The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1879-11-22


stung the other day! 1t was the first
signal of long, dreary winter, and
even men in overcoats turned sharp cor
ners to get out of the biting blast. Two
children, boy and girl, neither over
nine years old, stood shivering in door
way on Monroe Avenue, wishing to go
on to their lowly home, but dreading
the wind. They crept closer and closer
to each other, and their chins quivered
and their noses grew red as they grew
colder. Hundreds of men and women
passed up and down without care, but
by and by along came a whistling, jovial
lad of fourteen, who was swinging his
bootblack's kit by strap and picking
up the steps of some clog-dance. He
saw the shivering bits of humanity
where others were blind, and halting
before them with +" clig-]iggcr-riggcr :"
of his heels and toss Of his box, he
called out.
"Kin / borry them ere chins o. yours
about an iourP''
!" Yes, ma'am," dcmurely replied the
girl.
81 kin, eh?-hoi hoi .ho!s That's a
givc-away on me! Be you chickens
Yes, ma'am," she answered again.
"And that ere cub is your brother, l
s'spose? Well, when I'm cold l git
warm. What do you do-frceze?"
Yes, ma'am, If you please" she re-
piled.
t.t"If please-ha! ha! ha!-'nother
givc-away on me! Well, you autumn
leaves come along with me. / hain't
got 10 influence on the weather, but
kin smell a hot stove as fur off as the
next sinner in this town. Come right
over to this store"
I He led the way across the street and
into an Office where there was a fire.
He had placed chairs for them when a
man came in from back room and
said:
"What do you children want here?''
! "Want some o. this waste holiness,
bluntly replied the sinner. "These ere
cubs is nigh froze TO death, and
brought 'cm here to thaw out"
"And we won't even look at you, nor
cough, nor snccze!" added the little
girl, as she saw a frown on the mans
face.
"That's richness there's innocence!''
| laughed the sinner, and the mans face
!. cleared and he poked up the fire and
said they could sit nearer.
"S'pose men you chip IN and buy
'em sumthin' to stay their stomachs?'
suggested Sinner all of sudden. ssTcll
(, you what, some of the children in this
town don't have a square meal any
| m II, -
/ tie gal, are We hungry?n
"Yes, ma'am, if you won't be mad al
u.s." she replied.
The man stood irresolute, but Sinner
went down into his pocket, ratified
around and said:
Here's ten cents that says they are
hungry"
swell, III give as much, " replied the
man. t" You go and buy something and
they can sit here and cat it,
Sinner bought crackers and cheese,
and the children ate until he felt Obliged
to say:
Snow, you cubs go a lcetlc bit slow
and save the rest for supper. Kin W
find the way home aloneP''
+" Yes, ma am"
| Anu 40 you Ieci Us warm as tatcl
bugs rolled up in woolp'', ,.e
"Yes, ma'am.'
"All right, then. We're dead to
rights obliged to this man, and I'll black
his boots besides. You'd better rur
along home now. What We goin' to tel
yer mother?"
I'm tell her we come awful neal
going to heaven, and my little brother
he thanks You, too, and now we'll Q,
and-and thank you ma'am, ever SC
many times; good bye!''
The man looked after them through
the window with softer lines in his fac.
than had been there for months. Til,
hoy stood outside on the walk ant
watched until they had turned corner
and then exclaimed:
. Phew! but l most feel that l wa.
engaged to that gal!"-Detron Ere,
d..