The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-09-18
THE LOST BOYS.

A True Story OF tho Adventures of Little
Harfe and Percy.
Harfe and Percy were two little
boys that lived in large city just
across the river from New York.
Though only five and three years
old, they sometimes did very strange
things, and once gave their mother
great fright After breakfast one
morning, they were playing on the
stone walk in front Of their house. but
they kept getting a little farther off,
first TO see this sight and then that, un-
til they were many blocks away. Their
mother was so busy in the house she
did not miss them until about ten
o'clock, when she looked all over the
large house, and called up and down
the street, but she could not find them.
She then went to the police station,
and told the man in charge of her miss
ing boys, their ages and how they
were dressed. But though many of the
men with brass buttons and
clubs were hunting for the little runa-
ways, eleven, twelve, one, two, three,
four and five o'clock went by, and they
could learn nothing about them. The
father and mother and brothers and
sisters were almost wild with fears.
What if some gypsies had carried them
off, or they had been stolen like little
Charlie Ross, OF they had gone to the
river and were drowned! But can
not tell you how very badly they felt,
and the many fears they had during
this long, sad day, that seemed like
weeks or even months to them, it was
so awful.
About five o'clock, as the mother
stopped walking the floor and went to
look out of the window, who should
she see coming up the steps, whistling
as happy as could be, but little Harfie.
"But where is dear little brotherp"
asked the mother, as she clasped Har-
tie in her arms.
II don't know, mamma; haven't
seen him this good while; he wouldn't
come with me. But I'll find HIM if
you don't cry so," said Harfie, for the
first time thinking something very bad
had been done.
The mother and Harfie started at
once, and as he led the way through
street after street and alley after alley,
the mother felt sure she should never
find her baby boy. At last they met a
stout, bustling lrishwoman, who said:
''Indade, ma am, have you lost boyp
/ met one not long since, crying like
his heart would break, but couldn't
git him to come in, the poor little
dear!'
Here's where we played all day,
mamma" said Hartie, stopping in
front OF long, dingy-looking feed
store, land left him here" But the
mother learned of the clerk that he had
gone some two hours, going from there
towards the river.
"Oh-h!" thought the mother, as
she stood looking at the blue river,
If my baby is drowned!' Just then
a dirty, ragged little boy stepped up to
her, and said: "Pat and Mike has just
gone to the station with a boy they
found, it's right down this street four
blocks, ma'a
You can not know how happy these
words made the mother feel, and how
good this dirty, ragged little boy looked
to her, and after giving him some pen
nies and thanking him she went as fast
as she could to the station. But they
had Just sent him home in charge of
the boys who found him.
It was quite late and dark when
Harfie and his mother reached home,
but they could see a crowd of boys
around the steps and hear them quar-
rel over the reward for half block
away.
"Here's your boy, ma'am, I found
him!" came from some twenty boys at
once.
But the first thing the mother did
was to take little Percy in her arms
and kiss him; then she gave Pat and
Mike each dollar, and all the boys
went off.
You never saw such tired, dirty little
fellows in your life as the mother
bathed and put to bed that night, and
as they saw how pale she looked, and
heard her cry as she held and kissed
them, and told them how sad she had
been all day, they said: "Don't cry so,
mamma; we won't never do so any
more"
And ! am glad to tell you they never
did. Christian at Work.