Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-12-17
HUMPY'S HER0ISM,

.-ChaS. X Lush IN the Gu rent
HUMPY'S HER0ISlA.
Every Brooklynite knows where
Gowanus is. Gowanus is famed Chief
y for its lighthouses, its lumber-yards,
and its grabbing. On Saturday or
Sunday afternoon the athletic and
sporting youths of Brooklyn can be
seen coming down Henry street, "to
take spin on the screw" or laden with
baskets and the inevitable brown crab
nets. Gowanus is a rival of Hunters
Point in the matter of smells. The
refuse of the city is dumped at the
waters edge or thrown in the pools,
half slime, half sea water, that lie be-
tween the newly-made streets. Yet
many people live in Gowanus, for the
rents are not high and there is plenty
of soil solid enough to build on. Lit
tie white cottages with green shutters
and weather beaten shingles stand side
by side, with the regulation morning
glory clambering over all. If one
were to go by in the morning of Il
week day he would see, in front of one
Of them, summing himself on the sandy
walk or clinging TO the stumpy white
washed fence, a wizened, bumped
back boy, answering to the name of
lIumpy. What lIumpy's right name
was (if, indeed, any one knew had
been forgotten long ago.
lie lived in the cottage with Mary
Ryan and her brother, by whom he had
been picked up from the streets. lie
led a happy, harmless life, never went
with the other children, although they
were always pleasant to him, and he
preferred, unless he were sent to the
grocery or on some other errand, to lie
in the sun or shamble around the house
watching pretty Mary Ryan sew.
Mary Ryan was pretty. Mr.. Stern had
told her 50 often enough, and, although
she was poor Irish factory hand,
(when she could get work }, she was
pretty enough to captiyate the fastid,
ious Mr.. Stern, and transform him to
the assiduous Mr.. Stern. Since Tom
Ryan had been called away to an all
winter post in Maine lumber camp,
Mr.. Stern had a light cedar boat at the
boathouse, and Mary Ryan had been
out in it nea'ly every night, down be.
yond the oily, muddy waters of Go
wanus Bay, into the clear. blue stretch
Of waves beyond. Iumpy laid in his
old spot on the walk turning the mat
ter over in his mind as Mr.. Stern came
sauntering down the street.
"Nlary in, lIumpy?'
Humpy looked up.
"Oh, its you, is it? Yes, she's in"
As Mr.. Stern went in Uumpy lay
down again.
"Mary, is it?' he muttorcd. ale
didn't know her month ago, and now
it's Mary. I'm a-thioking it's bat
day she ever saw him."
lie rose and went toward the door
and then, changing his mind, crept
around to the back of the house an(
craWlcd noi,elesSly into the kitchen
Through the half opened door he hear(
Nary saying:
"I'd letter from Tom this morning
and he's comm back Tomorrow"
IIumpy did not hear Mr.. Stern''
reply,
"It's no use to talk like that, fol
Tom will never let fine gentleman
like you call on a poor girl like me
Maybe | am pretty-that only make,
it the worse. The neighbors will tel
him enough as it is, and Ionly hope HI
let's me bide here. Like as not he'l
bid me leave the house"
The girl was weeping now. Evi
IDENTIFY she feared her brother terribly
Mr.. Stern saw the chance and took 1t
"And why should you wait to NEE
him, Mary, dear"
Ilumpy ground his teeth and looked
ugler than ever, but tho usual orde
of things followed. Mary's protest
grew weaker and weaker, and linall,
it was settled that Mary should qui
the house that night. Mr.. Stern work
ed strongly on her fears of her brother
If IIumpy had been character in
novel by the philosopbic james or th
witty Howells he would have thought
fully diagnosed the situation for al
hour, and then remarked 1.-The out
come of this will be tragic" How
ever, being a poor Irish cripple, he onl
shook his head and said under hi
breath: "And now, there's the deuce t
pay" Then he slowly crept out an
back to his summing place.
After Mr.. Stern went away tn
house was strangely quiet. A hall
starved street cat, that wandered by
saw IIumpy lying in the sun, his hea
buried in his arms. AS the cat slun
by him into the house, it saw on tn
homcly hair sofa girl sobbing convu
5ivcly and saying from time to tint
"Oh, mother, if you hadn't died! Oh
mother, if you hadn't died" The CO
wandered back into the kitchen, an
gnawcd away, undiss,rbed by the bo
lying motionIcss by The door, or by tn
girl sobhlug there on the sofa. WI c
| n,t lnrt tho L,,,,o tho l,st th;rr