The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-06-27


.Ellen's face.''
my beautiful girl,'' he said to him
self, with the tears standing in his eyes,
"how little thought of this hour when
I kissed her goodbye!
/ And then his heart grew even warmer
to the pledge of their mutual love.
He had the address that Mrs. Golden
had given him in his pocket. He glanced
/ at it now to refresh his memory as to the
number. A plain respectable street in
one of London's suburbs; he remembered
it well.
-"But my boy shall see better things
now that am here" he said to himself
II am not rich, but I can deny myself
he love me, I wonder?"
Then he thought how his own heart
had been won by toys and sweetmeats,
and coming to stop where the former
were sold, paused before the gay window,
and began to make mental choice be-
tween red and gilt stage coach and
horses and train of bright blue carriages.
He had discarded both for box of
scarlet-coated soldiers, when suddenly he
felt tug at his coat-tail, and turning
round, he found grimy little hand half
in. half out of his pocket. He caught it
at once, with his handkerchief in it, and
gripped it tight.
He was soldier, and to soldier the
keeping of law and rule is great thing
To give the little thief to policeman
and appear against him the next day, was
his first thought: but as the creature
stood there, shaking and whining, the
tact of his diminutive size struck the cap
tain forcibly. He preceived his youth,
| which was extreme, and he saw that, be-
sides being young and small, and wan,
! and dirty, ana ragged, he was deformed.
His queer little shoulders were heaped
up to his ears, and his hands were like
talons, SO long and bony we're they. The
captain held the wrist of this mannikin
| firmly still, but not angriiy.
What did you mean by that, sir?'' he
growled slowly, STOPPING down to look
into the boys eyes.
I'm 70 hook it," 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-never, oh, please"
I've a mind to have you sent to jail"
said the captain.
mo, please, sir" said the waif.
Please. sir"
Who taught you to steal?" asked the
captain.
The boy made no answer. Grimy tears
we're pouring from his eyes,
ANSWER me-" said the captain.
"IfI don't steal, don't get no vlctuals,"
said the boy, land my stomach is boiler
feel it mister its as boiler as drum
She's been Begin to-day, and we'll have
stew. l won't have none if / don't fetch
notlin'. Oh"
"Who is she9" asked the captain.
my mother" said the boy.
1--WE been hungry myself" said the
captain, thinking of certain Indian
prison experience. SIT isn't pleasant"
''Then he thought of his own boy.
God knows ought to be tender to the
little one, for the sake of Nellie's child"
said softly; then aloud 'Laddie, III
not send you to prison."
"Thankee, SIR said the urchin
"And I'll give you breakfast" said
the captain.
The dirty elf executed sort of ioy-
ouswar- dance.
"Do you kaew WIZ forgive you?"
said the captain.
The c. child shook his head.
II have a little boy" said the captain.
"He's very different from you, poor child
He would not steal anything. He washes
himself. My lad, you must wash your
self as soon as you find water But /
couldn't think of his being hungry, and
for his sake cant 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-ike my little fellow, poor laddie
clean and good. Don't steal; try to get
work. Will you promisei"
The waif said "yes sir, of course.
Then the captain led him to a 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 nv boy
and him together new, what contrast"
And he fancied his boy round and
white and pink, and fair of hair, like his
poor lost Ellen, and l 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 between
his knees and lectured him. To be good
was to be happy. Honesty was the best
policy. Cleanliness came next to godll-
ness. These were the heads of his dis
course.
Then ne gave him halt crown, and
babe hun GO and be good and clean.
And the boy was off like fash.
Thousands just such as he in this
great city" sighed the good captain, and
he walked along. "Ah, me-"
Then he went in search of Mrs. Ann
Golden and his own fair darling.
But Mrs. Golden was not so easily
found as he hsd hoped. There was
little shop in the house he had been di
rected to. and the keeper thereof said
that she had bought it of Ann Golden;
but I havnt seen her SINCE she said;
only there's q bit Of card with her
number On it-that is. if can find it
After . search she did bnd il, and the
captain, thanking her hurried away, but
another disappointment avuited hin.