The Dawson journal., 1884-01-17
7 INCIDENT FROM LIFE.

y INCIDENT FROM LIFE.
How damp and cold and foggy it was
7 ombeth Palace Road one December
ming It was terrible noisy too, for
,ro carts laden with heavy goods from
Southwestern Railway terminus
pr1 bv, ratified incessantly over the
Bones and everybody hurried along to
\ ont of the thoroughfare as soon as,
Bossible.
8 Three little urchins formed an excep-
Kan TO the bustling crowd, for they
! Ilncared for more than an hour round
he big iron gates of st. Thomas's Hos
talin spite of the constant knocks and
Bpshes they received, custom having
bade them almost unconscious of such
soatmept Besides, the attraction which
sqpt them there was powerful one.
Ebpv had actually Witnessed, while they
toited. the arrival of no less than three
brsmas trees. Two of them, it is
rue. were only young fir trees dug up
rom plantation somewhere in the
Ountry and sent straight to the hospital
ore TO be dressed up in all their at
tactive fnery, but the third tree was a
sresent from the wife of one of the con-
biting physicians and was already
inmed and decorated and covered
bib toys
There was some delay in moving it
om the light cart and carrying it into
le building, and so the three small
oys outside had time for long look at
in all its beauty. One must be a
hId to understand what that beauty is;
pOred flags, gold and silver balls, dolls,
umpets candles, crackers, sweeties--
Aey need a childs imagination to be
ppelaed, but we may perhaps, hap
BY have enough of it left in us to
bow how much they convey to him.
The boys on the sticky pavement out
de gave long-drawn sigh as the beau
tfuI tree went out of sight, and they
ned away to their own usual sur
pundmg8-mud, fog, cold, discomfort,
hch as thay had been accustomed to all
lrOugh their short lives.
"Nyr said one OF them, Jimmy by
lame; wouldn't just like to be sick in
Aere and ave that there tree to play
tith "
1t was sentiment echoed by the
Fher two, as they edged themselves
ong the railing of the hospital, making
PER way back toward the room they
Usually slept in in Lambeth.
well, we amt sick" said another of
ahem, called Peter, although the harsh,
fly voice he spoke in and his white,
Van lace might have told another tale.
And SO we amt got no tree |" said
W third boy, Bill. They had almost
seached the corner of Westminster
pndge, in depressed silence, when Pet
as he was commonly called-suddenly
soPped, and, with a smile that was
fiea'Ing enough to see, although his
Pmpanlons did not notice it, exclaimed:
amt got hidea r
After which statement he propounded
/ HIS attentive audience, ideas being, if
\ IT, rare always interesting to boys.
Ana certainly Pets was original and
sovthy of consideration.
NE suggested that one of them should
selgn to be ill should get taken into
u hospital, and when once there should
r. . ,ne tree in all its glory.
Inc plan sounded delightful, the only
sDJec'lon to it being that they could not
bclI5E RIIE me principal part in it. They
il. aI W. . "uo should be the lucky one by
/. Unpopular method of tossing, and
4. VT, won the toss. This was fortunate,
H. psSlqeS e. having distinctly tho first
/. SII a.! TO his own idea. which the lad did
H. ,AinA III, OF, he was the only one of the
H. %uo would have been capable OF
n, n9 MS part; but Pet did not know
Ill., me- only gave Jimmy and Bill a few
H. aS as to what they were to do, how
I ~, WERE n., to look as scared as possible
N ~ !, Dill father came home at night,
btbino S 'hey were to say they knew
bnlr g oi Pet, except that he was sud-
f,u% VI, took bad"
s,nI ,"nereupon the "taking" promptly
scta5 5'o' and with a thud that was unex-
H., WV even to Jimmy and Bill, Pet
br.,, n himself down at full length on the
bIIeoteo95t A small crowd instantly
l. onI,' u round them. Most of the peo-
bsseedg ~ " stared moment and then
bd on one or two expressed pity :
Dlio ai'ef lew moments the inevitable
l npn to arrived and pushed his way
imr,, NJ r. ret's side, roughly questioning
n ana Bill. They whimpered a bit
u ~. ,oUNed frightened-to order, and
IN Ppil'elnsn, p; after Rolling Pet over
l1v uls n,. loot ia. and finding him appar.
ms, ul'ogether unconscious, said he
'"'' 60 to the hospital, and, with the