The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-07-26

A City Rat.

Richard given to him by godiathers an'
| godmotherS III the usual way. AS
| child he managed somehow to escape th
massacres which those modern Herods
Want, Neglect and Disease are allowed
to hold in our great cities and we tin(
him Il small wild animal in the shape o
a boy twelve years old, living where he
may, eating what he can get his hant
against everything (hat will sell at the
junk Shop) and every ones hand againS
him 4 human rat Il thing to hide it.
self in dark places, and to be chased an(
worried when it dares venture into the
light.
His costume is a pair OF old blue cottol
pants, kept over Il faded flannel shirt by
Il wonderful contrivance Of old braces and
twine His feet are bare. On his hea(
is Il felt hat, which (whatever was its
original color) has now the hue Of a well
soaked tea-leat, and (whatever was its
original shape) has long taken that of !;
jelly bag. Perhaps if he were washed he
would be a good-looking Rat, under his
CRIME; for his eyes are very bright. He
does not know what school means. Nc
one has ever told him it is wrong to steal
stealing has been made manifest to him
in various ways.
..Why don't he work ?" He does work
in his way.
The leyee which Dick intests is that OF
New Orleans; down by the foot of Jack
son street. where the English steamers
lie, is his happy hunting ground, and on
the day when we make his acquaintance
it has not been productive. The hunting
has all been on one side, and Dick dis
covered hiding between two bales of cot :
ton is the quarry. He is kicked, pushed,
dragged, .iostlcd backward and forward,
by the steVedore's men, like a ragged
shuttlecock. Every one has q curse and
blow for the RAT" with whom things are
going hard, when
"Oh, how shameful to beat that poor
child so,' eNclaims a soft voice, with Il
ring Of genuine indignation in it.
The speaker is Il lady clad in crisp,
cool muslin, elegantly draped 4 lady,
beautiful in face and form, and assisted
by every accessory that can heighten
female charms From her dainty little
bootines, which fit like her gloves, to the
soft curls of her hair, which the river
breeze caresSes, she is stamped with the
half marks of richness, simplicity and
good taste. She is halfway up the stage
which leads to the English steamer, when
the cries OF our hunted Rat attract her
attention
'Oh," she eXclaims. chow shameful to
beat that poor child so. DO, please Cap
tain Gilbert, make them leave him alone"
( wi, ,),n Il
who leads her up the stage, shouts
''llalloa, quit that. Let the boy go,
and get on with your work" For YOU
see, one cannot beat "Rats' and roll cot
ton at the same time; and the latter oc-
cupation, though perhaps more exciting,
is the less profitable OF the two.
Dick-who, unable to dodge his tor
mentors. has emulated the example of Il
hedgehog, and made himself us nearly
spherical as possible against Il cotton bale
does not rise. The foe has not sult-
ciently retreatcd, but he keeps Il bright
lookout from the corner of one eye, so as
to be ready for a jump.
''They have hurt him" said the lady.
"IIe can't get up poor little fellow" and
before any one can interfere, she trips
"Rat," who is 50 taken aback by the APP
partition that he forgcts to jump and rolls
over straight. His plight when it APP
pears that no bones are broken makes
the lady smile. lie has been kicked into
Il coal heap, and is black. He has been
cut1ed against Il lot of oil cake, and is
russet brown. He is fluffy all over with
cotton waste. His mouth is open, and his
eyes are wild with astonishment. He had
never been 50 near to Il lady, and he don't
know what will be done to him.
:" Come, get up" says the captain,
''there's nothing the matter with YOU"
"Can you rise y asks the lady and
she touches him with the most wonderful
thing Dick ever saw-her hand. The
creamy gloveup it, the simmer of lace
and glitter of gold at the wrist, and the
soft, white flesh beyond; never had he
seen the like! Never had he felt such Il
touch, or had been spoken to in such a
tone.
"Oh, amt in for it now :" he muses. :;
and then he looks up into the lady's face.
He saw an expression there that he
did not understand. He had seen anger
in the faces of those who had caught him
suddenly. Triumph-he knew the look
Of when after u long chase he had been
taken. Scorn-that was common; plenty
OF that at all times. This was pity 50
he could not make it out at ALL \ Hebrew
inscription would not have been more un-
ineligible to Dick.
There was no chance for bolt now. The
lady, the gentleman who came with her,
ha nt,i, II l,1 .,t, l,i.
officer, formed a semi-circle in front be-
hind was the bale Of cotton against which
he had rolled himself for protection. He
sits up, drinking in that strange express
sion which at once scares, puzzles, and
pleases him, till sort of sleepy, faint
feeling makes him close his eyes
''IIe's going to faint" says the lady. II
knew he was hurt. Oh, see how he is
bleeding"
He is bleeding badly. Big drops are
trickHng down fast his ragged sleeve,
which will soak no more. These come
from an ugly tear Caused by nail in the
wharf planking) on his arm Just above
the elbow.
"Don't look, Mrs. Austen,' says the
captain; '.'ll have him attended to. Oh,
nuttl ttl ColllC tlllu tlllS Do1
on board, and give my compliments to
the doctor,and ask him to plaster up this
cut"
Dick has no power to resist. He is
carried on board, muttering. "Come,
amt done nothing to you,'
A cold lunch is served under the avn
ing on the main deck Two other ladies
and their escorts arrive, but the meal is
delayed by the appearance of some of the
crew, bearing squat, heavy boxes, which
jingle as they are lowered through a trap
door in the deck, partly under the lunch
table.
"MeXican dollars" explains the cap
tain.
"What u lot Of money! the lady re-
marks.
"Not so much as you suppose but a
tidy sum. Each box contains two thou
sand dollars, and there are fourteen of
them-eh, Mr.. Mansfield p This to the
officer in charge, who confirms the count.
They have got to their first glass of
champagne, when the doctor joins them.
.o1r- ~