The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1885-09-30
BILLS CHILD.

No ono over know where tho child
came from, OF even It's name.
Ono day sloop freighted with brick
was unloading up town. and Il hand on
deck was tossing bricks, two by two,
to another man on the dock. All of a
sudden wee little chap, not moro than
2ycars old, camo toddling along, rot
right in tho way, and was Knocked oYcr
by tho lying bricks.
Bill Forster, who was handling the
load, was rough mar. 1t had not
been exactly his fault that the child had
been Knocked down, still he felt very
sorry for it. The little fellows head
was badly cut, and he was stunned.
He was carried into tho cabin of the
sloop, and there lay quite motionlcss.
Tho Captain of tho sloop sent to the
police station, and the surgeon came.
The child was carefully examined.
Tho surgeon said the case might bo q
serious ono and that tho littlo boy had
better be taken to the hospital. Forster
had sister, who worked in laundry,
and at onco ho sent for her. Molly
Forster hurried down to tho wharf,
took tho child in hor lap, and listened
breathlcssly to what tho surgeon said.
Tho cabin Of tho brick sloop was not
handsome place to look Mt. 1t was
dirty and slOvcnly, hot and close.
Molly Forster set about making it tidy.
She opened the littlc windows of the
cabin, and kept off tho crowd who
were swarming in tho narrow quarters.
She famed tho child, laid it on coarse
pillow. having first spread hor clean
apron ovorit. and bathcd the poor baby's
head, trying to stanch tho flow Of blood
from tho wound. "If," said the sur
gcop, ''you could keep the child pcr-
fcctly quiet for n whio it would be all
for the bettor. l am afraid to iol. him
in tho ambulance. Maybe he will como
to before long. 1t is rather cooler hero
on the river than in tho hot wards of u
hospital Can you tako charge of him
until | come backp | will sec you this
evening" Molly had already torn up
her handkerchief and bandagcd the
child's head Now she followed tho
surgeons directions The doctor was
humane man, for when he left he put
half dollar into Molly's hand and told
her to buy some ice 10 cool the water
sho was using Oh tho bandagcs.
Molly Forster famed and famed
that little sufferer, and bathl! its head,
and was tondcr with tho child. About
sunset tho surgeon came again, and
just then the child opened his eyes.
"Wcll, that's ~ good sign" said tho
doctor Now hadn't you better adj
vcr,iso him Since no ono has como for
him? Somebody will claim him, |
suppose. ! can arrange for you to keep
him il you want to.
Although the accident was reported
In two brief lines in all The newspapers,
MI ,yiI 4 lSt t.,,, 4 th,, NJ oE a..
police to find the parents OF the child,
no ono ever camc for it, All that night
Molly Forster nurscd tho child. Occa-
sionally Bill would push his hard-lLod
and wcathcr-bcatcn faco into tho cabin
window and look wistfuly Mt the littlo
child. Ho nevor wont to sleep that
tho deck At daybrcak ho said to
Molly in hoarsc whisper: "Molly.
takc that kid to your room. It's got
TO hc donc.n
Bill Forster who was n man of 40. |
havo said was rough, do not know
how it happens. but handling bricks
seems to mako people coarse and rath-
or brutal. Bill would take not only
ono glass OF whisky, but rs many as ho
could drink. Mixing with acrowd of
mon worse than he was who frequent
cd rumshops. ho was much given to
fighting, and his face was aS often as
not disligured with black eyo or cut
lip. Bill earned about dollar and
quarter day, and when tho week was
up ho never had penny left Perhaps
If Bill had not been littlo drowsy and
stupid that morning from too much
liquor the day before when tho littlo
chap got in the way he BilD would
have been moro careful how he threw
his BRICKS.
Tho wook after Molly had takop
charge OF the child Bill esistod tho
temptation to 90 on spre and gave
his sistor dollar and q aalf That
was tho first time Tor years that ho had
ever saved cent. Tie week after
that Bill did oven better. Thoro was
Molly working as hard as iho could at
tho wash board or the ironing board,
earning 10 cents day, audfceding the
child. That shamcd Bill! 1t happen
cd that tho little boys shot frock had
boon stained with blood Molly had
carefully washed it, but still Bill
thought he saw stains on. 1t and that
worried him sick.
Next week, whom no saw his sister,
who was waiting on the wharf for him
with tho little follow in his arms, ho
said, "See hero, Molly, ikkind of hard
on you, having to food thh little fellow.
Bread and milk and p,tatoos costs
monoy, and nursing hiT takos away
lots OF your time. AnyT'ys, n dress
ing of that kid would bd ust ruination
to you. Hcro's dollar,nd half for
his keep, and here's dllar besides,
and buy calico or sonnet thng and make
n frock for that 'dld, pad mind you
burn the ono h COTTON, and next
time 1 socs him lot hin be looking
prime. Won't you"