The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1885-10-21
BILLS CHILD.

No one ever knew where the child
came from. or even its name.
One day : sloop freightcd with brick
WAS unloading UP town. and . hand on
deck WAS tossing bricks, two by two.
to another man on the dock. All Of o
sudden wee little chap. not more than
2 years old. came toddling along. got
right in the way, and was knocked over
by tpe Tying 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 stunncd.
He was carried into the cabin Of the
sloop. and there lay quite motiouleSs-
The Captaiu Of tho sloop sent to tho
police station, and the surgeon came.
The child WAS carefully examined.
The surgeon said the case might be
serious one and that the little boy had
better be taken to the hospital. Forster
had sister, who worked in laundry,
and ut once he sent for her. Molly
Forster hurried down to the wharf,
took the child in her lap, and listened
breathlessly to whas-she surgeon said.
The cabin of the brick sloop was not
handsome place to look 1T 1t was
dirty and slovenly. hot and close.
Molly Forster set about making it tidy.
She opened the little windows of the
cabin. and kept off the crowd who
were swarming in tho narrow quarters
She famed the child, laid it on q coarse
pillow. having first spread her clean
apron OVERT. and bathed thepoor oaby's
head, trying to stanch the flow Of blood
from the wound. '.If," said the sur
geon, .rou could keep the child per-
fec,ly quiet for while it would be all
for the better. am afraid to jolt him
in the ambulance Maybe he will come
to before long. 1t is rather cooler here
on the river than in the hot wards of .
hospital. Can You take charge of him
until come back? will SEQ you this
evening"" Molly had already torn up
her handkerchief and bandaged the
child's head. Now she followed the
surgeons directions Tho doctor was
o humane man, for when he left he put
half dollar into Molly hand and told
her to buy some ice to cool the water
she was using on the bandages.
Molly Forster famed and famed
chat little sufferer, and bathed its head,
and was tender with the child. About
sunset the surgeon came again, and
lust then the child opened his eyes.
well, that's good siga." said the
doctor. Now hadn't you better ad-
yertise him since no one has come for
him? Somebody will claim him. I
suppose. l can arrange for you to keep
him if you want to- :"
Although the accident was reported
in two brief lines in all the newspapers,
and Notwithstanding the efforts of the
police to find the parents of the child,
no one ever came for Il Alltbat night
Molly Forster nursed the child. Occa-
sionally Bill would push his hard-lined
and weather-beaten face into the cabin
window and look wistfully at the little
child. He never went to sleep that
night. bat kept walking up and doWA
the deck. At dsybreak be SAID to
Molly IN hoarsc whisper: MOLLY.
take that kid to your room. It's got
to bc done"
Bill Forster, who was man of 40, l
have said was rough. l do not know
how it happens, but handling bricks
seems to make people coarse and rath-
er brutal. Bill would take not only
one glass of whisky, bat as manyas he
could drink Mixing with 9 crowd OF
Hss worse than he was who frequent
mshops, he was much given to
ss.ag, and his face was as osse6 as
not distgures with black eye or cut
lip. Bill earned about dollar and o
quarter day, anS when the week was
up he never had pennyleft Perhaps
if Bill had not been little drowsSyeand
stupid that morning from too much
liquor the day before when the little
chap got in the way he (BilD would
have been more careful how he threw
his bricks.
asc week after Molly had taken
charge of the child Bill resisted the
temptation TO 60 on spree and gave
his sister dellar and half. That
WAS the first time for yesw that he had
ever saved cent. Tie week after
that Bill did even better. There was
Molly working as hSrd SIS she could at
the wash board or the ironing board,
earning 20 cents day. and feeding the
child. That shaned Bill. It happen
ed that the little boys short frock had
been stained with blood. Molly had
carefully washed it but still Bill
thought he saw stains on 1t and thai
worried him sick.
Next week. when be saw his sister,
who w.s waiting On the wharf for hina
with tho little fellow in his arms, he
ssid, See here, Nelly. Its kind Of hard
on You, having ~ feed this littHs fellow.
Bread and milk and potatoes costs
money. and nursing him takes away
log of your time. Anyways, dress
ag of that kid would be just ruination
TO you Here's . dollar and half for
his keep, and here's dollar besides,
and buy calico or something and make
:. Gock for that child, and mind you
burn the one he's got on, and next
time sees him let him Dc looking
prime. Won't you?"