The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-12-27
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y jolly little MI only laughedsins l.is
sleeve, ihinkishyhat sharp fellow Sstl
was to select iii one; for such stock
& ing wouldn't hold trides anyway. Butt
& ss0n aud / kneNSthat Ned could d. no
better. and ean panion was ina YET
aitre hopeless cbadition. Ii any odd
i asks M who ] am afraid VIZ aAan
have to, dohjl Eat she IS only llll
Arab, and resent Silently steal
Eaway', il nbt owihg .stoas a,,i
defect in hia street education-
|s,,cA training il not usually c0nduc;ya.
to either mental, moral or pllys;cll
health; lin tho hitter item Ned did not
lack anything, for 10 Was hearty and rs,-
bust asYns5ng Esadinaax unite too
hearty. he felt ,sonetimss, when his
, breakfast or supper had been sca,,ty for
often the supply was not equal to the
,1emand. AI1raHy hi afpot IKE other
boys Of his Oh 3ciJ1s of shis own
rights, and / III 60 10 say, sonew hat
inclined b b&6naN d6s Of the rights Of
others; f0r hb hAsl no lyery clear idea OF
,he. relative position of Ineum and ;cuun.
;iis code OF honor was short and compse.
l'o'.sive -: An eye for an eye, and two
- Mentally Ned was, not an imbecile;
lac possessed q largo share OF native
"A 'rewdness. which perhaps stood him
j. II place Of q liberal education. Ned
Iould reada litte. sofwhich acquire ut
Me vas Very proud, aud delighted to get
II crowd OF boys around him ltorlorn lit
ti@ objects like himsslf( and read to.
them the news OF to-day, or even sever.
Atdlysag it mattered not to him or
tcm--speiling his words painfully as he
Eicnt along making the most ridiculous
fb!nnhers, which, however, we're re-
ceived with tiulnoyei; gravity by his
hearers. Ned lived with his father, or
'a,hor took care Of hin for he, poor
man, was such slave to appetite, he
MAS seldom seen IN q condition to take
care Of himself On rars days he would
keep,sober nd work diligently ut his
made, forAl1e wds al EXCELLENT mechanic:
tn his friendless, :nothe rless boy; tor
then they would have a grand supper
together, aud this fatheriwou!d sit beside
him in the evening, smoking his pipe.
and telling sweet storiesDf Che old home
and the times when they were all SO
happY-the time before he had been
hound by thu calling chain which the
hrunkardtbaars, thaxsaarold times be.
fore his vile. al ed ord brSken heart.
There was nestiul of little ouestheu,
but One by one they had some to join the
mother, and Ned aud his father were
left alone. Best of all, Ned liked to hear
"f their Christmas Festivities, while he
was tUoyoung 10 remember the nice
dinner, the ,churcll-going," the merry
,-amc:, the: hanging Of the little stock
Il .:,,k,,o = /
ikea furry tale to Ned. or something
which had-occurred.in some other stage
IT existence. Thmking pf these stiIil.gs.
lee resolved that not another Christmas
eve should pass without givinahis stock
ing 4 chance. -. - ="
Most anything would come handy"
il" : ,hlo1nized, looking dnoiously>,at his
ragged clothing and torn shoes; II amt
always in full dress now, OWING to the
pressure, an Iscau't affords to wear pat.
rnt leather boots tilt times la q little
easier :
80 it happened that the glad Christ.
mas came again and poor ragged Ned,
although he had no part in the gfadneas
and good cheer, could stand afar oil,
shivcring and looking on,.happy as q
king and, like q true philosopher. get
ting his share in seeing the enjoyment
o: others. - =
That night after lie had hung that
,ntentedly off 10 the land o! dreams,
the landlord: kagent. opened, the door
/ and stepped in. Sons inatterot busi-
ness which, he had forgotten during the
day, brought him up to the third floor
o.! the tenement house where Ned ana
his father lived or rather stayed. Nj.
Henry saw his blunder and saw some
thing else OF the same time. He knew
who the hoy was, having some tunes
employed ki,n to do errands. Now l,e
stepped softly forward and Surveyed The
place. There was brown haired Ned
r',rleu up in his rags, sleeping quietly:
With a flush Of red gIinting through the
''broWness of his eheeks:' there was
the wrctched stockings, and the ragged
shoes stood side hytsid6 npon the floor.
Mr. Henry vas soft hearted man, too '
rfnEch SO, perhaps, for q landlords agent
and he winkeds very. fast az he stood
looking at them, while something be-
sides smile shone oil his face.
'fFPoor ii.tl1felloTsn \ .sss.s safd to him.
eli, and, ODE ring sudden impalse he
---tllut the door gently went swiftly do~f
be stairs, and hurried-away to his hap-
Y, comfortable home.
What he said and did there on this
tarticular occasions no affair OF ours; we
ill only remark in passing, that he had
boy who Was a year or two older than
Eed who would outgrow his jackets.
When Ned opened his eyes the mex.
49,, .crring he looked toward the stocking
'nd--weli ,as he expresse'tit. che hadn't
ny fault to find with Santa Claus way
i,loin' thing ;" but he laughed a gee-
!. happy laugh at the picture before
~. There, underneath the stocking,
Used against the wall, with its hat
,Sn over his face, q something which
Resented q boy about his own size.
Iimp arms were pinned about a pie
hith might be mince pie) and q nice
!,sted chicken, wrapped in clean
i.loth. Inside this suit Of clothes tller..
Has another rather more worn, but att
-'hole and c.ean; Il pair Of half-worn
t'oots stood beside the image and the
locking was running eover.s Filling the
{ytal rents Swere$other socks, soft H.and
arm; then came 4 few apples and Or
E,ges, like the red and gold of sunsets:
4 top. a:;pock et-kniie and wonderful,
eonderlut picture book, the like OF
Assing; last but not least, q cake OF
;.,ilet soap. ..Ned looked att .scuriously
and said to himself with arch: gravity ,
Il guess III put thataWay for sundays
Mr.: Henry had his own way of doing
things. and he looked after Ned and
gave him employment. More than this
lie looked after the wretched f,ther
with such an energy and kindness that
he really had to reform. [ want to say,
l,r fear it may not be clearlyunderstood,
there is mora! in this story.
sensible to the Last