The Wahpeton times., 1888-03-08

\ and Isat down in the Office and be.
en- TO talk, in order to beguile the
time away. How to pass the day
profitably to myself, in a city where
my acquaintances were few, was the
main question in my mind.
never was very great church.go.
gl{s and neither was one utterly to
disregard churches and their teachings.
It. was not matter of choice to
Y mo what church I attended, for
knew not where any :.of them were 10.
cated. So ] carelessly dropped into
the 6rst church I Iapproached in my
aimless STROLL. The minister preached
. very good sermon, the auditors paid
respectful attention to his ministra-
tions and apparently were greatly
edited, and the sacred services were
perfect, so far as Twas able to Judge.
There was not q jar nora jagged edge
I'm the whole proceedings. Everything
passed off very we'll. The song service
was thrill, vibration, q burst Of
joy, and congratulated myself on
having come to SO good q place.
just before the dismissal of the con.
glegation, man ofmedium build and
stature stepped forward on the plat.
form. He was q benevolent looking
man, and I felt could like him.
Apoor little barefooted boy, clad
in rags, evidently washed up from the
bottom OF some city, his face purified
ka, fNSs 1,,,
the side Of the benevolent looking
man. The little lad was not over eight
or nine years old, and he had q re.
signed look, seemingly Indifferent to
his fate, as If he had already in his
short young life experienced all the
ills and sorrows OF human existence
and nothing fated for him could be
worse than that he had seen and
nown. I wondered what it could all
s&ean.
The long-kaired boy had apparent.
IN only a slight sense of curiosity in
Che great and novel audience before
him, and no concern for himself at all
that was perceptible. Not the faint
est mark of embarrassment was to be
see.l in his manner, or in his clear,
strong, interesting face. He had the
placid air Of one resigned to his des-
tiny, whatever it might be. He look
ed up in absolute trust in the coun.
tenance of the man at his side. There
was neither fear or timidity in his
demeanor, nothing impudent and
base. He was more like Trowbridge's
Jack Hazard than mark Twain's
Tom Sawyer.
was struck by the novelty of this
part OF the church exercises, and be-
gan to wonder to myself what this
meant. A benevolent looking man
leading q small. barefooted, long. hair.
ed. RAGGED urchin to the front of the
ministerial lostrum, just at the close
of the solemn religious services, was
an unusual proceeding to me. And I
wondered the more.
II have boy here" said the benev.
olent man putting his hand on the
boys head and speaking in a full, clear
tone OF voice that swelled forth like
waves and filled every part of the
commodious church room, (Which I
desire to give away"
Give away! Give q boy away! A
4 boy! And in q church on Sunday! II
bomb had burst at my feet at that
ainstant could not have been more
astonished than was, when realiz.
ed what was going on there in that
church on that sacred day of rest.
The boy must be either q wharf.rat,
or one of q family whom the father
was not able to support.
And this in America, the land Of the
Tree and the home of the brave! And
where every man is q freeman and q
kinel Give away childrenl Give them
away! Inever heard of the like be-
fore. and l was completely dumb
founded. This idea echoed through
the halls OF my mind like peels of can.
non on the humid night air. ! listen.
Cd breathlessly.
"I desire to give this boy away to
somebody. He is q wait picked up
IN Memphis on my trip up the river,
q poor little homeless, penniless lad I
found running wild on the streets, un-
consciously educating himself in the
crimes that lead some to the gallows!
He seems to be . bright, good boy. /
know nothing at all about him, hav.
ing just landed here with him.
Who wants him? You can have q
good boy now for the simple nod of
the head. Does no one want him?
\ Let me give him to some one"
A perfect silence fell all over the
I room, studded with heads, when he
paused. No one spoke in all that
fashionable audience. No one seemed
to want the boy. He was truly q
wait. But happy little fellow. he did
not realize his situation. He still
looked up trustfully to the man at his
side, not q sign ON his face to tell that
Il was any pain to him to be before
that, audience to be given away, soon
tn have new parents or hard
esrers. And no one apparent
II. wanted him. Indeed. how
!. poor one must be when no one wants
/ himI No one to love, no one to love
i lfm, no one to trust in all this wide
% s6rld! No hope. no prospect, no
ambition, no home. no one to sym.
pathize with him or care for him.
How blank the world must he, how
trifing the great fact OF life itself!
"A poor little forsaken wretch. Who
knows nothing dishonorable when It
comes to getting something to appease
i wrathful hunger!
AZ these feelings and thoughts arose
ssin mo during the moments silence
(which Was. as ominous IS death. !!
siDtt greatly shocked. Had an imp OF
Iii so0ty Asjesty sung . diFes n my
aya /. .-t - ~ {.