The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-11-08
Something Curious Happened.

Something Curious Happened.
a boy, 10 years old, pulling o heavy
cart loaded with pieces Of boards and
hath taken from SOM demolished struc-
ture-an everyday sight in all our large
cities. Tired and exhausted, he halted
under a shade tree. His feet were sore
and bruised, bis clothes in rags, his face
pinched and looking years older than it
should. What must be the thoughts of
such q child SIS he looks out upon the
world-the fine houses, the rich dresses,
the rolling carriages-the happy faces OF
those who have never known what it is
to be pooro9 Does it harden the heart
and make it wicked, or does it bring
feeling Of loneliness and wretchedness-
@ wondering II the rich mans heaven is
not SO far from the poor mans heaven
that he will never catch sight of their
plnched faces?
The boy lay down on the grass, and in
five minutes was fast asleep. His bare
feet ust touched the curbstone, and his
old felt hat fell from his head and fell to
the walk. In the shadow of the tree his
face told q story that every passer-by
| could read. 1t told Of scanty food OF
| nights when the body ehivered with cold
Of home without sunshine, of u young
life comforted bymocking shadows.
Z FEk,naa Cn,,afffr a npryfn,,a H. a7epaapH A
iaboring mana queer old man with a
woodsaw on his arm-crossed the street
to rest for q moment beneath the same
shade. He glanced at the boy and
! turned away, but his look was drawn
and now he saw the pic5are and read the
story. He, too, was poor. He, too,
knew what was TO shiser and hunger.
He tip-toed it along until he could bend
over the boy, and then he took from his
pocket d piece Of bread and meat-the
dinner he was to eat if he found work
and laid it down beside the lad. Then
he walked carefully away, looking back
| sight, as if he wanted TO escape thanks.
| Men, women and children had seen it
all. and what q leveler twas. The hui
man soul Is ever kind and generous, but
sometimes there is need of a key to open
it. A man walked down from his steps
and left a half dollar beside the poor
mans bread. A woman walked down
and left a good hat in the place ola bad
a~o A abs1l4 90 !, ~ with q nair af1abops
and a boy broughta coat and vest. Pc
destrians halted and dlopped dimes and
quarters beside the first silver piece.
Something curious had happened.
The charity of a poor old man had I'M
locked the hearts Of q score Of people.
Then something strange occurred. The
pinch-raced boy suddenly awoke and
sprang up as ii it were a crime to sleep
there. He saw the bread, the clothing,
the score Of peisohs waiting around to
see what he would do. He knew that
he had slept and he realized that all
these things had come to him as he
dreamed. Then what did he do? Why,
he sat down and covered his face with
his hands and sobbed like Q grieved
child. They had read him a sermon o
the churches. They had set his heart &c
swelling and jumping until it choked
him. Poor, ragged and Wretched, and
feeling that he was no more to the world
than a stick or stone-he had awakened
to find that the world regarded him as 6
hnman being worthy of aid and entitled
to pity.
There are about forty actual settlers al
Medicine Hat, with good comfortable
houses, each on quarter sections. They
all intend to put in crops next spring
The grading machine has been moved
from the Maple Greek farm to Within
twenty miles of Medicine Hat. They
are getting u bridge timberat the head
of Cypress Mountain, and the bridge
xry; IN rv,I,abIx ln vtarfnd ar nnap TharS