The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1877-09-13
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lie was tall, lhio, slsryed-looking
boy, With 3 little jscket, The sleeves Of
which crepi halfway up his arms, aud :
bat that wss nothing bat $ brim, and
when SIC afst saw bin be was eating a
crust out OF a gutter. She was only 8
poor old woman who kept 8 ilitle shop
for candy and trimmings, sRd POOR
enough herself, heaven knew but. IS she
sAld be looked little Ike what her Tom
might II be bad grown up and been neg.
!cctcd, and she couldn't stand H. She
called TO bin:
Come hcre, sonny, said she, and The
boy came. Before she could speak again
be said
didn't do n IN take my oath on
anything didn't DO II. ! sin't so mean.
Didn't 90 what said the old woman.
BrrslS yoar winder, said The boy, nod
dug his bead towards shattered pane.
Why | broke that myself with my
shutter last night, said the oh woman.
I I'm not strong enough to lifl EN-, that's
the fact. I'm getting old
I II I'm round here when you shut up,
! I'm come aud do Il for you, said the boy
1 ia just as soon. What was that you
wanted me forS
/ ] wanted TO know what You cat that
dry crust out Of the gutter for, said she.
/ Hungry, said he; have tried to get a
job all day Pm going to sleep in an
area over there after i gets too dark for
the policeman to see, aud you can't have
| a good nights sleep without some supper
| ifit is dirty
III give you some that's cleaner, said
/ the old woman.
I That will be begg ing, said he.
i No, said she, you can sweep the shop
aud the pavement and put up the shut,
ters for it,
/ Very well, said he. Thsnkee, then
| Ii sweep up first III feel better.
Accordingly she brought him broom,
and be did his work well. Afterward be
ate his supper with relish. That night
be slept, not in the area, but under the
old woman's counter.
lie had told her his story. Ills name
was Dick he was twelve years old, and
his father, whom he had never seen
sober, was in prison for life.
/ The antecedents were not elevating,
but be boy seemed good. The next
morning the old woman engaged clerk
for her small establishment. The term:
were simple his living and bed under
the cou 1tcr. When the neighbors heard
/ of Il they were shocked. A street boy
/ boy whom no one knewl Did Mrs
I Briggs really wish TO be murdered in her
bedl But Mrs. Briggs felt quite safe
4 She had so much time now that she was
going to take in sewing, Dick attended
to the shep altogether. lie kept Il in
fine order, and increased the business by
introducing candies, dates ON sticks, and
chewing gum. Pennies came in as they
never came in before since be had paint
ed signs in red and blue ink to the effect
that the real old moasses candy was to
be got there, and that this was the place
for peanuts
And in the evening, after the shop was
shut up, she began to take him into her
confidence. Her great dream was to
buy herself into certain Home for the
Aged. 1t would cost her hundred
dollars. She was saving for it. She had
saved three years, and had fifteen of it.
But II cost SO much to live, with tea
twenty-five cents quarter, and loaves so
small, aud she had been sick, and there
was The doctor, aud Mrs. Jones' Martha
Jane TO be paid for minding her and the
shop. After this Dick took the greatest
interest in the savings and the winter
months increased them as ii he had
brought a blessing
One night In spring they took tho bag
from under her pillow and counted what
u held. Ii was thirty dollars.
And III begin TO make kites to-mor-
row, Mrs Briggs, said The boy, and
you'll see the custom that will bring. II
a little shaver sees the Kites, he'll spend
all he has for 'em, and then he'll coax his
mother for more to buy the stick.dates
aud chewing gum. know boys.
You're clever boy yourself, said The
old woman, and patted his hand.
1t was plumper hand than it had
been when Il picked the crusts from the
gutter, and he wore clean, whole gai :
mcnts, though they were very coarse.
How wrong the neighbors were, she
said That boy is the comfort Of my life.
So she went to bed with the treasure
under her pillow aud slept Far on ia
the night, she awakened. The room was
utterly dalk--tbere was not ray Of
I light but she heard step on the floor
Who is theres she cried.
There was no answer, but she felt that
some one was leaning over ber bed.
Then hand eiasped her throat aud held
ber down, and dragged ont the bag Of
money, aud she was released. HaifsufT-
coated, she for moment found herself
molionless aud bewildered, conscious on.
iy Of draughl Of air from an open door,
aud OF some confused noises.
Then She spfAng 70 The door and hur-
ried ito the shop.
LICK Dick SHE cried. Dick Dick I
help wake upl l'm robbed
But there was 10 answer; the door in
% be street was wide open, aud by ile
mo 5nlisut that poured through il she
saw, As she peered under tie counter,