The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1879-08-08
Miscellaneous.
A WHARF RAT.

He was levee Rat and his name wa,
Dick. As child he managed somehow tc
escape the massacres of want, neglect, ant
disease in great cities and we find him &
small boy IL years old living where he may
eating what he can get; his hand against
everything THAT will sell at a junk store)
aud every ones against him. A human raj
"a thing to hide itself in dark places, and
to be chased and worried when it venture.
into the light.
The levee which Dick infests is that o.
New Orleans =; down by the foot of Jackson
street where the English steamers lie, is his
happy hunting ground and on the day when
we make his acquaintance, it is not very pro.
ductive. The hunting has been all on one
side, and how Dick is discovered hiding be-
tween two bales of cotton is the query. He
is kicked, punched, dragged, jostled back.
ward and forward by the stevedore's men
like ragged shuttlecock, every one has 9
curse and blow for the Rat with whom
things are going hard, when
'Oh, how shameful to beat that poor boy
so ? exclaimed soft voice with ring Of
genuine indignation in it.
|. The speaker is lady, clad in crisp. cool
muslin--a lady, beautiful in face and
form.
'Oh,' she exclaimed, how shameful, tc
treat that poor child so Do, please, Cap
tain Gilbert, make them let him alone
Captain Gilbert, whose guest she is, and
who leads her up the stage, shouts
'Halloa quit that Let the boy go, and
get on with your work
Dick-who unable to dodge his tormen'
tors, has emulated the example of hedge.
hog, and made himself nearly as spherical
as possible against cotton bale-does moi
RISE The foe has not sufficiently retreated
but he keeps bright lookout from the cor
ner of one eye, so as to be ready for g
jump.
They have hurt him. said the lady. He
can't get up, poor little fellow 7 and before
any one can interfere, she trips down the
stage and STOPPING over the Rat who is SC
taken sbsck by the appsritien that he for
gets to jump, and rolls over straight. His
plight-when it appears that no bones are
broken-makes the lady smile. He has
been cuffed against lot of oil cake, and
is russell brown. He is fluffy all over with
cotton waste. His mouth is open and his
xyill NTH i.h month
is open and his eyes are wild with astonish
ment He had never been so near to lady
and don't know what will be done with
him.
Come, get up, says the Captain, 'there''
nothing the matter with you
Can you rise p asks the lady, and sh,
touches him with the most wonderful thin
Dick ever saw--her hand The creamy
glove upon it, the simmer of lace and gilt
ter of gold at the wrist, and the soft, whit
flesh beyond never had he felt such toucl
or been spoken to in such tone.
'Oh, amt in for it nowY he muses., an,
then he looks up into the lady's face.
lbCIS wac hO CuduCC ioi u pOlt uOWs ~
lady, the gentleman who came with her, tn
captain of the steamer, and its chief Office
formed semi-circle in front behind wa
the bale of cotton against which he ha'
rolled himself for protection. He sits VI
drinking in that strange expression whicl
at once scsres. puzzles, and pleases him, Ill
a sort of sleepy, faint feeling makes hin
close his eyes.
He's going to faint says the lady.
knew he was hurt. Oh see how he is bleed
ing
He is bleeding badly. Big drods are trick
ling fast down his ragged sleeve, which viii
soak no more. These come from an ugl
tear (caused by a nail in the wharf plank
ing) on his arm just above the elbow,
'Don't look, Mrs. Austen says the cap
tain I'll have him attended to. Ho, quar-
termaster come and carry this boy on boar
and give my compliments to the doctor
aud ask him to plaster up this cut
Dick has no power to resist He is carrie
on board, muttering, "Come, amt don
nothing to YOU
They were all standing on the main deck
Two other ladies, with their escorts arrive
but the meal is delayed by the appearance c
some of the crew, bearing squat heavy boxs
which jingle as they are lowered through
trap door in the deck, partly under the lunc
i tahla