McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-05-29
A JERICHO ROSE.


AJERICHo ROSE.
The Russian Jews must 60. Such
was the verdict; and fair one, too,
however hard it might appear to the
wretched emigrants who had been
hustled hither and thither, with very
little question as to their own wishes
on the subject. How little Peter Mos
chelles came to be left neither himself
nor any one else knew; but a forlorn
little creature stood in Battery Park
watching the big ship grow smaller and
smaller as it sailed past Quarantine
landing, away through the Narrows,
and out into the great ocean.
Little Peter had neither father nor
mother, sister nor brother, on board
the ship; and that fact, together with
the memory of his recent voyage, en-
abled him to bear the disappearance of
the vessel with much stoicism. 1t was
true he had neither relative nor friends
in this part of the world either, being
poor little human waif, without any
excuse for existence, and just as the
other.
Having watched the ship out of sight,
Peter turned his back On the water
view, and proceeded along Whitehall
street and up Broadway. Of course,
he didn't know where he was, and had
no object in taking that direction. But
looking ahead as far as he could see,
and as well as the moving masses of
the vehicles and human beings would
permit, the way seemed long, and cal
culated to afford him, as he pursued it,
ample opportunity for reflection on his
future movements. After a time he
became aware that he was hungry, but
the sensation was not a novel one, and
caused him no surprise. Besides, he
was comforted to remember that he
had good sized piece of bread in the
pocket of his funny little jacket. He
was even more thirsty than he was
hungry, and. as he had now been
walking long time, he soon spied
drinking fountain at no great distance.
He fastened toward it and took long
and refreshing draught. As he drop
ped the tin cup he drew from the
breast of his jacket an object which
you would have been sure to throw
away as a dry, unsightly, uncanny
piece of old wood-that is, unless you
had previously known what it was, and
had been instructed as to its special
properties. Little Peter reverently
raised it to his lips and kissed it.
ssAh!" he softly sighed, twill it ever
bloom for me? Alas! have no means
of knowing, and dare not put it in
this water cup. They would not let
me stay to watch che miracle.''
AS Peter Moschelles turned toward
the street again he found himself sur
rounded by pack of New York Arabs,
who all began speaking to him at once.
Although he couldn't understand them
he soon guessed their meaning, as each
one pointed to the strange piece of
wood which he held in his hand. He
answered in two words, sufficiently
near English for them to comprehend
-ssJericho Rosen."
"What's he say? Tell us, Jewey,
what is'tP Say, fellers, tell yer It's a
kinder heather god. Let's have it..
Ketch him! Dod't les lose it,
With these and other remarks, I'M
intelligible to the little Russian, they
made run at him, but found them
selves outw;tted. For though Peter
did no. understand them, their looks
and tones told him that his precious
Jericho rose was in danger. He thrust
it into the breast of his jacket, and
with both hands placed over it, faced
them with blazing eyes, as if about to
do battle with the crowd for its posses
sion. This attitude was so entirely I'M
expected that for one moment his per-
secutors were taken by surprise. That
one moment was enough for Peter.
They had formed a ring about him, but
his quick eye had seen weak place.
He made break for it, burst through,
and in the next instant was on the other
side of Broadway, and then flying up
town with the speed of the wind. His
prosecutors fastened to follow, but it
was too late. A merciful diversion in
his favor was caused by an officer
of the society for the prevention of
cruelty to animals. Poor little Peter
was not the animal in question, but it
served to shield him equally well, for
his pursuers paused at the prospect of
better sport. An inhuman driver had
beaten a poor horse until the dumb
creature had fallen insensible on the
street, and the officer was now taking
the man in custody. Long before his
struggles had been overcome, the little
Russian had SO far outrun his perse.
outors that he felt safe and calm again
for persecution was an old story, and