The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1883-03-30
zHiscrllancuus.
Little Sat.
nT II OF AID.

wifi. and two daughters Having no sons lie
is dependent on hired help, the supply of
which is regulated according to the season, Il
number of farm hands being niece SSary during
planting and harvesting of CROPS, while one
being usually the only assistant needed in the
winter. Realizing the need of hoy on the
place to do the chores for which it did not
iustif, To hire II man, Pitkins talked the mat
ter over with his wife, and they decided to
select waif from the poor house and raise
him up as one of the family, which of course
meant food and clothing until he was of age,
and three months schooling in the winter.
With Farmer Ptkins TO decide was to act ,
So the next day he and Mrs Pitkins drove
over in the buggy to the County Poor House
and made application for an orphan. The
Superintcndt always willing 10 dispose of
his charges TO farmers, ordered out the boys
in line for Il review, and Pilkins and his wife
eyed the boys closely and talked with them.
He, with an eye to service, selected large,
strong boy but she, with motherly instinct,
more akin TO sympathy picked ont little SUIT,
the subject of the sketch
"Why Mary" exclaimed PitkiGs "hes
too small"
But he'll grow, John, and Then like his
looks better"
Looks ~ Tut, tut, what have looks got to
Wv W WI II
"A great deal If we are TO adopt him and
raise him up MS "A son, and even if be is only To
he IL farm hand, we do not want a boy 10 grow
up dishonest and vicious. | don't like the
big boys face
So Farmer pnkns grumllcd IL little over
her choice, as lac lifted Sui into The buggy
between them and drove home. The boy
was, indeed, small Tor service ON II farm, but
he seemed grateful for the home, and was
willing 10 do all The busy tasks his hands
were put to do, and would put his little hand
on his tired back without murmur, after
long time saving wood. Mrs Pitkins seem
ed drawn towards him by his very diminu-
tive size and strength while Pikins seemed
almost to dislike him, and was always grumb-
ling abou, the boys being too small, although
the farmers wife would very sensibly remark
that she believed the willingness of a small
boy would accomplish more than the unwll-
ingncss Of one twice the size. AS little Sut
wasn't large enough 10 wait on the girls, they
rather sided with their father, and made the
poor boys life rather unpleasant by teasing
him.
Thus matters went on for II season or so :;
while one farm hand after another came and
went and, although colts and calves and
pigs and chickens all grew and fattened on
the place, little Sut seemed at n standstill
and failed to come up to Mrs Pilkins' asser-
ton that he would grow.
Its no use, Mary, waiting for this boy to
grow | must take him back to the Poor
House and get a larger boy. You can 90
with me and select the boy, but he must be
larger"
Mrs Pitkins, with Il feeling of tenderness
towards the little homeless waif she had Sc
lccted, hadn't lhc heart to go and pick out Il
boy to supplnnt him in the home that now
seemed ns dear to him as il he had been born
in it, so Mr.. Pitkins droIe over alone, while
the farm hand took the wagon and drove TO
the mill for lumber, leaving Mrs Pilkns, the
two pills and little Sut on the farm alone,
except little dog which Sut had been 81
lowed to adopt from the roadside, the cattle
on the farm scarcely being count,d ms com
pany by lone women who can not look to
Them for the protection which even n boy or
small dog can attempt
Tramps, miserable, dangerous nutcnsls,
seemed To hc the constant menace of unpro-
tecttd farmers, especially the women who
are SO often left alone. Little SUIT was in the
barn, with his dog, sorting potatoes, when
his attention was called by hearing one of
the girls scream, and looking out to his sur.
prise and horror, he saw II man rush out at
the kitchen door in pursuit of one oflhe girls.
With bOyish impulse SuL ran ont with n
small basket of potatoes in Lis hand, follow
ed hy the dog, which he urged to n fierce at
tack on the man The little dog went gal
lanlIy INTO the fight and set his teeth so
vigorously into the legs of the tramp that the
girl Was enabled To escape from him and run
To neighbours for assistance. Little Sut
realized TINT there was work for him to do.
The screams which came from fhe house
plainly indicated that the one man was not
4,
little Sui rushed in to find another tramp on
the point of overcoming Mrs. Plikins and the
other daughter in II fierce struggle, in which
he hid most torn their clothing of
The noise that little Sui made and the
vigorous fusi)adr of potatoes that he hurled
at the tramp SO discunct rlcd him that il III
lowed the two women Il Glance To escape
, and lock themselves in room up stairs
Poor little Sul and his dog were left alone
10 contend with the two cnraged tramps.-
The tipht was uneven and short, the dog WAS
driven from the field, and little SUIT alone
stood nj hay Suddenly one Of the trampS,
who had been Keeping An eye open for danger
saw approaching the farmer 10 whose house
the other daughter had fed, and giving the
alarm, the two despcradocs rapidly made
their escape to the thick woods near by.
| They had done their work cruelty and well
Little Sut lay In one corner mOtiOnl, SIS, where
he fell, and The neighbor laid him on the bed
while Mrs Pilkns and her daughters bent
over him and frantica ly called his name
There was IL gurging sound in his throat,
and little stream of brood trickcd down
the side Of his mouth and stnl cd the white,
rutled slip of the pillow. just then SUIT
opened lis eyes as Mr. Pilkin' returned from
selecting another boy To fill his place. A little
cut ON SUITS breast showed where the knife
hand penetrated his lungs, and the gurgling
sound was the blood that was forcing its life
tide inside.