The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-05-06
CHILDREN HALE PRICE

woman IN al the essential virtues Oh
character. but she had one popularity
that had grown and developed until it
became the shadow of sin. She never
meant to be dishonest. Yet she ground
her washerwomans wages down to the
uttermost farthiug. and paid her
butcher and baker with such grudging
reluctance that they almost hated to
touch her money. Often as she read
her Bible, she never had weighed tina
frequent sentiment about expressing
the poor.
She would not have picked pocket
for the world, but if the conductor of q
street Car failed to notice her ticket in
tie obscure position in which she held
it, ana passed on. she slipped it back
into her purse and inwardly coDgratu-
lated herself on stealing ride.
Mrs. Wilkins had one child, little
boy. She loved the child dearly and
never acknowledged to herself that she
grudged him either TODD 10 eat or
clothes TO wear. But when she took
the innocent little fellow on the street.
car with her she snuggled him up and
treated him like an infant in order to
escape paying fare.
Three cents for him." said the con
ductor one day."
What! You surely don't take fare
for bsbies?" she remarked Indignantly
For babies over s years old we do"
said the inlexible official. Fare,
ma'am."
She paid it, grumbIing all the while
and protesting against such Outrage
Gus robbery"
Little Harley was a thoughtful child.
That night, when his mother was say
ing good night to him with great
tenderness, he asked in a speculative
way:
deal for me? Do little boys come very
oearW
why, Harley Wilkins, wha. put such
an idea into your head2' asked his
mother, in great surprise.
cause you can't pay for me,
mamma, and think when God sends a
little boy into the world he ought to
give him enough money to pay his car
fare"
Mrs. Wilkins was not woman of fine
the time by Harley's childish reasoning.
again. Her husband supplied her with
money for incidental expenses, and had
no idea of the singular form in which
her economy manifested itself.
Mrs. Wilkins went to visit an aunt,
and took Harley with her. The child
was delighted at the prospect of long
ride on the steam-car, and set out with
merry heart. His nature was shrink
ing and sensitive. the result of very
delicate constitution, and pleasure as
well as pain took strong hold upon
him.
"Slt next to the window, Harley )"
said his mother, when they took seats
in the car. and the boy was very willinG
as he wanted to see all he could. Don {
sit up so straight, lean down in the
corner more" said his mother, throw
ing a shawl about his small figure.
but itshurts me, mamma" remon
strated the child, placing his hand on
his heart.
Presently the conductor came in and
be- an taking up the tickets.
Children half price," he said. "a
fare and half, if you please, ma'am "
Harley shrunk lower into his seat; he
would gladly have made himself in
visible.
sit up. my little man." said the con-
ductor, kindly.
Mrs. Wilkins fumbled in her purse
and protested that she had no more
change.
How old is the boy2" asked the con-
ductor.
"He is years oId-so he is" she said
to herself.
with two years added to it. I'm
sorry ma'fm, but l must have his fare.
He is too old to ride free"
This incident spoiled all the pleasure
of the ride for the frightened. humili-
ated child, who imagined everybody in
the car knew that he had been trying to
"steal ride"
That fall Mr.. Wilkins sold his house
and tried boarding for the winter. 1t
would have been very funny, if it had
not been very sad, to hear Mrs. Wilkins
bargaining for room and board for two,
with little child thrown in.
He was q very small eater, she said,
and could easily be fed from her plato,
and he would wait and not require an
extra seat a: table, add sleep on sofa
in her room, so he would be no trouble
to any one.
So he was included, like cat. or q
parrot. with their belongings, and he
said rot word, though be held his
mothers hand, and read her ia with
his great blue eyes, while she haggled
about him. And she told his father
that Harley had outgrown his foolish
baby habit of asking questions.
But he thought Oh. deep in his little
heart he thought and thought over the
complex mysteries of life.
One night he lay awake on the sofa
bed, and could not sleep. His head as
hot. and felt twice Its natura' q.
Pretty soon he began to talk. dis
mother and father heard him, Al,
said:
HE is dreaming"
But it was they who were dreaming.
The child was withdrawing in the
morning that has never a noon or
night.
His mother heard his last words with
an agony of remorse that came too
late.
please, dear God, let me in. 1
haven't any ticset nor money, and I'm
eight years old, and half price. No
body wants me. There isn't any place
for little boy without money. If