The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1884-05-22
JOB PRINTING
a HAPPY DISPOSITION

ing story Of a,colored boy he met
down there. He says: The sub.
ject now for the first time presented
on any stage, ladies and gentlemen
is named George. Age II: size,
medium; intelligence, above the ay-.
erage. met him one afternoon
as Lwas walking on the railroad
track, mile or two out of Hot
Springs. His color is so light and
his features so regular l knew him
him for some time before l even
suspected that he was a colored
boy. He asked me how far it was
to Malvern, AM .Itold him twenty.
three miles, and asked him whether
he intended to walk it. ~
: ':Do you think I can do it before
dusk?" he replied.
| told him l was sure he could
not,for it was then after one O'Clock.
Il don't want to be on the track
after dark, you see," said he, on ac.
count of the panthers. Do you
think there's any between her and
Malyern?- s
told him I had been several
miles down the track, and had not
seen any, He teld me, when I
asked him, that he came from Hous-
ton, Texas; that his mother "a mu.
latto) lived there. and that his faith.
er "a white man was dead; that he
started out more than year ago
on hisstraTels with a companion of
his own age. who had been killed
while stealing a ride before they
we're two days out from home; that
he bad come to Hot Springs look.
ing for something to do, but found
nothing that he had eaten nothing
that dag, and he had spent the
night outdoors. Ihappened to be
just on the point of moving my
quarters, and had a number of er-
lrands to be done, SO I offered him
a meal or two and lodging on the
floor by the stove in consideration
of his being my man Friday till tie
next day. The following day was
SO bitter cold I could not turn him
out Of the house, and he was with
me for two days, in the course of
which l think there was no single
minute in which some part of the
stove was not red-hot. He was a
prime fireman, and the landlord
furnished the wood. At any hour
of the night l happened to awake,
George was putting fresh hickory
logs on the fire. He could sing,
whistle, and dance, and when he
smiled he disclosed a double bank
of organ keys from ear to ear. He
had not cent IN the world, his
clothes we're none too warm, and
the weather was like Manitoba-but
he was as happy as a lark, though
he had no notion what minute he
might be invited to "move on"
He was a fine boot black, a good
clothes brusber, and did errands
promptly and we'll, always buying
things cheaper at the stores than I
could and bringing me back more
change than 1 expected. He had
been well taught in some school,
and answered disdaintfully when |
gave him little coundrums ont of
the multiplication table.
On the third day I had 10 move,
though it was the coolest day of
the season, and in the new place
could not take George along.
When all was ready, the globe and
shade of q studant lamp stood on
the table. AS I was done with
them, I told George he might take
them to the china store, where /
had paid thirty five cents for them,
and that he could keep whatever
he could get for them. He trotted
off in q hurry and soon came back
indignant.
"What do yon think that chap
down there offered me?' said he.
Fifteen cents! He must think
I'm fool. He wants to sell them
over again, and make twenty cents
more on them. But he couldn't
come it. No, Stree. l told him
I'd carry 'em to Malvern before Id
sell 'em for that-and so I will"
tried TO dissuade him from this
notion, but he was so indignant at
the low offer be would have carried
them if they weighed hundred
pounds. He wrapped them in
newspaper, tied them up with
string, and sat before the fire look
ing at them. There lay behind the
stove shoe brash and & box of
blacking that had been overlooked;
likewise on the washstand a cake
of toilet soap. These treasures
presented to George rather than un-
fasten trunk, and he received them
gratefully, putting the shoe brush
in his inner coat pocket, from which
the handle protruded some inches.
The expressman came, and we part.
ed. George declaring that some
day he would "beat the railroads
to New York, and would surely
come to see me. I see him yet, 60
ing whistIing down the street, some
times stopping to smile, always
shiVering. Surely no boy ever
started out to make his fortune
with 50 odd a capital lamp shade
and chimney, a shoe brush. and a
cake ofsoap. 1.-The stumbled before