The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-11-14
Selected Storp.
Jim and the Little 'Un.

name, but so rarely was 1t used that an
expression of bewildered surprise
crossed his face whenever it was heard.
When the boys were asked why they
had given him that name, the eXplana-
ton was rendered in an easy offhand
manner.
"Oh, because he is such little 'un,
you know"
The first night we saw this strange
pair of friends was when they strolled
into boys meeting; Jim, tall muscu-
lar, with hands blackened by his work
at the foundry, clean dirt as some
one has called the Crime gained by
honest toll; the Little 'Un almost a
baby, and small for his age, with his
face sharpened by daily contact with
poverty and sin.
He was hanging on Jim's sleeve,
looking up into his face from time to
time, with a loving confidence that
softened the sharp features.
The other boys seemed rather proud
of them, and explained that the Little
I'm belonged to the kindergarten,
that his father was a sailor, and his
mother was drunkard, and that he
lived in the same house with jim.
Hes a queer little chap" Jim
chimed in, looking down at the mite
beside him; "every night he's settin'
on the doorstep waitin' for me when /
come home, and every Sunday he fetches
me along to the mission school, and
cries if | say l won't go. It's him
brought me here tonight, ma am said
we'd have better fun here than hangin'
round corners"
They joined in the games heartily,
the Little I'm always hanging on his
friend, resenting any efforts to separate
them, and at the close of the evening
they went off together through the
chilling rain, the Little 'Un's tongue
rafting along, scarcely waiting for
Jim's short but interested replies.
Upon inquiry we found the little boy
was the most promising among our
kindergarten scholars. Philip, they
called him there, in spite of his objec-
ton to the name, and he was fairly
drinking in the teaching given him, so
it was not a surprise to see him come
into the night meeting with blue bow
pinned upon the ragged little jacket to
show he had become a member of the
the kindergarten Temperance Band
"And he's after me to join," jim said
with laugh. "Wants to give me half
his ribbon"
But he won't do it," Philip said,
looking up into my face with unchildish
wisdom. Jim drinks too much now
He says it won't harm him, but that's
what they all say at first You ask him
to give it up. Miss Julia, won't you?"
&c
little boy roughly from him, and there
was marked GOODNESS in his manner
towards him for the rest of the evening !;
in fact, from that time an enlargement
grew up between the friends, which
deepened as the days went on.
This was through no fault of the
faithful Philip. He still waited pa
tiently upon the doorstep for his friend &,
only to be pushed aside with harsh
words. Each Sunday, each night of the
meeting, did he plead with Jim to come
with him, but it was of no avail.
When the little fellow wandered in
alone his sad face told the story without
words. He never blamed his friend
keeping silent about the harsh words,
but unable TO restrain the tears when
questioned. 1t seemed odd, but it was
true, that those little hands had kept
Jim back from much that was evil, for
now he had thrown them off he fell in
with wild set, and was beginning to
tread that downward path which leads
to ruin.
One night--a cold, bleak March
night-when the wind came roaring
and clustering up the streets, Jim, with
a crowd of fellows, stood upon the
corner laying plans for the nights
fun" The music from dance hall
came floating down to them, the squeak
of fiddle, and the shuttle of dancing
feet, and it was into this place, notori-
Gus even in that evil neighborhood,
the boys were trying to persuade Jim
to 90.
He was standing there irresolute,
conscious of the struggle in his heart,
and yet resenting it, when the patter
of hurrying footsteps came to the
street, and childish figure, with a
white, eager face, came within the
glare of the electric light under which
they stood.
1t was the Little I'm, who had in
some way heard of his friends danger,
and was flying to his assistance.
Jim had not seen him for some time.
The measles had been bad in that To-
cality, and Philip had succumbed, and
had been very sick; he had scrambled
back to life, somehow, but with a
feeble body and racking cough. But
brave little boy! How the feeble feet
could run; how desperately the thin
little hands chung to Jim's feet.
"Jim, JIM" he painted; "don't you
never go in there. It's a dreadful
place, Jim; once you 60 in there, you'll
never be the same again. I've seen
people in there. Mother goes, and
often she used to take me; and oh
JIM | believe it's the DEVILS home
indeed | do"
Jim looked down angrily, his hand
half raised to strike, but the little face
was so white, and there was such lool
of love in the sunken eyes
81 love you, jim" he pleaded
"You are the first person ever give mt
kind word in my life. Pm not one
bit afraid you'll hit me, jim; Pm mo-
one bit afraid. Come home with me