Connecticut western news., 1880-11-10
"DEAR BOY."
A Pathet tic Little Sketch.

l township to committee meeting, and had taken mother with him, so Dorcas and I had the whole care of Mabel, @ pleasure that did not often fall to us. She was sitting in her little rocker, with the white kitten in her lap and one little red cheek pressed against my knee, as she looked in my face while read. Dorcas was sewing as usual, but more interested in the reading than Mabel, who could not understand word. Dor cas was twelve, and had never read Jane Eyre, and was tired of telling her the story in snatches. We were half through the book, and as read to the passage where she comes to St. Johns door, Dor cas laid her work down to listen. had reached the climax where the old ser want closes the door upon her, and St. John appears on the scene and speaks as one having authority.
 "Who or what speaks p asked, ter rified at the unexpected sound, and in- capable now of deriving from any occur renee hope of aid. A form was near what form, the pitch-dark night and my enfeebled vision prevented me from dis tinguishing. With loud, long knock the newcomer appealed to the door. At this supreme moment there came sudden, loud and peculiar knock at the door, so close to me that I involuntarily caught Mabel, while Dorcas seized 8 chair and stood in a pugilistic attitude, with face as white as snow. was the first to rally-I am nineteen-for felt that the home was left in my care, so I reused up old Susan, who was asleep in the kitchen, and we. asked cautiously through the panels who was there, but received no answer but low moan, and I felt sure it was some one in distress, so I opened the door, a little bit at time, and at last looked out, but could see nothing.
 The wind whirled the dead leaves in great heaps and sifted them over the doorstep there was 8 mound of them lying there, and under it something stirred. My heart gave great bound.
 "Bring the light, Susan.'
 Old Susan brought the light, shading it with her hand. stopped, trembling all over, and touched something; it gave moan and sat up.
 It was only boy after all poor, sick, wasted, small boy, that seemed to be starving. We carried him into the house, and tried to make him talk, but he did not seem to understand what we said, and moaned and cried as if in great pain.
 "What shall we do with him p I asked, in despair. "I do wish father would come he will have to stay all night now, so you may as we'll put him in the little room, Susan, and make him comfortable, poor little fellow p
 He was such pretty boy, even ill rags and sickness he was so thin that his bones actually seemed worn through, and his great black eyes stared fright fully he was too sick to hold his head up, and Susan carried him into the little corner room, and undressed him as she would a baby, while Mabel stood by the door and said "pitty boy" in her small, bird-like voice.
 When father and mother came home we met them at the door, and Dorcas and I both tried to tell the story at the same time.
 "Well," said father, sternly, "as understand it you have taken in lazy tramp, who, when we are all fast asleep, will get up and let his friends in to rot and murder"
 Mother had disappeared in the bed room. Now she came out and said:
 "He is very ill indeed, Jeptha. I
 would not surprise me if he died before
 morning. He is buring up with fever.
 "Smal pox, most likely" observed
 father.
 "Maybe it's diphtheria, cried mother
 in alarm. "Oh, girls how could you Just think of Mabel p
 ''Should we have left him out there t.
 die?" asked Dorcas.
 "'Taint nothing but cold" said ol' Susan. "He's only starved to death beside, you aint no need to fear. Som
 yarb tea, and 8 nights rest'n fetch hir
 round all right"
 He had the ''yarb" tea and many , long nights rest, but he never was an better; as Susan would say, "Nothir but starvin' did it." But he had starve
 @ little too long. Nature did not reas
 sert herself, and "Boy," as we all calle
 him, could not take hold again of tn
 life he had so utterly dropped. ' 'It ain't in hlm,'' said old Susan n "'pears like he gets winter and white every day."
 At first, while he seemed like sic boy-tramp, we all kept away from hin . except mother, who took the best cal of him; then one by one we drifted to see how he was getting along, and { @ last the little corner bedroom was or general rendezvous, and Boy sitting ul > white and wasted, its centre of attra e tion. We knew from the first he woul s never get well, and we tried to find h l friends, but he seemed to be alone l the world. This much we could see f. u ourselves, he was of gentle blood, ar 's had been used to home care, but o spoke a foreign tongue and but little ie that. All day he would sit bolstert u up, and play with wan fingers wi III MabePs toys and when we found b E disease was not contagious, we used g. put our darling on the little bed, whe n- she would set and talk to him in h y baby lingo by the hour. She is such "a happy child, it seemed as if she charm