The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-01-13
RETRlBUTION.

He was pretty little fellow OF per-
haps years, and he looked through the
window of the restaurant with hungry,
longing eyes at the big cakes and rows
of tempting pies; at last hattening his
little nose against the glass as if to be
nearer the beautiful viands was moro
satisfying. There was something in his
appearance which was so different from
the ordinary little street boy that first
stopped and looked, then addressed
him with
"Are you hungry, little boy?"
He then turned quickly, gave little
nod, and said laconically
lawful p
"Well, suppose we go in there and
get something to eat ?"
The child's face frightened; then he
hesitated and said, obviously:
"Maybe mamma wouldn't like me
to-"
"Where is your mamma? How came
you here alone ?"
"Shes homo, sick. I've RUINED
away" and he looked up in my face
with big, brown eyes i'll which there was
sparkle of mischief.
"RuD away, have you? / am afraid
that is very naughty; won't your man.
ma be anxious ?"
"Oh, she's sick, she's awful sick And
amt had anything to eat to-day"
"Have you any brothers and sisters?"
The little face sobered ut once as he
said:
"No, only Eloise, and she's gone
away, and papa's gone away, and man.
ma says maybe she's going away, and
she don't know what II come of me.
"Who is Eloise? Your sister,"
"Yes'm."
"Where has she gone? Won't she
come back?"
"No, she amt never coming back
they put her in little black box and
took her to heaven, and mamma cried
she said she wouldn't never come back
again, and I haven't anybody to play
with now"
"Eloise /" The name had struck O
chord in my heart which awakened
painful memories, and while the little
fellow was talking my mind had straved
back to years ago, and vision OF
beautiful false friend rose before my
eyes. Suddenly asked the child his
name.
For an instant l felt faint and sick,
happy wife and mother though / now
am. That name brought back to me
time OF Indebtedness never to be forgot
ten, and almost felt like turning away
and leaving the child-his child-to his
fate. But, thank Heaven the impulse
was only for moment; / knew now
why those brown eyes thrilled me so;
but with the impulse to turn away came
awhisper from my good angel "Do
good to those who despitefully use you"
And, seeing the little fellow still looked
longingly at the cakes, took him in,
gave him some buns and glass of milk,
and bag of cookies to take home; but
he could not GO alone probably, if, as
he said, he had run away; so asked
him where he lived, and if he knew the
"We lives now in No. 10 Pine street,
but dunno where it's"
was not at all sure of the locality
myself, so hailing an omnibus L re-
quested to be carried to my destination;
and then the awkwardness of meeting
his father flashed across me, till L recol-
lected he had said "Papa's gone away"
Where has your papa gomez"
He's gone to the dogs"
The answer was certainly startling,
and Notwithstanding, or perhaps in con-
sequence of my nervousness, i smiled,
and felt in my throat mingled inch-
nation to laugh and cry. Then said
seriously:
What do yon mean? Who told you
"Oh, I heard q man tell the doctor so
when he came to see Eloise, and found
it in the big map-book mamma let me
have TO muse me-"
"Found what ?"
elsie of Dogs that's where he's gone.
guess he amt coming back" A little
pause, then in q low, frightened tone,
shes awful cross he made mamma cry,
he did"
i felt guilty OF learning family secrets,
so 1 turned away from that subject and
said
/" is your mother very i'll p
ooh, she's dreadful sick She coughs
and coughs. and spits up lots of red
spits; it's awful 7"
Poor Eloise, the brilliant beauty, was
indeed dying looked down at the lit
tie boy in his shabby clothes, and / re-
membered the elegance OF his mothers
attire when we were girls together 1 re-
membered, oh, SO well But Twas awak-
ened from my painful revery by my lit
tie companions exclaiming:
"Here we are
I paid the driver. and we got out and
mounted three flights of stairs in shah
by lodging house. He opened a door,
and there, lying on a stretcher, with q
hard mattress, was tho wreck of the
brilliant beauty 1 had not seen for ten
years, and who, but for che child, /
should never have recognized. Not so
with her, however; as the door opened
and her child entered she held ont her
hand, saying in low, breathless voice
Eddy dear, where have you been 2"
Then she raised her eyes, and, seeing me
standing in the doorway, she turned