The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-11-21
Little Red Noses.

How that north WIND whlStled ana
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, a boy and girl, neither over
nine years old, stood shivering in door
way on Monroe Avenue, wishing to 90
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 rs 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 4 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-liggcr-rigger -
of his heels and a toss of his box. he
called out.
"Kin borry them ere chins o. yours
about an hourp'
eyes, ma'am," dcmurely replied the
girl.
81 kin, eli?-ho! no! no! That's q
give-away on me! Be you chickens
cold?''
" Yes, ma'am," she answered again.
| "And that ere. cub is your brother, /
s'spOse? Well, when I'm cold l git
warm. What do you dO-frcezc?''
Yes, ma'am, if you please she re-
piled.
elf 1 please-ha! ha! hai-'nothcr
give-away on me! Well, you autumn
leaves come along with me. hain't
got no influence on the weather, but l
kin smell a hot stove rs fur off rs the
next sinner in this town. Come right
over to this stOre.''
He led the way across the street and
into an Office where there was Il fire.
He had placed chairs for them when 4
man came in from n back room and
said:
"What do you children want here?"
swami some o. this waste holiness"
bluntly replied the sinner. "These ERE
cubs is nigh froze to death, and l
brought 'em here to thaw OUT
"And we won't even look at you, nor
cough, nor sneezc!" added the little
girl, as she saw 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.
dispose mem you chip IN and buy
'em sumthin' to stay their stomachs?"
suggested Sinner all of sudden. ''Tell
You what, some of the children in this
town don't have a square meal any
more'n you'n me wear diamonds. Lit
flo Oal are yo hunU,.v %;
eyes, ma'am, if you won't be mad ut
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!"
"Well, I'll give as much, ''replied the
man. :" You go and buy something and
they can sit here and eat it.''
Sinner bought crackers and cheese,
and the children ate until he felt obliged
to say:
"Now, you cubs 90 leetlc bit slow
and save the rest for supper. Kin We
find the way home alone?''
8" Yes, ma'am."
"And do you feel as warm rs 'tater
bugs rolled up in wool?''
eyes, ma'am."
"All right, then. We're dead to
rights obliged to this man, and I'll black
his boots besides. You'd better run
along home now. What We goin' to tell
yer mother?''
"I'll tell her we come awful near
going to heaven, and my little brother
he thanks you, too, and now we'll 90
and-and thank you ma am, ever SO
many times; good bye!''
The man looked after them through
the window with softer lines in his face
than had been there for months. The
boy stood outside on the walk and
watched until they had turned a corner,
and then exclaimed:
"Phew! but 1 most feel that was
engaged to that gal!''-DelroI Free
Press.