The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1878-10-04
Earth's Lone Children.
BY NJ. QUAD.

whose pinched face betrayed hun
ger, and whose clothing coul,
scarcely be called by the name
dropped into Il carpenter shop, til,
other day, and after much hesita
ton explained to the foreman:
I'VE want to get II grave.boart
for ma. She died last winter, and
the graves are so thick that We
can't hardly find hers no more.
We went up last Sunday, and we
came awful near not finding it.
We thought we'd cit II grave board,
so we wouldn't lose the grave,
When we thought we'd lost it, Jack
he cried, and Bud she cried, and my
chin trembled so | could hardly
talk p
"Where is your father ?o asked
the carpenter.
son, he's home, but he never
goes up there with us, and we
Shan't tell him about the board. |
guess he hated ma, for he wasn't
home when she died, and he
wouldn't buy no coffin nor nothing,
Sometimes, when We are sittin' O n
the doorstep talking about her, and
Jack and Bud are crying, and Pm
rememberin' how she kissed MS all
atore she died, he says we'd better
quit that, OF wen get what's bad
tor us. But we sleep up stairs, and
we talk and cry all we want to.
How much will the board be ~
The carpenferselected something
lit TOR the purpose, and asked:
"Who will put it up at the
grave ~
Wen take it up on our Cart
replied the boy, "and | guess the
graveyard man will help us put it
up"
"Iou want the name painted ON.
don't your
Yes, sir; we want the board
white, and then we want YOU to
paint on that she was our ma. and
that she was Al years old, and that
she died the I'd of November. and
she's gone TO heaven, and that
she was one of the best mothers
was, and that we are going to
DC good all our lives and 90 up
where she is when we die. How
mach will it cost, sir ?"
GLOW much have YOU got ?"
Well" said the boy, as he
brought out IA little calico bag and
implied its contents on the bench.
Bud drawed the baby for the
conan next door and earned 20
ehtS; Jack he weeded in the gar
and earned 40 cents, and he
)und D more IN tile road; | run on
IrandS and made kites, and fixed .
boys cart, and helped carry some
pipes INTO a store, and | earned IS =
1htS. All that makes 1870 cents,
r,ssand pa don't know we've 90 it,
we kept it hidin the ground m
lder a stone"
The carpenter meant to be liberal,
he said:
"A grare-board will cost at least j
co." -
The lad looked from his little
ore OF metals to the carpenter
ut back, realized how many weeks
III passed since the first penny
earned and saved, and sudden. r.
walled out:
linen we can't never, never buy
e, ana mas grave will get LOST
But he left the shop with tears of IL
ldneSs ID his eyes, and, when he wi
urned yesterday, little Bud and
ok We're with him, and they had
ant. There was not only a head lis,
ard, but n for the foot of the ev,
ave as we'll, and painter and car vii
lter had done their work with U ~,
| hearts, and done it well. San
Amt it awful ~nice-nicer than
b folks have" whispered the J
ldren, as the boards were being -
ced on the cart; "won't the grave -.
K nice, though, and won't we be
full gladw
e thistle mothers grave has been T
rked, and when night comes the
ee motIlerleSS ones will Cuddle and
together and whisper their per
tltude that it cannot be lost to fish
m, even IN the storms and drifts lug,
g