-
Ionged, for he had seen it in her muff.
wish, said Triss mournfnlly "be-
cause I'd like some eyesters and slammin'
PINK 9,1I Of that ginger cake in Storks winder.
\ Al 10 ana hunt her hOURR.U
IN the meantime the young lady had
I1eached the post Office. Laying down her
tSeCteEs SNs and papers, she discovered for the
"AHS ~, time that che was minus her purse,
5he sympathetic clerk was all sympathy,
SnN tI stamped the letters and papers on
~qst but that didn't mend matters ct all.
Where was the purse9
tba sight dollars" she said, in answer to
thu. Cisrk's question as to the amount
nIs;niM y contained, while her face said as