Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1880-02-26

the smutty face like stars from mud
hole, lifted apprehensively to the dark
face.
81 do declar' fer it," mutterod the old
woman, white trash and black trash is
mostly alike in their no count pranks,
that's fact! Blest if this amt the queer
est piece OF business Use ever seen at this
house yit! A wallentine Missus Ruth S
ways is so unexpected! Here, you poor,
little white beggar!"
Dinah's crusty manner softened little
as she watched the 9reediness with which
the child devoured the big slice of bread
and butter, but she melted outright when,
as she finished her feast, the "little white
beggar' slid from her chair and caught
and kissed the big black hand, saying:
81 likes you, cause you like Dick. |
likes good black folks!"
When aunt Ruth came down she found
her "wallentine" seated in Dinah's own
rocking.chair before the FIRE, while Dinah
herself, down on the floor, had the almost
frozen feet in her lap. warming them, and
giving vent to some very unorthodOx ex-
pressions of opinion as TO the ordering of
Providence.
"Sakes alive! don't know it's 10, but
the Lo'd seems to pay mighty eight Of
tei.t'cn to some folks and fergit all about
the rest. Pears like chllun ought to be
looked after anyhow. They amt though,
half on 'em! Things is queer in this
world if It's the Lo'ds world"
"Well child" said Aunt Ruth, NOW
that thee is warmed and fed will thee tell
thy name and where thee belongsp"
She shock her head.
Don't belong nowhere. Father always
called me 'Drat.you-Bab!'"
Aunt Ruth sighed over this dolorous
compound cognomen.
HAS thee no motherP"
"0nce. She called me 'Here-yOu-Ba
Father struck her once with bottle, aud
In the morning she went dead. And one
day the perlice took father away, and old
Bet told me to go long too, and went
long fer as could. | hadn't nowheres
to stop to, and | crawled into Dicks box
and he put things over me and fixed me a
jolly nice place, and ev'ry day he took
care of me. Ho made this"-and
here the child stopped and drew
from one Of the capacious boots
which she had put on again, upon getting
down from the rocking.chair, doll whit
tied ilom stick and artistically finished
with coal, rs to hair, eyes and mouth.
She looked at it admiringly for a moment,
re-arranged its drapery of old print which
was somewhat disturbed by its Journey IN
the boot, and restored it to its resting
place.
Aunt Ruth sighed again.
"Give her warm bath, Dinah, and
then thee may make her a bed on the
lounge in my room. will give thee
something that will serve her as a night
dress"
The poor little wandering child was
soon wrapped in warm shawl and curled
down on the lounge In Aunt Ruth's pleas
ant room; too much excited by the novelty
Of her position to sleep-too comfortable
to do anything but hug the wooden treas
ure and stare, first at her pretty surround.
ings, then at the kind face at the FIRE.
side. Suddenly she raised herself on her
elbow.
"Dick said he heard there was nangels
that lived somew'eres an took care Of
folks. Be you oneP"
"No, no, child" said Aunt Ruth gently;
81 am only Aunt Ruth. Go to sleep"
"Yes, m. But | do wish Dick was a
valentine. It's very cold into his box. u
Aunt Ruth and Dinah sat late into the
might hastily tashioning warm garments
for the little one, and considered them.
selves well repaid by the delight with
which they were donned in the morning
| While happy little "Drat- you. Bah" was
taking her breakfast by the side of the
kitchen stove IL shadow darkened the win.
dow, and the little girl, looking up, ex
claimed, joyfulIy:
80, there's my Dlck!"
Dinah opened the door and babe him
"come look in, giving him a jerk TO ia.
cilitate his movements. He scrambled
bashtully in, and in a moment the child's
arms were around his neck, and her face,
pretty in its unwonted cleanliness, nestled
against his black cheek, while she poured
out torrent OF eager exclamation of sat.
lsiaCtiOn at being valentine.
When she at last released him Dinah
took him by the shoulders and seated him
firmly in chair.
"Now," said she, "you's jest goin to
set there till you 'spain this whole range
ment to me and Missus. An you Jest lay
out to tell the tufe, the whole trufe, and
nofiin but the trufe all the way through
that is, if ye kin. Niggas is mostly
mighty unsartln!"
When Aunt Ruth came down she found
her "wallentine" bringer sitting by the
fire with little Bah at his side, he, two lit.
tie hands tightly held in one of his own,
and supreme satisfaction at the success oi
his odd scheme shining in every feature oI
his honest face. Her eyes filled as she
stood in the door moment unnoticed by
the children, but she was not given tC
demonstrations and made no comment,
And then Dick rose in his place, still
holding both the little hands.
81 hain't got much to tell, ma am. I'm
only Dick, the Lootblack, AN this yer lit
tie girl | found one night last week. Me
and Joe Rafferty, had been to a place
where they had SONS piCters an things
the man called pandoramer, an when
We come out twas late and we was colo
. an we run all the way to the box. The
box is a big box down by Higbys ware
house, an we sleep into it. An we founC
this little Bab a curled up into it asleep
Joe he was agoin' to bounce her, but wher
+ he seen how little she was he didn't. He
| Jest yanked his coat off an put it over hel
| and some old carpet, too, an we did cover
her up elegant, an she slep' till mornin'
} In the mornin she told US she hadn't nj
place to stay, an we reckoned to TAXI
: care Of her our ownselyes after that. JOE
an me got her crackers and milk an
, things when we could, an we mad,
: believe she was our housekeeper. Jot
r swep' the crossin's an one day a team
knocked him down an killed him all OF {
, sudden. This here Bah she cried so, an
was so lonesome after Joe, that allowed
it was better to find her home If could
| seen folks sendin' valentines fer pres
| ents, an | thought some one orter like {
, little girl better'n plcter. | seen you OF
the street, ma'am, the day you gave tn,
! lame man some money, an followed
along to see where you lived, an whel
: you went up the steps you seen me, al
you smiled out Of your eyes SO good that
: most knowed you'd be kind to little CIR
, what hadn't nobody but me. She's rea
: cute, ma'am. | seen you once. too, addet
: he to Dinah, who stood with dish towel il
hand, grayely weighing his words. %.