Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1877-07-21
THE BOY HERO.

THE BOY HERO.
1t was on Saturday morning, the fiji
teenth OF December, that Paul Lavere sa;
by low, smouldering fire in the only
apartment of the cot that had any furni-
ture i'm it. He WAS only thirteen years Of
age. though his face had an older look.
There were lines of care upon his high
brow, and the neither lip had Il peculiar
compression unusual in one of his years.
He was small in stature, but with much
nerve, and decision of character that
manifested itself i'm every look and move
nent. His eyes were bent on the embcrs
now, and he was in deep thought.
Near him. i'm great armchair, sat his
mother. She was pale and thin, and the
low, deep, Notwithstanding cough that
ever and anon burst from her throat,
told too plainly there was need of Il ply
stefan. She was not over five and thirty,
though, like her boy. she looked older.
The lines of care and SORROW were deep
and long.
The furniture of the room consisted oil
n small table, two common chairs beside
the one in which the widow sat. and one
small bed. The rest of the house WAS
empty. Nearly all the furniture they
once possesscd had beeh sold by the hus-
band father before he died, and what few
articles he had lei, besides these in this
room. had been Slid to pay the rent. y.
ornament the re Mas nonc-unlrsS we no.
lice The old mllsket that hung OH twu
wooden brackets O-er the door. That
would have been sold long before, had
not Mrs. Lavere cll:ig to it viii, all l.er
power OF entrraty and prayer. liz had
been her father, mliskrt, AMI he li:,l
carried il bravcly and houorably through
the blood->tained fields OF Trent on,
Princeton, Brandywine aud Germ1Ii-
town; and when dying he gave it To his
daughter. The poor woman cluilg la
that :ls the last M ncliiu OF her better
days.
Paul" spoke the mo: her. in weak,
flint. tone. lis there 40 more wood 2"
IL c,i easily get some. mother. when
You are able 10 spare me. | have some
gathered up b. the roadside hear the
poili."
Then you may go HOW. shall gel
along very we'll until you come back"
SO ihe boy put OH his cap, AMI started
of with the sled. lie WAS gone nearly
an hour. and when he returned he bore
wood enough to last through the rest OF
TIC u.lS ttiNt ubh tftC hAOtipN' - W.
ter fire was soon klndled and then Paul
moved out the little table, AID placed a
loaf OF bread OIL il. He then m;,slc some
len, AMI when that WAS done lice asked
his mother ii she would eat.
This is all" be said. Not another
crumb of food is there in our h use. But
let Ills eat; can beg more. am USED TO
it now"
This was bitterly spoken, this last SEN
tence, and the widow locked for the
moment rs though she would clide her
son for it. But the look quickly passed
away, for she remembered that for many
weary, weary weeks he had supported
her.
1t was toward the middle of the after
noon that the door of the cot was opeii-
ell, and two men entered. One of them
was NOtwOrth, the owner of The dwell
ing. He WAS a tall, slim man. with sharp.
angular features, thin, grizzled hair,
small red eyes, a large mouth and Il mar
row, contracted brow. lie was "a hard.
cruel man, unfeeling in the extreme, and
seemed to know OF but one incentive to
action and the incentive was money.
The other man was Notworth's tool-;i
stout, burly clown, ready 10 do anything
his master babe him, so long rs his wages
were paid.
swell, Mrs. Lavere, the other week
has gone, and now L want my
house." Thus spoke the landlord, in "a
harsh, imperative tone.
'-Oh, good SIR" the widow returned,
clasping her thin, white hands and rails
ing them toward him, u am not able to
move now. Let me stay here yet while
longer"
''Can you pay me the rent?' asked
NotwOrth, harshly.
Not now; but perhaps Paul can find
some work"
And why hasn't he found work al
ready
because he could not leave me, sir. L
have been very sick, and should have
died but Tor his attention. Oh, sir, let
us stay"
"No; not another hour! / am not to
support all the paupers i'm tn, town. II
have family who wish to move i'm here
ut once. You can go to the poor house,
ALIAS we must come to that soOnl I
had hoped we might escape that had
hoped it for my poor boys sake. had
hoped that health might come back 10
me, and that then my boy and myself
might both work. Oh, we could pay
you thenI But am not able to now. L
am very sick"
Nonsense! You're well enough to go
to the poor house. ;have brought my
man oil purpose to help you there; he
VIII haul you on sled part of the way
but, sir, the poor house is five miles
on: Oh, could not live 10 reach it in
this cold weather! Wait until it is
warmtr-until l am stronger. Oh,
will try to get well as soon as cam"
II tell you | won't wait another hour
no, not halt an hour! Ii your husband
was
''Oh, for the love of heaven. SIR.
gasped the poor woman, clasping her
hands again, do not speak of him He
has gone to meet his God, and he has
suffered enough"
pooh J" uttered the unfeeling wretch.
"Wh2t do you mean by that? 1 saw
your husband brought We down to this by
his own acts; and dye s'pose I'm goin'
to support We, when the town stands
ready to take ye? No, no! Now, out
We gol Yon can go now as we'll as ever
must have, and will have it! Ye owe
me for two months rent now, and of
course I'll never get it; but We won't
owe me any more. I've let We stay here