The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1877-08-09

"Nhat did you mean by that, sra
he growled, slowly STOPPING down to
look into the boys eyes.
g'm to hook II, said the boy with
perfect candor. "Oh, please let me be
Oh, please let me go! oh please sir,
| won't do it no mOre-neyer oh please "
"I've a mind to have you sent ia
goal, a" said the Captain.
"No, please, sir" said the waif.
"Please, sirw
"Who taught you to steal?" asked
the Captain.
The boy made no answer. Grimy
tears were pouring from his eyes.
"Answer me-" said the Captain.
"If | don't steal, don't get no vict-
uals, ;" said the boy, "and my stomach
is as holler-feel it, mister-it's as hol-
ler as a drum! She's been a beggin'
to-day, and wen have stew. | won't
have none, if don't fetch nOthin.' Oh
-
"Who is she ?" asked the Captain.
"My mother" said the boy.
"I've been hungry myself" said the
Captain, thinking of a certain Indian
prison experience. at isn't pleasant. ]"
Then he thought of his own boy.
"GOd knows ought to be tender to
Che little ones, for the sake of Nellie's
child" he said softly; then aloud
'Iaddie, III not send you to prison."
"Thankee sir" said the urchin.
"And I'll give you breakfast" ," said
the Captain,
"The dirty elf executed a sort of joy
Gus war dance.
"Do you know why forgive yOu?"
said the Captain.
The child shook his head.
81 have a little boy" said the Cap
tain. "He's very different from you,
poor child! He would not steal any
thing. He washes himself. My lad,
you must wash yourself as soon as you
find water. But | couldn't think of
his being hungry; and for his sake l
can't bear to see other little fellows
hungry. It's for his sake that | don't
call constable and tell him all about
it. Remember that, and try to be like
like my little fellow, poor laddie,
clean and good. Don't steal; try to
get work. viii you promise?"
The waif said eyes, sir" of course.
Then the Captain led him to cheap
eating house and watched him eat until
his little stomach was no longer "hol-
ler."
"YOu little wretch !" he thought, as
he looked at him. "If could see my
boy and him together now, what con-
trastw
And he fancied his boy round and
white and pink, and fair of hair, like
his poor lost Ellen, and know he said
that he would pity this poor fellow and
be kind to him.
The meal was over. The Captain
paid for it, and then drew the boy be-
tween his knees and lectured him. To
be good was to be happy. Honesty was
the best policy. Cleanliness came next
to godliness. These were the heads of
his discourse.
Then he gave him half crown, and
babe him go and be good and clean.
And the boy was off like flash.
Je ;,,ct ottab ha in this
great city; :" sighed the good Captain,
and he walked along. "Ah, men
Then he went in search of Mrs. Ann
Golden and his own fair darling.
But Mrs. Golden was not so easily
found as he had hoped, There was a
little shop in the house he had been
directed to, and the keeper thereof said
that she had bought it of Ann Golden
"but haven't seen her since" she said
"Only there's bit of card with her
number on it-that is, if can find it,"
After search, she did find il; and
the Captain, thanking her, hurried
away; but another disappointment
awaited him.
Mrs. Golden had not lived in this
second place for years. She had moved
into Clumber Row, but what number
no one could remember.
At Clumber Row, whittier the Cap
tain drove in a cab, woman owned toI
having had her for lodger.
"She had a child staying with her,
too" she said. Iittle Ned she called
him; but, to tell the truth, she drank so
that turned her out. ! couldn't abide
such doings. She went to Fossil Lane,
No. o."
70 Fossil Lane the Captain went. 1t
was filthy place, and there was
drunken woman at No. 8, who was not
Ann Golden, and who threw a piece of
weod at him for asking for that lady.
And now every clue was lost, and the
Captain nearly beside himself for anX-
iety, applied to the authorities for
help; and after many days of great un-
happiness, he heard of an Ann Golden
who lived in n quarter of London sol
low and dangerous that all decent peo-
pie Stunned it.
"No WONDER" the Captain thought,
"if she lived there, that she should
have had his remittances sent to the
postofllce, and left him to believe that
his child was still in the decent home
to which she had at first taken him."
Almost i'll with excitement, the poor
Captain drove, with policeman as
protector, into the maze of hideous
lanes and courts that led to Ann Col
den's dwelling, and following his con-
,. i....,1 ;,., N nIth,, pnllor