Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1881-08-18
TON.

Oh! but it was cold; freezing, biting,
bitter cold! and dark, too; for the feeble
gaslights, leaping and flaming Is the
gale whistled@ by, hardly frightened
the gloom dozen PAGES around them.
The wind tore through the streets as
if it had gone mad; whirling before it
dust and snow, and every movable thing
it could lay its clutching hand upon.
A poor old battered kite, that, sometime
last autumn, had lodged far up in the
tallest tree in the neighborhood, and
had there rested peacefully ever since,
believing its labors at an end, was
dragged from its nest and driven unpity-
ingly before the blast. Some feeble
efforts it had made to dodge into corners,
lurking behind steps and driving into
areas; but not bit of it'll Down would
swoop the wind, and off it would 60
again.
At last, driven around one Of the
long row of barrels that stood, like
wretehed sentinels, along the edge Of
the sidewalk, it flew into the very
arms of small boy, who. seated on
the curb-stone, crouched down in the
barrels somewhat questionable shelter.
Such very small boyl He looked like
nothing in the world but q little heap
of rags; and the rags were very thin,
and the small boy was very cold. His
nose, his ears, his hands, and his poor
bare feet were blue.
"Tom"-that was all the came he had.
Who he was, or where he came from, no
one knew except, perhaps, the wretched
old woman with whom he lived; which
meant that she let him sleep upon pile
of rags on the floor of her miserable
room, and sometimes gave him crust,
and oftener q blow. When she was
drunk-and that was the greater part
of the time-Tom took to the streets;
and tonight she was very drunk. The
boy was, perhaps, some six years old
but as he covered down Oh the cold
flag stones, with his worn, pinched facs
and dropping head, he might have been 9
hundred.
| A carriage came rafting through the
street, and stopped close by him. Tht
door was pushed open, and two children
half-tumbled out, and leaving the dooI
swinging, rushed up the steps. Ton
watched them stupidity, heard the quick
sharp ring of the bell, caught glimps'
of something that looked very brigh
and warm, and then it was dark again
He turned his eyes toward the carriage
expecting it to drive of again, but !
still stood there. The coachman "a
upon the box like furry monument
One of the horses struck the stone
sharply with his iron hoof, and cas-
an inquiring look around, but the monu
nent sat unmoved. f' r .E.ask
Toms heavy eyes looked through tn
open door into the carriage. Dark -
was, he could see that it was lined wit
something thick and warm. He raise
, his head and glanced about him. II b
were inside there the wind could nc
touch him. Oh, if he could only &c
r away from it one minutei He woul
slip out again the moment the house-doo
opened. Unbending his still little body
f he crept nearer, hesitated moment, an
, as the wind came round the corner wit
roar, slipped swiftly and noiselessl
into the carriage.
1t was very. quiet in his nest, and Il,
soft velvet was much warmer than tn
| cold fagstones, and he was very tire
and very cold, and in half q minute b
|, was fast asleep. He did not know whe
; at last the house door opened and lad,
gathering her cloak close around he
came down the steps-did not kno
even when the suddenly-animated mon1
D ment descended from its pedestal an
: stood solemnly by the open door INIT
the lady had stepped inside. But whe
!. it shut with slam, and the coachmal
returning to his post, drove rapid
: away, his eyes opened and fixed the
frightened gaze upon the lady's fac
Preoccupied with her own thought
she had not noticed the queer bund
in the dark corner. Butnow, her attentio
e attracted by some slight movement o
d his part, she turned her eyes alowl
I toward him, and then, with suppress
! cry of surprise and alarm, laid her han
J. upon the door. The rxttie of .whee
: and the roar Of the wind pesvsatsa
; reaching the ears Of the eoachasn; N
: !, Tom, rapidly snwinding himself. !,
covering down In, the hotsow n 4
I carriage, said in : heightened aoh: e.s.
Il ~ didn't mean no harm. II
4 'awfai Cold Say, Just open The 90
. miss, ana IN jump out You nssdr
9 stop the kefridg gs." = 9
4 The lady. with aher hand stiii on Y
s door. demanded: ssgs.i
I "How did you get hsrer
81 "The door was open andI clum,n
!, answered. eIt was awful oold.s
: The lady took her hand fromsahe ~
: aCome nsarer," she nid ''ies me'see ~
E face" s st s5s ss9ss az7
!, Tom drew his ragged aleevs across /
eyes and iooked up o. kes over his sho,
d der. They had turned into = Brilliant
lighted street, and she could see that 4
tangled yellow hair wassoft and ane. q
q that the big fTighteasd sy~ tant rsfa
Ell themselves y hea wesg not cktoeksI
With sudden inpnls 40 4
q her gloyed hand on the yellow ksad.
~ "Where do you liver she asked. y