The Southern herald., 1886-01-23

roun' an sing. An'-an' Chrissmus:
is His birthday, an everybody tries tel
be extry good ter everybody. But
they'll tell you all about it at the Mis-
sion ter-morrer ware wen git thet turk,
an ther saPry, an ther pie, ther oranges
an apple tarts. o, my eye-ther turk
an ther-"
80, Tommy, Tommy" again en-.
treated the little girl. Seems though
I couldn't stan it. Their more you
say them words over an over agin ther
hungr'er an hungr'er I gifts. An
hope they won't tell us nothin' ter-mor-
rer till us is full. fur bad as wants ter
hear erbout that beyutiful baby, l know
I'd die havin' ter listen with the
victuals erfore my eyes. Oh! how cold
it's er-gittin'. Say, Tommy, don't you
wished us lived someware an didn't t
have to knock erbout from enc place
to ernother an sometimes have to stay
in ther street like ter-night? Then us
could hang up our stookin's. The pigs
foot woman'S gal told me ter-day--
she's er nice gal, she is--she give me er
pigs foot with on'y two bites outer it
this mornin'-she told me she was er-
goin' ter hang up hern, an er ole gen.
tleman was er-comin' ter put sumpin'
orful nice inter il"
"Hang up our stockin'sP" repeated
the boy, with sort of snort. "W'y
we amt got none. But we might
have, may be, if we'd er father an er
mother an er reel home with er fire an
er bed ter sleep in, am"
"Didn't we never have no father or
no motherP" again interrupted Caddie.
Course we did," was the reply.
"They'S dead, both of 'em. You was
er little shaver on'y five years ole wen
they went away an then Aunt Caddie
let us stay by her till she up an died,
too. An we've had purity hard lines since
then, sis, an don't you forget it. But
if that thief of er beggar boy hadn't
hooked all ther money earnt ter-day
er-runnin' errants, we wouldn't er-been
er-squattin' here ter-night, We'd er
been in Hot-cake Johnny's er-snorin'
erway after eatin' stude tripe with
inions inter it, an buckw'eat cakes
with lasses onter 'em, AM"
Tommy; oh! dear; Tommyr' ex-
claimed poor Caddie.
BLAMED if l don't forget all the
time, sis. You see Use useter ter bein'
hungry than wot you is. But say,
Cad, s'pose we make b'lieve we're er
havin' er supper, an vile we're er
maxim 'b'lieve p'rapS you kin 60 ter
sleep"
81 kin make b'lieve er good 'eal,"
replied Caddie solemnly, "but I can't,
Tommy; can't make b'lieve as hard
as that"
"Well, let's tell wot we'd like ter
have if that ole gentleman, the pigs
foot's woman's gal tole you erbout woS
er comm this way. l seen er picter Of
him in er book-shop winder, an he's
er queer lookin' ole chap, with long
w'ite w'iskers an er jolly red face"
"Shoes an stockin's an Mother
Hubbed dress an er picter book. You
could have ther printin' part, cause you
kin spell it out so nice, Tommy; an er
hat an fedder an er doll, an, oh! six
candy hearts an four fresh crullers,"
said Caddie, speaking as fast as she
could, her pale face flushing in spite of
the cold.
SAN I'd take er sinner set up" said
Tommy. II kin shine ekeal ter any of
them reg'lars if l on'y had er chance,
an then I'd make lots of money an I'd
get place furu us ter live in an you could
go ter school, Caddie, an learn ter
read an write. Hello! wot's thatP" he
broke off to ask as faint little cry of
distress reached their ears. And he
crept out from behind the lumber pile
and, going to the edge of the wharf,
peered over into the darkness below.
The sound was repeated-a little gasp
ing meow.
Somebody's throwed a kitten of
ther dock, but l can't see it cause it's
dark as pitch down there" said he.
"Poor thingv' said his sister, who
had followed him, II don't think who
ever done that was er-tryin' ter be ex-
try good. Oh! dear, hear it cry. 1t
makes me have er pain jist over ther
place ware ther hungry is. Can't we
git it outP"
"Git it out? Wot you want ter git it
out furP It'll soon stop er-yellin'."
"Yes, cause it'll be drowned"
,obbed Caddie. "Oh! Tommy, dear,
10 git it out if you kin. Us won't have
no other chance ter be extry good-I |
knows us won't. Us don't know any
body ter be extry good to yet; an if us
did us amt got nothin' ter be extry
good with. But us kin be er little ex-
try good ter ther poor kitten, an if us
saves its life | guess that beautiful baby
will be glad an laugh like anythin'
W 'en He hears about us fishin' it outer