Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-06-23
The Little Boot-Biack.

There was once small boot-black in ont
of the large cities of .he state of Ohio. W,
shall call him Joe. Joe was very hones
boy, although very poor and was only 8
boot-black
As | have described the boy shall &C
on with nv story.
There was once very nicely-dressed
gentleman walking along the streets; some
thing dropped out of his pocket, what
could it bei
By chance little Joe saw it and ran and
picked it up. What was iii 1t was a
pOcketbook with five hundred dollars and
some valuable papers in it. Now, thought
little Joe, what shall do, give it back to
him, or keep it, and be rich MANI
This was the discussion that arose in lit
tie Joe's mind; but the wrong was over
thrown, and little Joe was seen running
after the gentleman. He stepped up to
him and SAID, "Sir, you dropped your
pocket-book, have brought it to you
THANK you, sir, you seem to be a very
honest little boy, have you any parentsl"
''No sir, have not"
swell, if you will, you may come and
live with me, have no children, and live
in the country. Do you want to gol"
''Ies sir. will CO."
The man, whom | shall call Mr. Smith,
took little Joe to clothing store, and gave
him full suit of clothes, and in short
time they we're rattling along over the
country. Little Joe enjoyed himself ever
so much, when all at once thunuering
crash was heard, and the car which little
Joe was in broke loose and went tumbling
down an embankment.
Ii was thought that every person in the
car was killed, but not so, for who should
they see but little Joe, crawling from under
the ruined car with a few bruises.
Among the wounded was Mr. Smith.
with broken leg. He was carried to the
car that was still on the track, and they
were soon on the way again; soon they
came TO a small station called Greenville,
where they stopped. But how should they
get home? Mr.. Smith could not walk, SO
little Joe was directed 10 Mr.. Smiths house.
When he reached it, he introduced himself,
and told the sad news; as soon as possible,
there was conveyance taken to the depot
for Mr.. Smith.
Little Joe was kindly received when he
told all about it, and was soon made at
home.
The carriage came back with Mr. Smith
and there was a great dell of excitement;
the doctor was sent for and Mr.. Smith was
soon made comfortable.
Joe was soon told what there was for him
to do; he learned to ride on horseback, and
could milk the COWS. One day, after his
benefactOr had recovered and they were
going out riding, little Joe was left at home
lie entertained himself by making ships and
and taking them 10 the pond to sail this
was very - ertaining, and he got another
little boy td come and play with him. The
pond was quite large, and it was muddy
and slippery. The little boy that came
over fell IN the pond; little Joe did not
know what to do; he screamed with all his
might, but all of no avail; he happened to
think that there was a boat tied a little
farther up the pond. He jumped in the
boat and took up the oars and seemed to be
possessed with superhuman power. The
skiff seemed to fly over the water; he
reached him just in time, for the boy was
sinking the last time; he took him in the
boat and was soon on the shore. Little Joe
carried him home and told him how he
came 10 fall in.
One morning, when Joe was about twelve
years old, when the ground was covered
with snow, he was on the hill coasting;
this was a hill for all the boys in the neigh
borhood.
Little Joe did not have quite so nice sled
as the rest of them, but he could beat any
of theth in a race; some Of the bad bows,
one day, thought they would fix Joe's sled
so he could not go so fast, and so they did,
when Joe was not looking, they cut notches
IN the runners of his sled. This did not
please little Joe at all, and he determined
TO be even with them.
The next day being warm the snow
melted off, so there was no more sliding
down hill.
There is one more instance in little Joe's
life shall relate before my story comes to
a close.
Little Joe came home from school ore
day with the headache, and pains in his
Chest, and the next morning he was SO
weak that he could not get up. The doc
tor had to be sent for, and he was pro-
nounced to be in very dangerous condi- |
ton; he had the lung fever, but he began
to get better so that he could sit up, and
had IN enormous appetite. The doctor would
not let him eat anything but plain food he
began to get tired of this, and thought he
would get up in the night and get some
thing to eat.
And he did, he went to the cupboard
and ate pie and cake and other rich food
that was there. He went to bed but could
not sleep, he had overloaded his stomach.
The next morning he was so much worse,
that the doctor had to be sent for. Little
Joe did not disobey his parents-that is,
his adopted parents-again. Little Joe
grew up to be a great man, but he never
forgot the lesson he learned that night.