The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-09-18
The CHILD'S STORY.
By Charles Dickens.


printed last Sunday.
They say Dickenss islgrowing questionable,
The world will be worse, and its wits dulled
and its heart hardened when such story as
the following shall be out of fashion.
Once upon time good many years ago
there was traveller and he set out upon q
Journey. 1t was magic journey, and was to
seem very long when he began it, and very
short when he got half way through
He Travelled along rather dark path for
some little time without meeting anything, I'M
til at last he came to beautiful child. "What
do you do here?'' And the child said, II am
always at patty. Come and play with me!''
So, he played with that child, the whole day
long, and they were very merry. The sky was
so blue, the sun was 80 bright, the water was
so sparkling, the leaves were SO green, the
flowers were so lovely, and they heard such
singing birds and saw so many butterflies
that everything was beautiful. This was in
fine weather. When it rained, they loved to
watch the falling drops, and to smell the fresh
scents. When it blew, it was delightful to
listen to the wind, and fancy what it said, as
1t came rushing from its home-where was
that, they wondered !-whistling and bowling,
driving the clouds before it, bending the trees,
rumbling in the chimneys, shaking the house,
1t showed, that was the best of all; for, they
liked nothing so well as to look up at the
white fakes falling fast and thick. like down
from the breast of millions of white birds; and
to see how smooth and deep the drift was and
TO listen to the hush upon the paths and roads.
They had plenty of the finest toys in the
world, and the most astonishing picture-books:
all about scmitars and slippers and turbans,
and dwarfs and giants and genii and fairies,
and blue-beards and bean-stalks and riches and
caverns and forest and Valentines and Orsons:
and all new and all true.
But one day, of sudden, the traveller lost
the child. He called to him over and over
again, but got no answer. &c. he went upon
his road, and went on for little while with
out meeting anything until at last he came TO
: a handsome boy. So, he said to the boy
eWhat do you do here?' And the boy said,
81 am always learning. Come and learn with
me-"
So he learned with that boy about Jupiter
and Juno, and the Greeks and the Romans
and don t know what, and learned more than
L could tell-or he either, for he soon forgot a
deal Of it. But, they were not always learn
ing they had the merriest games that ever
were played They rowed upon the river in
summer, and skated on the ice in winter; they
were active afoot, and active on horseback at
cricket and all games at ball at prisoners
base, hare and hounds, follow my leader, and
more sports than I can think of nobody could
beat them. They had holidays too, and
Twelfth cakes, and parties where they danced
saw palaces of real gold and silver rise out of
the real earth, and saw all the wonders of the
world at once. AS to friends they had such
dear friends and so many of them, that l want
the time to reckon them up. They were all
young, like the handsome boy, and were never
to be strange to one another all their lives
through.
Still, one day, in the midst of all these pleas
ures. the traveller lost the boy as he lost the
child, and, after calling to him in vain, went
went n +
tie while without seeing anything until at
last he came to young man. So, he said to
the young man "What do you do here?"
And the young man said, 81 am always in
love. Come and love with me?"
So, he went away with that young man, and
presently they came to one Of the prettiest
girls that ever was seen-just like Fanny in
the corner there-and she had eyes like Fanny
and hair like Fanny, and dimples like Fanny's
and she laughed and colored just as Fanny
does while l am talking about her. So, the
young man fell in love directly-just as Some
body won't mention, the first time he came
sometimes-just as Somebody used to be by
Fanny; and they quarreled sometmes-just
as Somebody and Fanny used to quarrel; and
they made it up, and sat in the dark, and
wrote letters every day, and never were happy
asunder, and were always looking out for one
another and pretending not to, and were en-
gagged at Christmas time, and sat close to one
another by the fire, and were going to be mar
L
won't mention and Fanny!
But, the traveller lost them one day, as he
had lost the rest of his friends and, after call
ing to them to come back, which they never
did, went on upon his journey. So, he went
on for little while without seeing anything,
untiI at last he came to a middle-aged gentle,
man. So, he said TO the gentleman, "What
are you doing here?" And his answer was, II
am always busy. Come and be busy with me!'
So, he began to be very busy with that gem
tlenan, and they went on through the wood to-
gether. The whole journey was through wood,
only it had been open and green at first, like
wood in spring; and now began to be thick and
dark, like a wood in summer some of the lit
tie trees that had come out earliest, were even
turning brown. The gentleman was not alone,
but had lady of about the same age with him,
who was his WIFE and they had children, who
were with them, too. SO, they all went on to-
gether through the wood, cutting down the
trees, and making path through the branches
and the fallen leaves, and carrying burdens,
and working hard.
Sometimes, they came to long green ave-
nue. that opened into deeper woods. Then
they would hear very little distant voice cry
ing, "Father, father, am another child!' Stop
for meW And presently they would see a
very little figure, growing larger as it came
along, running to join them. When it came
up, they all crowded round 1t, and kissed and
welcomed it; and Ithen they all went On
together.
Sometimes, they came to several avenues at
Che children said, "Father 1 am going to sea-"
and another said, "Eather, L am going to
India" and another, Father, am going to
seek my fortune where cam" and anothero
s'Father, am going to heaven!" So, with,
many tears at parting. they went, solitary,
down those avenues each child upon Its way;
and the child who went to heaven, rose into
the golden air and vanished.
Whenever these partings happened, the
traveller looked at the gentleman, and saw
him glance up at the sky above the trees,
where the day was beginning TO decline, and
the sunset TO come lie saw, too, that his
hair was turning gray. But, they never could
rest long, for they had their journey 10 per-
form, and 1t was necessary for them TO be
always busy.
At last, there had been so many partings
that there were no children left, aud only the
traveller, the gentleman, and the lady, went
upon their way in company. And now the
wood was yellow and now brown and the
leaves, even OF the. forest trees began 70 fall.
Go fl4arra a. hat NrQE Ia rkn M