Huntsville gazette., 1888-06-02
A PAUPER BOY HERO.
The Little Story of Two Babes In
the Wood.

He was little paupcr boy being re-
turned to the State that must maintain
him, He sat very quiet in his seat,
thinking of his grandmother, who had
died in the little village that was send
ing him away. He thought of her
grave on the hillside burying ground,
where wild roses and raspberry bushes
clung about the stones; where the bees
hummed in the sunshine, the birds
sang in the naples, and the long grass
in the soft summer breeze blew across
the graves like pals. He remembered
horny-handed farmer, who had
passed HIM on his sad journey to the
depot with one of the selectmen of the
town, and the farmer had patted his
head, saying kindly, "Take this five
cents, bub; keep it and you'll never
want money, for you'll allus have it."
He pondered over this arithmetical
problem until his brain was tired.
When he drank from the rusty tin cup
he thought of the rollicking brown
brook that ran through the village,
and wondered if the children playing
on its banks would remember him.
No one tried to talk to him for he
was such a small, quiet child he was
not noticed. No one saw the pathetic
little face grow pale or the shadows
come in his bright dark eyes. He
dreamed the second night of his jour
ney that with his grandmother he was
walking on long bridge and q great
steamship breathing dense, black
smoke came crashing down upon them.
He awoke with little cry and found
himself lying on the ground under the
stars. There had been an accident to
the train and some kind man had lifted
the unconscious child out of a window.
A light flashed close to his face.
ats the little chap shipped to Wis
consin," said a brakeman, holding his
light lower, she is dead, think, and
better off no doubt. poor little fellow"
After a long blank the child came
back to life with those words ringing
in his ears; dead and better off, "
There were thick woods near, and close
to him wounded people lying on
blankets. Afar off was a lurid light
where one of the wrecked cars was
burning He wondered what had hap
pencd; in terror he staggered to his
feet and with the blind instinct of q
sleep walker stumbled into the forest.
When the wounded people were carried
away he was forgotten. He was all
alone in the world, there was no one
to miss him.
In a cool, grassy hollow hidden by
tall green ferns he slept until late the
next day. He wondered then if he
were dead, he seemed deserted by
every one, and he had no idea how he
came into the woods. He saw his little
basket near him, noted his clothes were
burned and dusty. He listened and the
ripple of brook came to him. He
went to it and bathed his head and the
wound in his forehead that began to
smart. There was little rustic in the
alder brushes, and there across the
brook, looking at him with beaming
face. was little, golden-haired child.
Her blue eyes were red with tears, her
pretty white gown dirty and torn, her
blue sash trailing on the ground.
Harry, my Harry" she cried.
stretching out her little arms, "come
get baby, baby never wun off no more"
He went across the brook carrying
his basket She was very hungry and
his generous heart rejoiced that he had
3 eaten little all the journey and had
clung tight to his basket through his
trials. From her confused talk he
learned she had been lost in the woods
the day before and slept all night at
the foot of tree. She saw he was not
Harry, but stroked his face with her
loving hand. saying: "Ou hurted. poor
other Harryp Mamma make on we'll.
His senses coming to him with this new
charge, he took her by the hand and
set out to find somebody.
He was not afraid in the woods. for
he and his grandmother had slept
many night under the stars. To-
wards dark he saw on side path a
pair of shining eyes, round globes of
fire. He was carrying the child, and
he kept bravely on. saying the prayer
his grandmother had taught him. The
luminous eyes disappeared quickly,
and he knew it was only a harmless