The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-01-07
A Little Boy VINO Ran Away.

pose that when he said it he meant it.
The doorstep seemed very pleasant to
the little boy, who was seldom allowed to
go there alone, for there was nice back
garden, and every afternoon all summer
Betsy, the girl, or dear mamma herself
took him to the Central Park, and in
cold weather to take nice walk in the
streets. Just then he did not want to
leave the step, for mamma had put the
red rug down for him to sit on, aud he
had his little sealskin oyercoat on and
was ever SO snug and comfortable.
So he said briskly and cheerfully,
'FNo. ma'am."
And mamma said: "That's good
boy, and as soon as you feel cold, come
in. [ must go now and see to baby"
Then she softly closed the door behind
her so that it did not quite catch, for she
thought that Freddy would certainly run
In III few moments, and she did not
wish him to find any trouble in getting
the door open.
Then she went up to the nursery, and
the little boy sat where she had left him
and watched the people going to and fro
In the street, and carriages going past,
and big express wagons, and people with
things to sell, and poor beggars going
from door to door with baskets. Some
thing new every moment, for it was a
pleasant day and the streets were full.
At last, however, Freddy began to be
tired, and to wonder whether it was
lllnch-tirne, and he was Just about to
give the door push and go in, when he
heard music Such beautiful music it
seemed to him that he stopped and looked
about him. There, up the street, came
little crowd of children, and in their
midst he saw man who carried an organ
Oh his back, and on his shoulder a
monkey-as little, black monkey with a
long tail, who wore red frock and lit
tie, velvet cap.
The man had stopped playing when
Freddy saw him, for, when he heard
the music, he was yet around the cor
ner, but when he saw Freddy sitting
on the step, he stopped, turned the or
gan in front Of him, let out cord by
which he held the monkey SO that It
could jump and run a long distance, and
began to play again, while the monkey
ran up the steps and held up his hat for
money Freddy had two-cent piece in
his pocket, and he put it into the mon
keys hat, end then the organ man
played little faster, for now he had all
the money he expected to get he made
up his mind to get through as fastas pos
sible and go before some other house.
So as soon as he had finished the tune
I think it was the Star Spangled Ban
ner-he moved off, walking sideways.
and looking up at the windows for other
little boys and girls, and all the children
followed him.
I am sorry to say that Freddy went
with them. He was so delighted with
the little black monkey that he forgot all
about his promise to mamma He ran
down the steps and looked on with the
rest of the children.
They were mostly very dirty children,
indeed; not only were they ragged, and
some, poor souls, barefooted, but seemed
to have no soap and water and no pocket
handkerchiefs at home.
The clean little boy in his sealskiu
overcoat did look very oddly in such a
group; but he was not thinking of his
looks as he trotted on, with his eyes on
the funny black monkey, stopping when
ever the man stopped, and going further
and further away from home and those
who loved him. -~
I must say for him that he did not
think, what he was doing; but we will
find that If we do not think in this world
we will be punished for it.
At last the organ man stopped play
ing, as it seemed, for good. Heshut his
organ and put it on his back and walked
away He was near his own home, and
was going to get his dinner. And now,
as he looked around, he saw all the poor
children gone, and only a little boy in. a
sealskin overcoat, and with gold buttons
on his cuffs and collar, following him.
'NThat is a rich mans son." he said;
then he looked at the coat. "Real. seal
skin, ," he whispered s"It cost Lots Of
money" .
Then he smiled at little Freddy, and
said, il broken English:
"Wen, little gentleman, and do you
like to hear the pretty music. and see the
pretty monkey?"
eyes, sir" said Freddy; ''and I gave
the monkey my two-cent penny, and he
gave 1t to you.
every good, said the organ grinder
VERY good of the little gentleman:
and now if you will come with me I will
show you where the monkey lives, and
you can come to see him every day, and
[ shall let you play the organ yourself. -
Freddy was delighted. He at once
gave his hand to the organ-grinder, and
trotted away with him up the dirtiest
street he had ever seen, and into house
that was absolutely filthy. How it
smelt! How it looked! What broken
stairs there were; and into what room
he went, where woman and four or five
long white strings of something out of
tin plates.
A harp stood in the corner, and two
fiddles in green bags hung On the wall,
and there was q tambor;7e. The family
were evidently musical, but somehow
Freddy felt frightened.
81 want to go home, he said.
''Not YET, little gentleman" said the
organ-grinder You must first see the
monkey eat:
'Td rather go home" said Freddy,
beginning to cry. I'm hungry"
"Have some maccaroni, little gentle
man. said the woman.
Then she gave him tin plate and
lead spoon, and helped him to some of
the stuff in the big bowl on the table;
but it did not taste good, and Freddy,
though he was SO young, felt that it was
dirty.
'.You must take your coat off before
you eat, you know" said the organ
man. ~
Freddy again declared that he would
rather go home, but the organ grinder
helped him off with his coat, so that he
had no choice, and he tried to eat some
Of the stuff, though it tasted so very
nasty.
Then he put the plate on thetable and
said:
..Please, sir, letme go home. Put on
nv coat and let me go home"
But nobody answered him. The man,
the woman, and the boys were all about
him, staring at him with their big, black
eyes, and showing their white teeth, as
though there were some great joke afoot;
and now the woman said, only he did not