St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-08-29
Gnr the Children.
My Little Hero.
BY EARNEST GILMORE.

hear my young readers asking; so as
not to keep them waiting, will answer
at once, eyes, very beautiful Now
let me describe him: Gray eyes, hollow
cheeks and matted hair; humpbacked,
barefooted, hungry and cold was my
little hero. Perhaps you may think L
am contradicting myself to thus de-
scribe the boy and still presist in call
him beautiful but L am talking about
character when use the adjective beau
tiful-not face or form.
1t was bitter evening, and as Billy
wandered along the London streets the
keen wind sought and found entrance
to every hole in his ragged pants, and
whipped his thin, blue, bare ankles till
step grew fainter.
street where the ''Prince of Darkness"
ruled without molestation. The heavy
fog enveloped him and made him look
still more hOllOw-eyed and CHASTITY as
here and there the gaslights hared in
his face.
/ Dear young readers, do the words,
so mercy !" 40 goodness !" sometimes
slip from your lips, and do your good
Christian mothers reprOve you, saying,
"Don't use an attribute of your heaven
ly Father as a common expression let
your yea be yea, and your nay, nay p"
Then think with pity of $he multitude
of children who not only are not chided
for swearing, but who are taught by
their own fathers and mothers by con-
slant example. Men, women and chill
dren thronged the street, but Billy
seemed to see no one poor little one
he was so accustomed to the stagger-
ing, TESTING, cursing that he thought
that was the way of all the world.
Not one happy face to be seen, but
blear-eyed, wretched women and men,
whose cOuntenances were marked with
horrible maudlin leers, and whose
clothes were heavy with the effiuvia
from filthy bodies, and the stencil of to-
bacco and whiskey.
Billy felt queerly tonight. Poor little
soul he was not given to Analysing his
feelings, but he felt sure there was "a
lump in his throat, great big one,"
and he could not swallow it. Little
pale-faced children were clinging pitt
fully to the scarcely knees of
their drunken mothers, seeking for
Billy had no one to cling to; instead
of clinging, he, thin little waif as he
was, was a support. Billy was moth
erless, fatherless, brOtherless, but not
sisterless. He reached the great rotten
shell called tenement-house, and hur-
ried up three shaky flights to the little
waiting sister. In narrow, dark room
which nine other occupants called home
the little Lena crOuched upon her bun
die of rags.
20 Billy Pm so glad you've come
have you got a crust for me 2"
go Lena! nObody'd give me crust,
and, o Lena, you're so hungry l came
near takin' somethin'; but 1 didn't,
Lena. We promised never to steal, and
you know mothers waitin' for us; but
Pm goin' out again, Lena, and I'll bring
you somethin' yet. Be patient, Lena,
poor little Lena" And Billy smoothed
the thin tangled hair.
''Now git out o here; yer don't pay
yer rint, and yer rooms better'n yer
company"
The children started at the rough
landlords voice.
'We've got no place to go, sir, and
Lena's sick-aUful sick" pleaded Billy.
''Can't help it; Pve rented this cor
ner, and the mans comm now. Out o.
here! Dye hear 2" And to expedite
matters the man seized Billy and shook
him roughly.
o. ''Come then, little Lena put your
arms arOun' my neck and I'll carry
you"
"Carry me Where, Billy 2"
~
per as he carried her down stairs, "Je-
sus Christ does, Lena you remember
what mother said when father hurt her
head with the awful stone 7"
81 can't think, Billy what was it 7"
"COme unto me and 1 aUiH giUe you
rest.n
"Will he give us rest 2"
eyes, Lena, I've been askin' him all
day cause the landlord told me this
mornin' he'd turn us out tonight
+ Billy put Lena down on the worm
eaten threshold below and climbed fee |
bly, up the stairs again to get the bun
die of rags upon which they had slept |
for many nights, for it was their one |
earthly possession.
"POOr Lena you're too weak to walk |
and can't carry you and the rags both, |
and it wouldn't do to leave the rags be- |
hind, for you're so thin you couldn't |
rest without 'em. STAY hers, Lena ; |
III wrap this old piece of quilt ovei
your knees, and I'll find place some |
wheIe.n
Down in the alley-way of crowded |
court Billy found an old dry goods box.
Ii was rickety and weather beaten, but
lay on its side in a wind-scIeened cor
ner. Billy knew his prayer was getting
answered. He arranged the bundle of
rags tenderly within, just as gently as
you've seen your loving mother beat up
the baby's cradle, smoothing softly the
rose blankets for the darling little one.
he hurried back for Lena found her
crying with cold. After depositing her
gently IN the nest he had made, he
started out again. He fell on his weary
knees in the alley and prayed "Jesus
Christ, please give me a bite for
poor sick Lena she's so hungry, OF
Jesus Christ she's awful hungry, and
sick and lame"
Billy felt strangely it seemed as III
he could not walk much further. He
longed, oh, how he lOnged, to lie right
down in the alley and sleep, but the
brave little fellow would not give up.
Lena must have sOmething-pOor Lee
ma" he thought, and so be trudged 90
To the end Of the alley. Something
round and yellow lies in his pathway.
.'Can 1t be an orange 7" Yes, surely, u.
Is, aud Billy has Il in HE hands, biS
inded eyes aglow with delight. He
smells Of Il, puts IL against bis cheek
even TO his almost eolOrless lips. And
does he long for a bitef Yes, II b
did not he would be more than human.