Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-05-12
WHO FOLLOWED OLE JOCK?
BY NJ. QUAD.

When the police, after hot chase be-
hind The Baby Duke" as the boys called
Ned Raven, the bootblack, failed to catch
him, they said he was the wickedest boy
in Detroit. They knew that he stole
doves, played cards, coaxed dogs from
home, threw stones through windows, en-
.couraged dog-fghts, and made it his
business to have a row with some other
boy regularly each day, and they de-
clared that his escape from State Prison
was truly a wonder. They peered into
the dark alley down which he had dis
appeared, and went on to say that the
Duke had no home, no character, no
friends, and that all the preachers and all
the prayers couldn't drive the devil out
Of him fol even one minute. That is one
side of the story, and there wasn't much
exaggera lion in the statements OF the po-
lice. AS Little English remarked:
ave bootblacks is all purity bad,
suppose, but The baby Duke-bless your
eyes! Why, he kin swear more in two
minutes than the rest Of us kin in all
day, and he'd set out to crack bank as
quick as he'd pry board OFT a hen-coop!
When the Duke plunged into the alley
and shook the police, he felt ugly, and
wanted to get even with some one. Old
Jock, the rag picker, lived down there in
the darkness and filth. His old shanty
was hardly tit for a barn, and the old
man went about in rags, and always
looked as if it was hunger alone that kept
his legs moving. Sick or we'll, home or
abroad on the streets, no one minded him
and even cats and dogs turned aside to
pass his grim old habitation.
"Ill 90 in and give the old cadaver
great !" muttered the Duke, as he
halted before the shanty, and he kicked
the door open with bang.
In the one room, family lighted by
dirty, suffering candle and cluttered up
with bags Of rags, old show bills, cans,
bottles, and scrap-iron, the Duke found
his victim. Old Jock was abed. The
boy had had slept on the wharves, under
coal-sheds, in barns, and in boxes, but he
had never had such miserable bed as
that before him. There was herb tea or
something Of the sort within reach Of old
Jock, and it was plain enough that the
rag-picker was very i'll.
"You are a good boy to come in and
see the old man!' whispered Jock, as
the boy stood before him, and the words
changed the Dukes plans in an instant.
care you sick!" he kindly asked.
Sick-awful! - replied old Jock. 81
haven't been out of bed for three days
and had neither food nor fire. I was
afraid must die alone, for none Of t.e
people around here like me-
No one liked old Jock. Every ones
hand was raised against him. There was
something in the situation to call out his
sympathy, and, going nearer the bed, he
said:
II hain't neither a French cook Lor a
wet nurse, but guess I kin collar this
thing and turn up lone hand. The first
thing is to ring up the curtain and call
out that tragedy entitled a good square
meal I've got little chink IN nv peck
ct, and Ill run out and surround few
eatables."
When he returned he had two or three
eggs, pinch of tea, some crackers ana
bit of meat, and in quarter of an
hour he was ready to remark:
"The festive board will now be sot
We can't afford all the delicacies OF the
seasons. and VIC haven't got Eaters served
up on six different plates, but I've seen
the time wouldn't go back on this fod-
der
The Old man had not spoken a word,
and his eyes had been closed most of tn e
the time. He let the Duke prop him up
in bed and hold a cup Of tea to his lips;
bl1t after trvincr RI cwellow y 1ittlo bo
wailingly said:
Its no use, boy-I'm too near deaths
door to want food I'm as grateful as an
old mana dying old man, can be; out
the most you can do is to sit here with
me and see me die. I didn't know YOU
at first, but now see you are the boy
called The Duke"
"Yours very truly" replied the boy, as
he put the cup on the old table.
"Boy! Do you know what was when
was a lad like yon?" earnestly asked
old Jock.
"Owned a post-office, maybe, or drove
coach Tor the Car of Russia, )" replied the
Duke, as he began satisfying his appetite.
II was wild, bad boyr' said the old
man, turning his head so that he could
survey the gloomy room. 81 ran away
from home-I stole, cheated, hated all
that was good. See where lam tonight!
l am dying here in this hovcl, feared by
children, stunned by men and women.
and rot one human being in all this wide
world to clasp my hand as the mystic
curtain Of death shuts down and makes
my soul afraid!''
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