The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1885-01-31

The Story Of n Little Waif, ON It's
Way 60 California.

Cuinc your DOOtS. SIT. Sdiu studii,
weak, tenor voice -"Shine your boots?"
and before us stood mere child, per.
haps nine or ten years old. "Shine
your boots?" and the little pinched face
looked anxious and wistful. The large
black eyes shone with that unnatural
brightness begotten of want and hard
ship. The child was, or would have
been, good.looking, but for the priva-
tions it had evidently passed through,
and, from mere pity, we answered in
the affirmative, as we retreated to .
seat on brakeman's trunk that sat
alongside the Depot. The wee wait was
right it's knees, and, with brushes out
in it's little hands, made up in energy
what it lacked in strength. We asked
the child where it came from, "Mem-
phis, SIR" We then asked it where it
was going. "California, sir, and it's
little hands fairly few over the boots.
aWhere is your homer" II have none,
SIR. Father and mother, they died OF
yellow fever, nearly year ago" ''Tell
me how it happened and how you
came to be alone" "W'ell," said the
waif, "you see we lived on farm ten
miles from Memphis, and mother, she
made father sell the farm and move
TO the city, cause she wanted me to go
to school; so after lot of talk, father,
he sold out, and we moved into Men,
phis. But mamma didn't like the hotel,
so papa rented rooms and we boarded at
the restaurant. One morning papa was
very sick, and mamma was nursing him,
and helped all could. Mamma, she
went into her bedroom to get something.
and did not come back very soon, SO l
went to find her for papa, who was
very, very sick; / found her lying on
the floor looking very sick, too. She
told me to go out and tell policeman
to come in, as papa and she were both
very sick with yellow fever, and she
would not let me kiss her good bye be-
fore | left, because | would get sick,
too. So went out and saw all the peo-
pie had left the street, except the folks
who were hauling dead people to the
burial grounds, and picking up sick per-
sons all around. Well didn't get any
policeman to 60 with me, and SO went
back to mamma, and found her and
papa in one room, and they both looked
so sick and bad that l run up to
them, but they pushed me away, and
told me not to come near them.
Mamma raised herself up from the floor,
and told me that she and papa had the
terrible yellow fever, and that they
would both die, and l must keep away
from them, because / would get sick
and die, too; that the money was in
the -- bank, and that | must go
right off and get policeman before
they died, and mamma, she cried. l
went out, and by-and-by / got police.
man to 60 with me; and when I got
back papa was dead, and mamma could
not talk any more, but she looked
happy at me and the policeman, and
then she looked up and at me again,
and / put my arms around her neck
and kissed her and cried so hard, and
mamma. she shut her eyes, and did not
speak any more, and she died. The
policeman went away, and I cried so l
went to sleep, and in the morning the
people came and took papa and mamma
away to the burial ground, and l was
taken to the work.house out of the city.
The reason the policeman didn't come
back, he died too. / didn't like the
work.house, and so I ran away one
day, and started for California, where
my auntie lives. o, yes, sir; ! know
the name of the bank, but / won't tell
any one but auntie, and we'll 60 back
and get the money out, and put stone
over papa's and mammals grave, cause
they were buried together" "Here's
four bits, bub." "Why, sir, l amt
bnb-Im a girl; bat thank you for the
four bits, sir" just then the whistle
blew, and the little wait gathered her
brushes into her box, and jumped