Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-11-06
Little BED Noses.

How that north wind Whistled and
stnng the other day. Even men in over
coats turned sharp corners to get out Of
the biting blast. Two children, a boy
and q girl, neither over nine years old.
stood shivering in doorway on Monroe
avenue, wishing to 60 on to their lowly
home, but dreading the wind. They
crept closer ana closer to each other,
and their chins quivered and their noses
grew red as they grew colder. Hun
dreds 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 hating before them with a
" clig.jigger-riggero of his heels and d
toss Of his box, he called out:
Kin ! borry them ere chins o. yours
about an hourPn
{ Yes, ma'am,n demurely replied the
girl
II kin, ehP-ho! hol hol That's
give-away on me. Be you chickens
cold?'
Eyes, ma'am," she answered again.
'tAnd that ere cub is your brother. /
'sposeP Well, when I'm cold I cit
warm. What do you do-freezep''
4 Yes, ma'am, if you please" she re-
piled.
:" If / please-ha! hal ha!-'nother
give-away on mel Well, YOU autumn
leaves come along with me. hain't
got no influence on the weather, but |
kin smell hot stove as fur off as 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 a fire.
He then placed chairs for them when q
man came in from back room and said:
/" What do you children want hereP"
Want some O. this waste hOtness.n
bluntly replied the sinner. "These 'ere
cubs is nigh froze to death, and brought
'em here to thaw out"
And we won't even look at YOU, nor
cough, nor sneeze,n added the little girl.
as she saw froWn on the mans face.
That's richness; there's innocencefi
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 stomachspn sug-
gested 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. Little
gal, are ye hungry?"
stlYes, ma'am, if you won't be mad at
US, she replied.
The man stood irresolute, but sinner
went down into his pockat, ratified
around and said:
Here's ten cents that says they are
hungry!n
"Well. III give as much, " replied the
man. You 60 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 60 little slow and
save the rest for supper. Kin ye find the
way home alonePn
Yes, ma'am."
And do you feel as warm as 'tater
bugs rolled up in wool?"
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?n
III tell her we come awful near 60
ing to heaven, and my little brother he |
thanks you. too, and now we'll 60, and |
you, ma'am, ever so many times,
good bye
The man looked after them through
5he window with softer lines in his face
5han had been there for months. The /
BOY stood outside on the walk and
until they had turned corner,
hen exclaimed:
: Fhewl but most feel that was in
gagged to that gal!n-Detrott Free Press.