Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-05-02
run ALONG NOW"
Texas Siftings. ]

Texas Siftings.l
The evening was bitterly cold. Two
children-a boy with o manly face, and
an expression of matured concern, as
though some one had been dependent
on him, and pale-faced little girl
wandered around the streets of q west
ern city. They had been left by an
immigrant train, having fallen asleep in
the barn-like waiting-room, and, among
the hurry, incident upon departure, no
one thought of them. They begged
the station-keeper to allow them to re.
main by the fire, but he discredited
their story-declsred tkat they had not
been LETT by train; that they lived in
the city, and were only hanging
around to steal something. Everybody
hurried along. No one had a kind
look for the waits. They went into the
warm corridor of a hotel, but q man
said:
run along now. You don't want tn
be stopping here.'
we are nearly frozen" the boy re-
piled, "and we want to get warm"
children ought to be al home such
weather as this. Your mother ought to
know better than to send you out"
"Our mother is dead, sir. She died
two weeks ago, and we came away with
people that are going south, where it's
warm, but the train has left us, and
the man won't let us stay in the depot.
Every good story, young fellow; but
run along home. Parents that would
send their children out to beg such
weather as this, should be punished"
1--WE are not begging"
Run along with you" and he opened
the door and they passed out into the
cutting wind. The fierce blast seemed
to blow the darkness close up to the
lamps; the tired teams seemed to blow
chilling mists from their nostrils; and
the heavy wagon wheels seemed to sink
deep into the darkness and pulverize
the gloom. The children went into a
drug store.
stun along there"
They went into restaurant.
"Run along there"
They went into q saloon where merry
revelers sang wild songs, and where
the maudlin man dropped tear in his
glass.
"Rrn along there" said the bar
tender. "This is no place for children" {"
Let us warm ourselves" implored
the boy and he repeated his story.
That's all very we'll, young man, but
haven't 1 seen you around the streets
begging, many timer"
No, sir"
Il think I have. I'll bet you haven't
taken no less than SO home to-day
Run along"
Again they were in the freezing
gloom.
"Oh, where will we wake in the morn.
ing?" came from the saloon and died
on the cold air, as the boy and his sis.
ter turned o corner.
Don't cry, my little pet"
"Pm so cold"
"Yes; but We may find some place
Let us go back to the depot, and may be
we can get on train"
They wandered around in the blind.
ing sleet.
I'VE are long time getting there,
said the girl.
Il believe We are lost" the brother
replied. Let us turn in here" and
they went into narrow alley and
crouched down by wall.
All. Mr.. Humanity, because you have
been few times deceived; because you
have sometimes shown pity, and after.
ward found that it was ill-besto sed, you
have hardened your heart.
All, Mr.. Churchman, whose kn es
press the soft velvet at the time OF
prayer; you who see suffering with dry
eyes, and read, with moisture, the
simple annals of the poor" scratch
from your Bibles the heart warming
sentence, Suffer little children to come
unto me"-scratch it out or you are q
hypocrite.
"1f 1 could smell the dog-wood bios
SONS by the porch, I wouldn't be so
cold" said the little girl.
1T will be long time before they
bloom again, my pet"
"Will this cold weather kill the tree ?"
"No, but it will be long time before
summer comes"
"Can people in Heaven look down and
Soe people on the e8rtn
"Yes, think so"
II wish they couldn't"
"Why, pet?"
Because if mamma looks down and
sees us, she wouldn't be happy any
more"
He drew. her closer to him. The
neighboring lights went out one by
one. The sleet seemed to be conquer
ing everything. The dog that had
barked over on the hill was silent.
A cheerless, freezing morning broke.
BY an alley sat two rigid forms. The
boy was in his shirt sleeves. He had
put his tattered jacket around his little
sister.