The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1879-12-04
LittleyRed Noses.

How that north wind whistled and
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 a 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 as they grew
colder. Hundreds of men and women
passed up and down without care, but
by and by along came whisting, jOvial
lad of fourteen, who was swinging his
bootblaek's kit by a 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 q clig-Jigger-rigger "
of his heels and a toss of his box, he
called out.
kin 1 borry them ere ehins o. yours
about an hOurP''
Yes, ma'am, - demurely replied the
girl.
"Ikin, ehP-hol no! ho! That's
give-away on me! Be you chickens
cold?''
Yes, ma'am," she answered again.
"And that ere cub is your brother,
s'sposeP Well, when I'm cold l git
warm What do you do-freeze?''
g Yes, ma am, if you please she re-
Piled
eff I please-ha! ha! ha!-'nother
give-away on me! Well, you autumn
leaves come along with me. hain't
got no influence on the weather, but l
kin smell hot stove as fur off as the
next sinner in this town. Come right
over to this store.n
He led the way across the street and
into an office where there was fire.
He had placed chairs for them when a
man came in from back room and
said:
''What do you children want hereP'
'sWant some o this waste hotness,"
bluntly replied the sinner. "These ere
cubs is nigh froze to death, and l
brought 'em here to thaw out"
'sAnd we won't even look ut you, nor
cough, nor sneeze!" added the little
girl, as she saw a frown on the mans
face.
''That's richness; there's innocence!n
laughed the sinner, and the mans face
cleared and he pOked up the fire and
said they could sit nearer.
''S'poSe mem you chip IN and buy
'em sumthin' to stay their stOmachs?n
suggested Sinner all of a sudden. ''Tel
you what, some of the children in this
town don't have a square meal any
mOre'n yOu'n me wear diamonds. Lit
tie gal, are ye hungryP"
Yes, ma am, if you won't be mad at
u.s. she replied.
The man stood irresoiute, but Sinner
went down into his pocket, ratified
,,.or,p1 anI caiI
Here's ten cents that says they are
hungry!"
"Wen, IN give as much, " replied the
man. q You 90 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 a leetle bit slow
and save the rest for supper. Kin ye
find the way home alone?'
81 Yes, ma'am."
ssAnd do you feel as warm as 'tater
bugs rolled up in woolP''
Yes, ma'am."
''All right, then. We're dead to
rights obliged to this man, and III black
| his boots besides. You'd better run
along home now. What ye goin' to tell
yer mOther?"
"I'H tell her we come awful near
going to heaven, and my little brother
he thanks you, too, and now We'll go
and-and thank you ma'am, ever 50
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 l was
engaged to that gal al!''-Detrott Free
Press.