The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-02-28
"Run Along Now"

The evening was bitterly cold. Two
children-a boy with manly face, an
expression of matured conceln, as though
some one had ever been dependent on
him, and a pale-faced little girl-wan-
dered around the streets of a Western
city. They had been left by an immi-
grant train, having fallen asleep in the
barn.like waiting room, and, owing to
the hurry incident upon departure, no
one thought of them. They begged the
station keeper to allow them to remain
by the fire, but he discredited their story
declared that they had not been lett
by train; that they lived in the city,
and were only changing around" to steal
something. Everybody hurried along.
No one had a kind look for the waits.
They vent into the warm corridor of
hotel but man said:
"Run along now. You don't want TO
be stopping here"
"We are nearly frozen," the boy re-
piled, sand We want to get warm"
"Children ought to be at 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 wont let US stay in the depot"
every good story, young fellow; but
run along now. Parents that would send
their children out to beg such weather
as this should be punished"
"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
lamp; 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 drug
store.
"Run along there"
They went into restaurant.
run along there"
They went into a saloon where merry
revelers sang wild songs, and where the
maudIin man dropped tear in his
glass.
"Run along there" said the bartender.
"This is no place for children"
"Let us warm ourselves" implored the
boy, and he repeated his story.
"That's all very well, young man, but
haven't I seen you around the streets,
begging many a time 2"
INC, sir"
II taink I have. I'll bet you haven't
taken no less than $40 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 Geld air, as the boy and his sister
turned corner.
Don't cry my little pet"
"I'm so cold"
"Yes bnt we may find some place.
Let us 60 back to the depot, and may be
we can get on train"
They wandered around in the blind
ing sleet.
1--WE are a long time getting there
said the girl.
II believe we are lost" the brother
replied. "Let US tura in here" and they
went into a narrow alley and crouched
down by wall.
All, Mr.. Humanity, because yonhave
been few times deceived; because you
have sometimes shown pity, and alter
wards found that it WAS ill.bestowed, you
have hardened your heart.
Alb, Mr.. Churchman, whose knees
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, "Sufter lit
tie children to come unto me"-scratch
it out, or you are hypocrite.
eff I could smell the dog.wood bios
SONS by the porch 1 wouldn't be SO cold,"
said the little girl.
"It 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"
"Cau people in heaven look down and
see people on the earth?"
eyes, / think So"
II wish they couldn't"
"Why, pet9"
Because, if mamma looks down and
sees US, she wouldn't be happy any
more"
He drew her closer to him. The neigh.
boring lights went out one by one. The
sleet seemed to be couquering every
thing. The dog that had barked over on
the hill was silent.
A cherries, freezing morning broke.
In an alley sat two rigid forlns. The
boy was in his shirt sleeves. He had
put lis tattered jacket around his little
sister.-7sras Sftings.