Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-07-29
Something Curious Happened.

FROM Tue Detrlot rec I'ress
A boy, ten years old. pulling heavy cart
loaded with pieces of boards aud Hath taken
from some demolished structure-an everyday
| sight in all our large cities. Tired and exhaust
ed, he halted under shade tree. His feet were
sore and bruised. his clothes in rags his face
pinched and looking years older than IL should
What must be the thoughts OF such q child as 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
was to be poor? Does il harden the heart aud
make 1t wicked. does ii bring feeling OF
loneliness aud wretchedness-a wondering IL the
rich mans Heaven is not SO far from the poor
mans Heaven that he viii never catch sight of
their pinched faces?
The boy lay down on the grass and tn five
minutes was fast asleep. His bare feet Just
touched the curbstone and the old hat fell from
his head and fell to the walk. In the shadow OF
the tree his face told story that every passer-
by could read. Ii told OF scanty food, Of nights
when the body shiyered with cold. OF home
without sunshine, of young life confronted by
hooking shadows.
Then something curious happened. labor
ing mana queer old man with a wood-saw on
his arin-crossed the street 10 rest for a mo-
ment beneath the same shade. He glanced at
the boy and turned away, but his look was
drawn again, and now he saw the picture ard
read the story. He, too, was poor. He too
knew what it was to shiyer and hunger. He
tip-toed it along until he could bend over the
BOY. and then he took from his pocket a piece OF
bread and meat-the dinner he was TO eat If he
found work-and laid il down beside the lad
Then he walked carefully away, looking back
every moment. but fastening ont of sight as IL
he wanted To escape thanks. Men. women and
children had seen il all. and what a leveller It
was, The human soul is ever kind and gener-
Gus, but sometimes there is need of a KEY to
open it. man walked down from his steps
and left half dollar beside the poor mans
bread woman walked down and left good
hat in place Of the old one. A child came with
pair of shoes, and a boy brought a coat aud
vest. Pedestrians halted and whispered and
dropped dimes and quarters beside the first
silver piece.
Something curious had happened. The charity
OF poor Old man had unlocked the hearts OF
score Of people. Then something strange 90
CURED. The pinch-faeed boy suddenly awoke,
and sprang up as if it were crime to sleep
there. He saw the bread-the clothing-tha
money-the score of people 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 a grieved child.
They had read him sermon greater than all the
sermons of the churches. They had set his heart
to swelling and jumping until it choked him.
Poor, ragged and wretched and feeling that be
was no more TO the world than a stick or O
stone-he had awakened 10 find that the world
regarded him as a human being worthy Of aid
and entitled to pity