The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-11-23
A Child'S

"A NAAAu t1c0xts
The other day a curious old woman.
having a bundle in her hand, and walk
ing with painful effort, sat down on q
curbstone to rest. A group of three
little ones, the oldest about nine, stopped
in front of the old woman, say ing neve,
a word, but watching her face. She
smiled. Suddenly the smile faded, and
a corner of the calico apron went up to
wipe away a tear. The eldest child
asked:
care you sorry because you haven't
got any children2"
"I-I had children once, but they arc
NIL dead" whispered the woman, a sob
in her throat
"Tm sorry" said the little girl, rs her
chin quivered. cpd give you one of my
little brothers, but 1 haven't got but
two, and I don't believe I'd like to spare
one."
"God bless you, child-blcss you for
ever" sobbcd the old woman, md for a
minute her face was buricdSin her apron.
. "But I'll tel you what I'll do" Sc
riously continued the child. "You
may kiss us all once, and if little Ben
isn't afraid, you may kiss him four
times, for he's just as sweet as candy"
Pedestrians, who saw three we'll
dressed children put their arms around,
that strange old woman's ncck and kiss:
her, were greatly puzzled. They didn't
hear the woman's words as she rose to
60:
49,, children, Pm only n poor OLD
woman, believing I'd nothing to live,
for; but you've gave me a lighter heart
than I've had for ten long years. "-Pansy.
The Boat-Dvellers OF Japan.
Young people who live in London OF
New York may fancy that our cities are
crowded, and that many families must
live without very much air to breathe or
space for the boys and girls to play in
What would they say IT, the boat dwell
lers of Japan3 In that crowded country
hundreds of families spend their lives
and bring up their children upon the
water, and know nothing of the land
except as they make an occasional visit
to it when obliged to purchase supplies or
attend to some unusual business.
In every bay along the coast are found
hundreds, if not thousands, of small craft
called "junks." These are small, fiat
bottomed boats, and are owned and
inhabited by a man and his family, just
rs houses are in other parts of the world.
; heir business is the transportation OF
| goods and merchandise of all kinds, and
their navigation is a sort Of family affair.
One traveller says:
81 have seen a boat twenty feet long
most ad:oitly managed by three children.
all under seven years of age. I am told
that, notwithstanding their aptness At
swimming, many boatmen get drowned,
for no boat ever goes to another's aid,
nor will any boatman save another from
drowning, because, as he says, it is all
fate, and he who interfcres with fate win.
be severely punished in some way"
Among these wonderful aquatic fami-
lies children of three years old will some
times swim like little fish, md if one is.
backward in learning, he will be thrown
overheard, and teased and tormented
until he is obliged to learn the art in
self-defence. y
All; it is in reading and learning
about the people of other lands that we
find how much we have to love and be-
thankful for in the broad free life of our
own. But even here there are children.
who would be the better for such fire.
quent baths, and perhaps you would
have great difficulty in ~pcrsuading tho.
little Japs that life in the hot and
crowded streets of our great cities wac
to be preferred to that of the junk-men
on the rivers and harbors of their own
country.-Harper's Young People.