The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-09-09

down around the ponies heads. Tag shook his
small head very decidedly aud gave a protesting
sneeZe. but ali TO no avail The boy is taken up
and Rolly dusts him of es we'll as he can with
his big, broad hand, and wraps the comfortable
old buffalo robe about his shivering knees. The
robe is about as shaggy and about as warm as
the PONIES themselves. but Rolly supplements il
with heavy bag from the load, which has been
used to cover up some baskets of apples and
persimmons. The childs teeth were chattering
with the cold.
''Have an applet" asks Rolly, Hospitality. reach
ing over and selecting one of the largest and
sweetest.
''Yerbetyerlfe," responded this singular
specimen of the genus homo. He falls too raw
enously, and gulps down the apple about as q
starving dog would gulp down a choice steak.
Rolly watches the spssmodic contraction of his
lean and skinny little throat in q Guandary
\ whether ii is better to allow him to choke him.
1 self to death ard enjoy it, or oblige him to eat
| slower and be miserable, but decides to let him
| take his chances as usual.
| The cold apple does not warm the child's shiv-
| ering frame much. but it gives him some little
cheer. After it is eaten he says in converse
| tlonal way:
~ cribbed apple off n apple-stand yester-
! day. That's all had ter eat"
ROXY can't believe this.
"Al ye had eat yesterday
Yep, wIshermaycroak If t want
R0nF's sympathy and astonlshment is too pro-
| found to find relief even in his stars" so he
hurries up the ponies and relepses into silence.
| How he got through with his trades he could
not have told you, he was in such pre-occu-
pied condition He fed the boy first of ALL who,
| having eorged himself like an anaconda, became
stupid and fell asleep, anaconda fashion. Rolly
covered him I'D carefully, and. having sold his
| produce, started fer homo with his new charge
| profoundly sleeping.
Poor Jim! ANY ash cat in the whole great city
| last night was better of than you, for the Lord
| provides winter coat for them il no more.
| Unfed, unhoused, unwarmed; filth, vermin and
| poverty your only privileges; your soul rs be-
| niehted as any heather who bows before an idol;
| repuIsive and unresponsive to every finer ele-
meut in nature what is there, Jim, to warrant
your having been born. or to justify your having
iived9
There is more excuse for the heather, and he
| is in every way a more attractive picture TO look
| upon. He Is further off-which is a good thing;
| he worships something-whieh is better than
| nothing: he arouses much sympatby-which
you, with your impudence and deprsvity, find i.
| hard 70 do; aud his vices are vices Of heather
| ism, whie yours, oh unlovely Jim, yours are
| essentially vices of civilization.
III jim could worship anything it would be q
good square meal or a fire, TO thaw the freez.
ing marrow in his bones But as worship may
| be considered quality Of soul apart from hun
| to have the elements of worship in his soui
| even in the germ.
AS Rolly reared home the irregularity Of his
proceeding became more and more apparent.
4
| casion requires, which il does less frequently
than in the morning. for Tag is ia q subdued
and hungry mood, and concentrates his energies
for the most part toward getting to his stable
with expedition. But Rolly says, "My stars,
| and IF this don't bea: the new moons all to
pieces" and My, o my" frequently, each time
after looking back upon the sleeping boy, and
all in all is in quite fog of expression for him.
That this same small boy Is used to being
| knocked about Is apparent even In his slumber
for the back-breaking jolts of the empty produce
wagon disturb him not in the least. They may
now and then lift him from his bed Of bags and
blankets and return him again far from gently.
! He is used TO hard knocks and sleeps on. He
sleeps just as quietly while Rolly puts up the
team. but with the instinct of the hunted hs
| awakes at the touch OF the human hand and
| sits up Evidently he recalls all previous expe
riences clearly, for while half asleep, and before
mis- stiff lids are opened. he Gays in his sulky
defiant tone:
II hain't took nothin'-wot yer eivn usl,
Rolly lifts him down gently and Gays in an
equally gentle voice.
Here we air at home, Jimmie. Well 60 il
an bav supper
He sdapts himself clumsily 10 the short
slouching steps of the boy and opens the doc
quietly.
Mother. this is Jim. found him in the city
he hain't got merry father, ner mother, ner home
and nobody ter look arter him. so l fetched hin
long of me-
Mrs Kinks is speechless. A more unprepos
sessng unlnviting, unatsractive boy could no
have been picked up in the whole wide world
As Jim stands aud looks at her, his small fac,
full OF shrewd and knowing appreciation o
the way matters stand. the boy looks positvel,
impish. He Is not pretty, he is not clean--a
eve and nostril can both testify but he is sharp
with the sharpness of wickedness and expert
ence with the worst aide of human nature, q
low that j; is beyond the brute.