The Washington critic., 1886-06-26
"RELIGl0US ROB-
A STORY FoR nOYs.

pain and fright.
Eyes, he's your dog. But I say
Mike" said Rob, going up to hin, and
placing himself between the angry
master and dog, "1ll Civ yer all Tie
cash I've made to-day, Of yer'll Civ
him to me-"
"I'll do 1t, an lem me tell you,
you've got good barg'in. Why, ouly
yesterday Use offered with wink to
some cronies near a whole quarter Ter
him. How much you got?"
Rob ran his grimy little hand deep
into his pocket, and drew forth a five
cent piece and three pennies, eight
cents in all.
Here, Mike, take 1t. My familyll
have to go 'thout their supper tonight,
but never mind. Come doggic," and
lifting the trembling little animal for
which he had just paid his last penny,
he started off. covering with his ragged
coat this considered prize.
"Well, if he amt pill, ye kin stun
my eye" said Mike, with grin to his
chums; every nickel he makes goes
for them dogs and things of his'n."
whats he doin' wild umy" pipel
dirty little gamiu, who was new on.
TO join The gang.
"Doin' wild um2 Don't you know
Well, here's a green uni Never heGrd
of Religious Boo an his family.
We'll, see a.hcre, Grecuie I'm tellu
you right now. Since we've known
Rob, he's been roun the streets
watchin for cats wild one eye aud for
customers wild the other. We axed him
what he did wild UNI. an what he was
a.pickin' um up an carting um off
fer, when he cud hev such piles of fun
tyin' their tails together, an he said,
awful solum. like, Boys, it's my re.
ligun;" an he said If he ketched us
a.doin' 1t he'd lick us till the cops wud
hev to take us to the hospittle. But he
won't send me to hospittle you kin
betch yer eye
where's he liv'?" spoke up Greenie,
as Mike, having delivered his Grafton,
turned to go.
up there" Mike replied, with a
backward jerk of his thumb. "Como
on, an I'll take you up there, an
'praps he'll show us the animals
While the boys are on their way, we
will hurry on before them, and see
Rob first in his home.
What Is now Harlem. was at the
time of this story, very thinly settled.
The residents were poor, and Of the
rougher class. Small clumsy shanties
were built on the hills; and goats, to.
gether with children, roamed at will
Some of the buildings are still stand
ing there, and the location is at the
present day called Shantyville. At the
foot of one of these little hills, situated
quite distance from the neighbors,
dwelt Religious Rob" and his
family. His house was built en-.
tirely of old boards and bits of
tin, gathered by him around
the neighborhood. The floor was of
dried grass and good luck one day
having allowed him to find an old half
of window sash, he placed it in one
side of the little hut and viewed his
work with great pride. To be sure the
little house was clumsily constructed,
but to him II looked perfect triumph
of skill. This home of Rob's was
about seven by nine, and assure you
there was not much room to spare
when he and his family were all at
home. His family comprised the fol.
lowing members: There was Hero, a
poor specimen of an old bull dog, who
possessed neither ears nor tail. Rob
found him one day in the gutter, help
less, and tormented by lot of cruel
boys of the kind that delighted in such
cruelties Rob offered the owner of
Hero five cents (all that he had) for
him, but the boy refused to sell, as
he would rather torment the dog than
sell him for so little money. So
Rob pulled off the remnant of coat,
and. as he termed it, clicked him out
of his shoes" Then picking up the
half.dead dog, he marched home
with him, where under his tender care
Hero grew well again, though he never
recovered his former strength. When
pleasant Sunday came, Hero would
get the best bath Rob could give him
| for the little boy was very neat)-then
together they would start Off through
the lots for walk; but the poor
old doggie would soon grow tired.
Then Rob would lift him in his arms
and turn for home.
A companion of Hero was large
| gray cat, who, as she told him, in con-
fidence, had been handsome, but owing
to the cruelty of some naughty boys,
she could not lay claim to beauty any
longer. Mother, as Rob called this
wise old cat, was minus her tail, and
one of her forelegs having been broken
had never properly grown together
again. Her intirmities only added to
Rob's love for her, and she shared all
the luxuries. OF course they were not
of the best in quality or the greatest in
quantity, but such as they were, Mother
enjoyed them, and she confessed to
Hero one day while they were taking
care of the house, during their master s
absence, that the warm milk which
Rob gave her, heated on a stove over
some Goals, was Just the incest thing
she had ever tasted"
On a small pole placed across one of
the corners, sat an old hen, which Rob
called Cook because of her always pres.
ent desire to put her bill into whatever
he was preparing for the family meal.
Cook had but one eye, and her tail
feathers refused, for some reason un-
known to herself, to grow, but she de-
clared she was happy and would not
leave the family for the best regulated
hen.roost in existence, and now as the
above. described pets hear Rob's voice
approaching their house, they all rush
to the door, which Hero pushes open
with his best paw. Out they go, each
trying to give him the loudest welcome.
"Well, well, darlins'; there, don't
eat me up, but all come in the house
till show you a new member of this
hotel" said Rob, STOPPING his small
body to enter the smaller door of his
dwelling, while those at his heels,
Hero, Mother and Cook, followed, all
eager to see what their master had in
his arms so carefully covered by his
coat.
Sitting down on the grass floor, he
slowly drew aside the coat and revealed
the little waif, who peeped out, but
upon seeing Heros ugly visage, drew
back with fright Hero looked in