The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1882-01-21
ONLY A NEWSBOY."


Over the head of the little one whose
sweet, sad, tremulous tones uttered that
sentence, scarce ten years had passed;
yet, brief as they were, fearful were the
traces left of their presence.
Upon the low, expansive, swelling fore
head, durkened by burning sun-rays,
heavy wind and rain, and shaded by tress-
es of the deercst imaginable hue, which
fell in reckless graceiulness over the frail
shoulders, were evidences Of want, anxi-
ETY., ard suffering sufficient for three
score years. The purely. delicately-
carved lips wore lin,s-deep lines-cut
by the urmistakable hand of sorrow, and
the eyes, like southern purpls seas when
wrapped in the wondrous grandeur Of the
moonlight, held lock Of hopeless long
ing that would have been pitiaLle even
in age.
Many months had this fragile boy trod.
den the crowded thoroughrare, the poor
little unclad feet blistered, bleeding, from
the scorching sun tf SUMMER or biting
colo of winter; trodden it from early
morning, with weary, throbbipg head
and aching limbs, till not one purchaser
could be found,
Bravely, without murmur had he
borne the jeers, taunts, blows of the low
and vulgar and the scorn, reproaches,' nd
bitter ankindness OF the lofty. Ofteii is
only sustenauce had been soup of co d
wate:' and morsel Of lie. d;'yet it as
not delivered in he nams of the SaE, T.
enc,
Uncomplairiugly the heroic spirit bat
tied With the clouds of despair which
threatened to enfold him-battled, while,
OBJ, how feGbly, burned in his life's hori.
zon hopes star. Sometimes adown his
cheek, grown thin and wan from disap.
pointment, trial anguish, would coursC
tears so wild and bitter, he wondered thai
their crystal hue was not crimsoned by
his hearts blood; but, with mighty
will, worthy of manhood, they were sud
denly dashed aside. She should not be
hold them she. his beautiful, angel
like, invalid mother, whose idol, next t.
her God, he was.
Through her veins ran the fatal poisol
of the destroyer, and with fiendish JOY b
Gnl khn ln 4 h. l.,
evitabla. The large, soft eyes, naturall
radiant, at times glanced with splendo
almost unsarthly; the lovely roses bios
somed upon the oval patrician face, I'll
the child believed health returning to hi
beloved onei but deceiving and valueles
were they, as the beautiful fruit of th
still, still sen, and that form which ha
glided through halls of wealth and fam
cynosure of all eyes, had lost its eXqui
ite roundness, unless it resembled near
as much an inhabitant of the "city of Il
dead" as the living.
Sorrows crown of sorrow is remer
bering happier things !"
Dwelling upon the halcyon past, VIII,
joy, deep as mortals know, was hel
when father, mother, husband. childr
clustered about her fondly. her soul,
its almost unendurable grief, had oft
exclaimed;
my God my God why hast, Th
forsaken me2'
That husband, on far aud CORY he
of Tennessee, after the desperately -fougl
victorious battle, in all honor exchang
} the beloved gray for the white uniform
tha home of him who said: 1--WE "
cross over the river and rest in the shs
Of the tree"
I Both parents and lovely dahgh
soon after left for the Gland of the he
) after, and only one stay was left her.
I stay in its fullest meaning was that mob
$ self-forgettiug boy.
: By war and horrible injustice this de
I. cate woman had seen her elegant no
and large possessions torn from her,
5 powerless to resist Sometimes the mt
: ster granted her a respite from severe s
, fering, and at such periods the dim lii
{, OF her miserable tenement room was
tinguished only as mornings brightn
crept through the dreary window.
n The slender, wiry fugers, which W
j. wont TO execute with orilliancy the r
y ishing music of Mozart ami Bsethov
and nestle among the fabrics of Pers
: now washed aud ironed filthy linen
< common laborers.
: How uld she have prevented
Could she have sewed for liyelih0c
J. Had she done so, the remainder Of
existence would not have heightened
| to months.
Where were the warm, influential hea