Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-10-17
SIDNEY'S COURAGE.

Sidney Sill was a cash boy in a
great city shop.
He came early to sweep and
dust, and help polish the windows
and uncover the goods-he crept
home late at nights, feeling as If he
could almost drop to sleep before
he ate his supper.
1t was not much ola home, either.
Nus. Briggs kepta sailors board
ing.house, and the sight and sounds
there we're not of a nature to edlfy
our fOrlOrn little lad.
But Mrs. Briggs was good to
him, in her coarse rough way, and
she was all the guardian that Sid
had ever known.
He could not remember his
mother, and his father, a sailor, had
died suddenly in the interval be-
tween two voyages, in Mrs. Briggs
house, when Sid was only five
years old.
She had made a little errand boy
and drudge of him, until he was old
enough to get a place as ash-boy;
and then she pOcketed his earnings
and seemed to think that she had
been the making of him.
SO, when the noise grew too loud
of night downstairs, Sid locked
the door of his attic room, and lay
trembling and looking up at the
stars, and wondering if he should
always live so.
One day, however. there was an
accident at the big stuccO-fronted
shop, and poor little Sid Sill was
taken up for dead.
Take him home, said Mr.. Beggs,
the head man.
Il don't believe he's got any home,
sir said Mike, the porter.
well, then, take him to the hos
pital,' said Mr.. Beggs.
And he turned his back Oh the
small insensible form.
They were very good to Sidney
at the hospital. The doctor called
him "a brave little chap and
brought him an orange or a picture,
now and then.
Sister Sophia, the nurse, used to
tell him all the nice old fairy stories
that his loveless childhood had
been cheated out of.
But when his convalescence came
on, they were puzzled what to do
with him, for when they had sent
to Mrs. Briggs, they found the
house shut up, with a big TO Let
on it, aud 10 Mrs. Briggs, was
to be found
'Humphn said the doctor, Che
ought to have a little country air,
and some new milk, and all that
sort of thing I'm afraid he will
always have to limp through life
on a lame leg
Sister Sophia sighed.
However continued the doctor,
there's no reason why you and
should concern ourselves Obout
it His time is up on Monday, and
after that he will have to shift for
himself
But Sister Sophia could not so
easily dispose of the question in
her mind. She had brother, who
kept boys school in the country.
Il wonder if he could find room
for poor Sid, she thought. Gil
write to him.
She did so, and DR.. Sturgis wrote
back that he would keep Sidney
! Sill there for few weeks, if the
boy would make himself useful in
cleaning boots and knives, and
helping the cook.
1t seemed a great deal for a little
half sick boy to do, but Sister
Sophia did not know how to make
any better barga in, and Sid him
self was delighted at the idea.
Brook Hall was a long, low, red
brick house, all covered With ivy
with a pretty river winding ~
front, and nice orchard at the rear
DR.. Sturgis patted Sidney's hea'
when he arrived and hoped h
would be a good boy, and though
nothing more about him.
And the cook was cross, and tn
big boys were tyrannical, and the
little boys christened him Himp
and laughed at him for his shabb
clothes and pale face. And on
day the big bull chased him acros
the pasture, and he nearly fainte'
with terror, and after that he wa
generally hooted at as a coward
All this was very hard to bear
but what could Sid do
George Hall was lubberly fel
low, who troubled Sid more thai
any Of the rest. lie seemed t
take vicious delight in tOrmentin
the little fellow in every way tha
he possibly could. He would no
take off his boots to be blacked
but mado Sidney black them o
his feet-and one day he lifted NJ
his foot during the process ant
knocked Sid down on to the grass
What did you do that for sal
Sid, struggling up with tears of re
pressed pain and modification
p his eyes.
Because ! chose to So ther