Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-12-24

recipient of my coin disappear in the near
est low groggery in search of something to
eat"
This time twas childish voice thatspoke
the words. 1t was boy who was at my
elbow. His face and hands were clean,
and numerously patched, were tidy. In
short, his appearance was that of child
that was reared in poverty, yet we'll taken
care of, and the idea Immediately flashed
through my mind that the enterprising boy
was seeking to raise funds to buy a tin
horn, to torture the ears of suffering hu-
manity.
"Bub," said I, looking down at the little
mendicant, "why don't you 20 home and
get something to eat?"
The child's clear, pleading eyes had been
turned up to mine, but they Immediately
fell as the tears welled up into them, and
escaped from his lips. l caught him by
the arm and led him out of the throng.
"Now, boy" said I, 81 know you don't
want anything to eat, so tell me what you
were begging for?''
"Please, mister" replied the little atom,
ISIS has been wishing all week that Santa
Claus would bring her doll, and know
that mamma can't afford to buy her one, so
1 thought II"
Here the answer was broken and render
ed incoherent by childish sobs; but knew
the rest. A few moments before had been
looking with sullen anger at the people who
were passing me by, because they had some
one to think of, and I had none; and now
here was chance for me to play the benign
part of Santa Claus myself.
1t took but short time to buy nice
doll for Sis and velocipede for Harry-the
little mendicant was namesake of mine
and good supply of candy to fill the Christ
mas stockings. l had heard it said there is
a sweet delight comes to the soul of the
dOer of 4 good or benevolent deed. Here
tofore / had not realized the fact, because
my heart was too much embittered against
my fellow-man to lead him into paths Of
philanthropy; but now that I had started
in upon this little adventure something
urged me to keep on.
thing more substantial than toys and candy
needed in order to insure ''Merry Christ
mas" at this child's home. So, laden with
parcels, I went there. Away from the
glare and crush of the tnoroughfares, away
through narrow, back streets, into dingy
tenement-house, up two flights of steep,
dark stairs, into rear room, and here is
"home." The room is small and poorly
furnished, but tits clean and neat. A kind
ly neighbor, who looks after the children
while the mother is away at work, has lit
the fire and the lamp; Sis, a bright-haired
little girl of six two years younger than
her brother), is there, looking shyly out of
her blue eyes at the stranger, and we all sit
and wait for "mother."
We wait and talk the innocent talk of
childhood, until rough voices are heard on
the stairs, ard then there comes sicken-
ing tramp, tramp of feet that are care
fully carrying q cumbersome burden. The
door is opened, and pale, worn woman is
laid unconscious upon the bed. There is
an ugly cash across the forehead, from which
blood flows copiously, and there are other
wounds and bruises on the body.
"Run over at the corner;" it is COM
mon tale. You read it in the papers every
morning. The blood is washed away, the
clothes removed and the doctor makes his
case is hopeless; and then, as the full glare
of the lamp falls across the face of the in
iured woman, gaze for the first time in
all these years on the features Of my first,
my last and my only love, Annie Campbell.
The crowd has gone, the children are
asleep in cot in the corner, and l am sit
ting with the nurse and the dying, "wait-
ing for the end" The injured woman stirs
in the bed, then she opens her eyes and
raises neTSelI up. lHeTe Is Is Wllu, VdCttul
stare in her eyes, for she is utterly uncon-
scious, and the doctor has said that she will
never again be conscious in this world.
Yet her eyes rest fixedly on me, and she
says, in low but firm voice:
"Harry, forgive me! I never meant to
wrong you. loved you all the time, but
he was rich and they forced me to copy
their letter. l was wrong, know, to give
way; but, oh my God have paid for my
weakness since" Her strength gives way
here, and she falls back upon the bed. |
raise her up in my arms and lay her head
upon my breast. After moment or two of
silence she speaks again, but in broken
gasps. Harry for the sake of old times
my children" There a silence again,
then once more the lamp tiickers up, and l
hear her say: II Ihear-sweet-musi its
growing-very-light. Heaven-Jesus'-
and then the lamp goes out.
lis New Years eve as sit writing this.
1 am no longer alone in the world. From
where sit can gaze through the door into
an adjoining chamber and see two little
faces peeping from beneath the coverlet;
henceforth they must be my charge. The
clock indicates that the New Year is at
hand. J. throw open my window, and as
the clamor of the bells comes across. the
midnight air look up to that starless sky
beyond which lies the home of the angels,
and then step forth into a new life.