The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-12-31
"Haye some maccnroni. little eentle-


man." said the woman.
Then she gave him tin plate and a
lead spoon, and helped him to some of
the stuff in the big bowl on the table;
but it did not taste good, and Freddy,
though he was SO young, felt that it was
dirty.
you must take your coat off before
yen eat, you know" said the organ
man.
Freddy again declared that he would
rather go home, but the organ grinder
helped him off with his coat, SO that he
had no choice, and he tried to eat some
of the stuff, though it tasted 30 very
nasty.
Then he put the plate on the table and
said:
please, sir, let me go home. Put on
my coat and let me go home"
But nobody answered him. The man,
the woman, and the boys were all about
him, staring at him with their big, black
eyes, and showing their white teeth, as
though there were some great joke afoot;
and now the woman said, only he did not
understand her:
"And the cap is sealslin, also" and
took it off
And the man said.
A good suit fine white shirt and
gold studs, and took off his jacket, his
little pants, his white shirt and his nice
boots. He would have taken his stock
ings and flannel underclothes, too, but
the woman said:
"No, leave those. I do not want the
child to die of cold, as our little Angelo
did in this dreadful country"
So they left those and put over them
some filthy rags, and tied on his feet
wretched shoes with the toes out, and
then the man said
Come, you may go home now"
Little Freddy was only too glad to go,
even without his clothes.
He ran out of the room as soon as the
door was opened, and down into the
street, and there the organ man clutched
him by the arm and led him away for a
block OF two, and then said:
Shut your eyes minute, little gen
tleman.
Freddy did So The man let go his
arm, and in minute, Freddy said:
Please, sir, maynt L open my eyes
now?"
Nobody answered, and he opened
them. Then he saw that he was all
alone. He ran on little; and then he
began to see that he was not in any street
he knew. He had no idea where his
home was or how to find it. He knew
he was lost, and began 10 cry; but he
was not taken any notice of. III he had
been dressed as he was when he went
ont upon his own front stoop, no doubt
things would have been different; but
people only saw very ragged child
one of those who are always in the street
"a little beggar taught to cry, so that
the passers by would give him money,
perhaps.
They went on their way and did not
speak. He was hungry and tired. and
cold and frightened, and he wished,
over and over again, that be had not
left his own door; he knew all his trouble
came from that, and when ut last big
policeman stopped and asked him what
was the matter, he could only cry and
say: II want my mother; L want my
papa; / want my home, and dinner.
And the policeman was very kind. He
took him in his arms and carried him
to the station-house.
Here's another lost child" he said,
ho ut oit lliiu uOWn.
Gentleman here just now for lost
child, said another officer; "but it was
not child like that. Had on sealskin
overcoat and cap, and gold buttons on
his sleeves. He says his mother will die
if he's not found, and he seems nearly
crazy himself. They fear that the child
has gone to the river and got drowned.
Name of Murray; little boy called
Fred
That's me-" said Freddy. "Oh,
that's me"
Likely" said the policeman; "you
look like one to wear sealskin coat.
The organ grinder took it off, said
Fred "Oh, call my own papa. He'll
know it's his little Fred
And just then some one said ANY
news yet?" and in at the door came such
worrieS-looking man, that Freddy
hardly knew him for his smiling papa;
but it was. And he knew Freddy even
in those dirty rags, and how glad they
both were, and how glad mamma was when
papa carried him home.
Z" / never will run away again." said
Fred. Il never will be such bad boy
any more; / always will mind" and he
meant it. Catch Freddy to do anything
his mother tells him not to do now. He
knows what comes of it too well.