The Red Cloud chief., 1880-03-11

and peeg~d away with the oyster
Knife. II took him = long ~hiie 10 go
'outG4a Auuch. 60 cifp cd - 1922
II the shells. to pry tnsb th~ b.
without injury to the lnscscus NOR.
pcl wfshsa. asd then 10 slip IL tn,o The
hsg tin pal q; hand. lie got . bad cut
the palm rs be did IL. bot hs slon49ke;
sp with HI handkerchief. hni.sed hss
score. All asked the man for hs disr
ner. I'll
.Yos tink I gff yuu ron pisse unA
knife und fork ind napkin. no, goto'
work a, the oyshters. und here IL brod =
klsa:y 81 b had 20 take bis meal 50
be could p; IL on thc ceiizr stairs. Hrs
= uAedAvsy sasyyh " sas>as -
he again started on hs trsrFs-
The food revived kss dropping spirirs.
and he made bold Ia AK more r-oy~
for work. Some shook their had
without, n word: some said. Ne, nv
boy," In a kind sort VI way tha; made a
come in his thrcai. otAers told
him y 80 ~ the place assigned u
evil spfrffs; and o.hs>s sysfn .s-esss
him and passed on. This was NJ very
prania9s Ia wa ss~ lals il She days
and be WAS far from the sssznnboai
landing. He knew nobody, and was
Just wondering where ne should pass
The night, when n boy with a box
stnng by n leathsTn strap over has
shoulder jos,led him. He was a rough
fellow. abou, his age. but there VS.
a twinkle in tfs eye which e~mboldened
Tom Ia speak to him.
--- 49, -. ~.s >.
work To doy"
The boy put his fingers aside Of his
nose, winked violently, and made a
grimace, but said nothing.
"I'm in essnest." said Tom. ~ want
work badly"
"les, in my eye!" was the response,
regarding Toms more decent apparel
"Oh, but | do. What j. your trader
Snow see here, feller-citizeh, II you'y.
anv idea II comm ON my beat, | jist
warn We ye'd better git At once" and he
reply more emphatic.
But | have not" said Tom, anN-
iously. 81 only want work Of some
sort and a decent lodging. I'mi Just from
the country. and don't know a soul IN
| this town; besides, I've hurt my hand,
and il pains a good deal"
Lets see. I'm u crack doctor on
all the fellers' cuts
Tom unbound his hand, and the
youthful .Esculapius gazed q II with
great interest.
"ThatU knock you UP yet WAS the
comforting diagnosis, with q WISE shake
.n.I ,i..a 81. ntf . stt
Jim Jones had one jist in that spot, and
it festered, and hurt him so he had TO
60 " the hospital"
"sPshaw!" said Tom.
eyed better get yer granny to poui-
tee it,
IL tell you | don't know a human be-
ing in this city, and | haven't an idea
where l am going to sleep tonight
The boy surveyed him doubtfully.
"You might 90 To the station house"
"Not if 1 know it," said Tom. whose
visions Of grandeur, though DINNER,
were not TO tie brought down so low.
"Theu there's the Newsboys' Lodg-
i~ng-house."
"Could I get in theree But | don't
know the way"
"Come along with me; III show yer.
| 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 il was
flashed, he said: "You We're a big
fool to leave your home and try your
luck here. For one that swims a hun
dred sinks. Why, half the time I'm
hungry, and the way we fellers gifts
Knocked about is jist awful"
They reached the clearinghouse, 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 tn 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 tn
work ones way up from ~obscuri,y Ia
places Of trust and honor; that if his
endeavors were sanctioned by those N
authority over him, and kind friend.
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 hs
could maintain himself, and that lark:
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 castle:
were crumbling ~ he wendell his way
again to the docks. 1t was a weary time
he had TO find the boat which woul ear
nv him back, and it was with a grieveC
spirit that he found himself again nj the
little red house by the hill. Grieved and
weary and hungry, Aunt Maria, who's,
eyes were red with weeping, perceived
him to be. and with wonderful wisdom
she kept down her questions, and silent
ly made him comfortable. Little Jan'
was full of curiosity, and more than on
neighbor put their heads in to have
word to say.
4 A year afterward, as Tom, Ned
Green, and Jonas were busy huskins
corn in the calm stiffness Of the fall
when the stacks were all about them
like Indian wigwams, and the stubbl'
only of the golden pumpkins was left il
the field, and the beautiful river woune
itself away in the distance, bearing al
kinds of craft, Tom told them about hr
day in the city, and said he had con
cluded that the country was good enough
for him. and he meant To be - fsrmel
2 aIlthedsss Of his lifes-Ans.W.J =. Hayes
in Havpcr's Tospg People.