Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-08-13
WHEN BILL TOSSED BRICKS.

from, or even its name.
One day a sloop freigbted with brick was
unloading up town, and hand on deck was ,
tossing bricks, two by two, to another man
on the dock. All of sudden a wee little
chap, not more than years old, came tod
ding along, got right in the way, and was
knocked over by the flying bricks.
Bill Forster, who was handling the load,
was rough man. 1t had not been exactly
his fault that the child had been knocked
down, still no felt Very sorry for it. The lit
tie fellows head was badly cut, and he was
stunned. He was carried into the cabin OF
the sloop, and there lay quite motionless.
The captain Of the sloop sent out to the police
station, and the surgeon came. The child
was carefully examined. Tho surgeon said
| the case might be serious one and that the
| little boy had better be taken to the hospital.
| dry, and at once he sent for her. Molly For
| ster hurried down TO the wharf, took the
| child In her lap and listened breathlessly to
| what the surgeon said.
The cabin of the brick sloOp was not |
handsome place to look al. 1t was dirty and |
slovenly, hot and close. Molly Forster set |
about max ing 1t tidy. She opened the little
windows OF the cabin, and kept OIL the crowd |
who were swarming in the narrow quarters.
She famed the child, laid it ON coarse pill
low, having first spread her clean apron over
1t, and bathed the poor baby's head, trying
| to stanch the flow of blood from the wound
IT," said the surgeon, "you could keep
the child perfectly quiet for while 1t would
be all for the bettor. am afraid to jolt him
in the ambulance. Maybe he will come TO
before long. 1t is rather cooler here on the
river than Ia the hot wards OF a hospital. Can
you take charge of him until come back
will see you this evening" Molly had
already torn up her handkerchief and band.
aged the child's head. Now she followed
the surgeons directions. The doctor was
humane man, for when he left he put half
, dollar into Molly's hand and told her to buy
To- uI.n
: the bandages
: Molly Forster famed and famed that little
0 sufferer, and bathed its head, and was ten
o der with the child. About sunset the sur
/ | geon came again, and just then the cmiu
, opened his eyes.
= 0Well, that's good sign," said the doc
tor "Now hadn't you better advertise him
since no one has come for him? Somebody
q will claim him, suppose can arrange Tor
!, you TO keep him If you want to-"
IS Although the accident was reported In two
d brief lines in all the newspapers, and not,
;, | withstanding the efforts of the police to find
/" - the parents of the child, no one ever came for
IL il. All that night Molly Forster nursed the
O. child. Occasionally 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,
- y, but kept walking up and down the deck. AT
10 daybreak he said to Molly in hoarse whis-
10 per "Molly, take that kid to your room.
IS It's got to be done.h
)e Bill Forster, who was a man of 40, ! have
10 said was rough. do not know how 1t hap
"A pens, but handling bricks seems to make
~ people coarse and rather brutal. Bill would
re take not only one glas, of whisky, but a.
many as he could drink Mixing with &
crowd of men worse than he was who ire
il quented rumshops, he was much given u
an | fighting and his face was AZ often as not dis
ro | figured with "A black eye or cut lip Bil
~, | earned about dollar and quarter day
ou and when the week was up he never had I
in penny left. Perhaps If Bill had not been I
yp | iittIo nd Stuni1 that mDruiuR from
X, too much liquor the day before when TN
IA little chap got in the way, he (Bill) woul.
,,a have been more careful how he threw hi
W bricks.
cs, The week after Molly had taken charge o
int the child Bill resisted the temptation to y
We on spree and gave his sister a dollar and
ne half. That was the first time for years tina
Of he had ever saved cent The week atte
=, | Bill did even better. There was MOL
III working rs hard as she could at the was
ne board or the ironing board, earning 70 cent
urt a day, and feeding the child. That shame
on Bill. 1t happened that the little boys shor
tar | frock had been stained with blood. Mol
n,. had carefully washed il, but still Bill though
90 he saw stains on it and that worried hill
~ sick.
to Next week, when he saw his sister, VIII
The was waiting on the wharf for him with IN
ing little fellow in her arms he he Sa, y65 having
"a, "a iecd this little fellow. Bread and milk an
~ potatoes cost money, and nursing him take
a away lots OF yourtime Anyways, dressin
ow Here'' dollar and half for his keep, an
here's a dollar besides, and buy calico q
I. something and make a frock for that chill,
and mind you burn the one he's got on an
md next time ! sees him let him be lookin
ow prime. Won't you ?'
No, "Its mighty good of you, Bill-and ju'
,od you wait. III rig him out He isn't bit {
'eo trouble. When Pm at work take him to Oh
laundry, and he's real pet there. use
to be afraid he was kind of dazed-but don
! of you bother, Bill, he's all right for he takes
per playing now. He is only quiet on account
er- his natural sweetness-all real good chi
IN, dren's that way-and love him, just as
Nc he was my own baby"
ne On the next trip up the North river hi
'rk Forster pondered great deal over the chilt
the The fact is, the child, whether he was awak
ap- or asleep, was never for moment out
III, Bill's mind. He had never thought muc
a, about anything before, and it was hard wor
'i' for him to think at all. Maybe because fC
ew for more than one-half of his life his brai
the had been muddled by liquor he had neve
MIA set 1t working. AS the empty sloop fioate
,tb up the broad river, slowly moving with tn
In tide, Bill sat in the shade Of the tapping jii
and argued with himself and the geners
10 conclusions he arrived at were by no mean
es flattering to himself
of "The beginning and the ending of th
the here is rum. I've wasted nigh on TO 2
nnt | years of my life Why hasn't the boom
oh that mainsail knocked the stupid brains OF
'' of me before this What have got to sho'
for 40 years of life? Just these here ragge
and brick clothes stands in. Cam
It a near numbering child, did you, you gooC
uc. for-nothing beast Didn't have no better sens
nor that? A herding with drunken sailor
you big blackguard, and not knowing notl
!, ing better Just fitten to toss bricks fror
~, on and off sloop. That's the best you XII
!. do You took drink this morning, an
ne you feel sharp set for another just th
of | blessed minute. You can't get it becaus
Try you are on the river where grogshops ain
of floating round. Amt you man enough
hi go to Haverstraw, and no matte
49, what happens say Bill Forster, don
'er you take another drink no matter
he another fellow does stand treat? There
rs. lots of things that kid wants. There's
of whip, likewise pair of shoes, and whe
on winter comes flannel petticoats and woo
on socks, likewise Christmas presents. Now
on you loafer of Bill Forster, every time yo
III. see the bottom of glass amt you guzziin
TO down something that little shaver wants
of Maybe it's just like you, you white-livere
an purp; you'll be letting your sister be TAX
oh ing of the victuals cut of her own mouth S
m as to feed em to that child, and it was me a
' showed the kid on her. Maybe you'll b
IN hunting around for more babies to knoc
lc- over with bricks you good for-nothing lounp
zee ing Portuguee."
it concluded tomorrow
NJ - - - -
y, THE FUNNY MANS BABY.