The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1880-02-05


knife: 1t took him long while to get /
the right touch, to clip off the muddy /
edge of the shells, to pry into the BIZ |
valve without injury to the luscious NOR |
sci within, and then to slip it into the |
big tin pail at hand. He got bad cut |
in the palm as he did it, but he bound it |
up with his handkerchief, finished his |
score, and asked the man for his din
ner.
g You tink gif you Won plate und
knife und fork und napkin; no, 90 to |
work at the oyshters, und here is brod a |
blenty." So he had to take his meal as !
he could get it on the cellar stairs, but |
he slowed away enough to satisfy him |
before he again started on his travels. |
The food revived his dropping spirits. |
and he made bold to ask more people |
for work. Some shook their heads
without word; some said, 50 No, my
boy" in kind sort of way that made
lump come in his throat; others told
him to go to the place assigned to
evil spirits; and others again stared at
him and passed on. This was not very
promising. It was now late in the day,
and he was far from the steamboat
landing. He knew nobody, and was
just wondering where he should pass
the night, when a boy with a box
strung by a leathern strap over his
shoulder jostled him. He was rough
fellow, about his own age, but there was
a twinkle in his eye which emboldened
Tom to speak to him.
8" Do you know where 1 can get any
work to do?''
The boy put his fingers aside of his
nose, winked violently, and made a
| grimace, but said nothing.
I'm in earnest" said Tom. g want
work badly"
q Yes, in my eye!" was the response,
regarding TOMS more decent apparel.
F'Oh, but do. What is your trader
g Now see here, feller-citizen, if you've
| any idea of comm on my beat, jist
warn We ye'd better git at once" and he
shook his fist in TOMS face to make the
reply more emphatic.
| 'EBut l have not" said Tom, anx-
iously. Z" only want work of some
sort and decent lodging. I'm just from
the country, and don't know a soul in
this town; besides, I've hurt my hand,
and it pains good deal"
''Let's see. I'm a crack doctor on
all the fellers' cuts.''
| Tom unbound his hand, and the
youthful Esculapius gazed at it with
great interest.
g That'u knock you up yet, - was the
comforting diagnosis, with a wise shake
of the head. ''Bad place to git cut.
Jim Jones had one jist in that spot, and
it festered, and hurt him so he had to
go to the hospital"
"Pshaw!" said Tom.
&c Ye'd better get yer granny to poul-
tice it,
81 tell you 1 don't know human be-
ing in this city, and l haven't an idea
where am going to sleep tonight
The boy surveyed him dOubtfully.
You might go to the statiOn-house."
Not if l know it, said Tom, whose
visions of grandeur, though DINNER,
were not to be brought down so low.
sEThen there's the Newsboys' Lodg-
ing-house.''
g Could I get in thereP But 1 don't
know the way
Come along with me; I'll show yer.
l sleep there most O. the time"
This was, indeed, unforeseen good for
tune, and Tom embraced it heartily
AS they walked along, Tim got out of
him his whole story; and when it was
finished, he said: % You were a big
fool to leave your home and try your
luck here. For one that swims hun
bred sinks. Why, half the time I'm
hungry, and the way we fellers gifts
knocked about is jist awful"
They reached the lodging-hOuse, and
, Tom, with his companions aid, regis
tered his name, got his ticket, and Sc
cured a bed. He was so tired he could
hardly speak, and the pain in his hand
was increasing. In the morning his
friend had gone. The matrOn seeing
his suffering dressed his hand, and led
, him on to tell her who he was and what
was his errand to the city. Kindly and
. patiently, she pointed out to him the
great wrong of his beginning, the wick
edness of leaving his aunt in ignorance
of his whereabouts, the mistake of sup
posing that it was an easy matter to
work ones way up from obscurlty to
places of trust and honor; that if his
endeavors were sanctioned by those in
authority over him, and kind friends
were willing to assist him and
procure him occupation, he yet
would find that it would only be by pa
tient labor and constant effort that he
could maintain himself, and that larks
ready cooked no longer dropped into
open mouths. All this and more came
home to the sorrowful Tom with great
force, for the dirt and jargOn of the city
were to him very distasteful. His castles
were crumbling as he wendell his way
again to the docks. 1t was weary time
he had to find the boat which would car
ry him back, and it was with grieved
spirit that he found himself again at the
little red house by the hill. Grieved and
weary and hungry, Aunt Maria, whose
eyes were red with weeping, perceived
him to be, and with wonderful wisdom
she kept down her questions, and silent
" made him comfortable. Little Jane
was full of curiosity, and more than one
neighbor put their heads in to have a
word to say.
A year afterward, as Tom, Ned
Green, and Jonas were busy husking
corn in the calm stiffness of the fall,
when the stacks were all about them,
like Indian wigwams, and the stubble
only of the golden pumpkins was left in
the field, and the beautiful river wound
itself away in the distance, bearing all
kinds of craft, Tom told them about his
day in the city, and said he had con-
Guided that the country was good enough
for him, and he meant to be a farmer
all the DAYS of his life.-MTS. W.. Hayes,
IN Harpe7-'S Young People.
Darky's Thanks.