Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-01-31
MATED BY MISERY.
A Small Boy and a Cat Figure in an Ex-
traordinary Street Scene.

| A Small BOY and a Cat Figure in an Ex.
traordinary Street Scene.
| 1t has often been asserted that mis-
cry loves company, as it has been said
that misery reduces us all to common
| level.
Sometimes these, like other trite and
more or less truthful proverbs. are
| practically demonstrated for our bene-
| fit or instruction. as the case may be.
A reporter was treated to an example
of this kind the other night. 1t was
one with dash of realism, tinge of
| human nature at it's best. and touch
of pathos withal.
| Though considerably before mid
night, it was late enough for the side
| streets uptown to be practically de-
serted, save by some one coming from
a late shopping tour or the theater.
| 1t was cold, too. The wind swept
fiercely through the streets and, with
| the cold night air, caused the pedes-
trian who CHANGED to be out to button
up his overcoat and quicken his pace.
A lady and gentleman, evidently be-
| longing to the band of late shoppers,
| were hurrying through one OF these
uptown streets on their way home. In
| the middle of the block the woman S
quick eye detected what seemed to be
bundle lying on the steps ola brown
| stone mansion, and it may have been
her woman's instinct that impeled her
| to drop her husbands arm and pro-
coed to investigate.
The object on the stone stOop seemed
a bundle of rags, and was. in fact,
bundle of rags, and of very poor rags,
too; but it soon became apparent that
there was something within the bundle,
for the sound of soft, low sobs came
from it. The woman's heart was
touched. Some one was in sore mis-
cry. That was certain. and the lady
kindly shook the bundle; and as she
did SO little white face was turned up
to her. Then it became apparent that
within that bundle of rags there was a
boy-a very small, very dirty, very
misunderstanding boy, but withal a
human being.
AS he rose slightly from his crouch
ing attitude, which shielded him from
the cold more than any other would,
he showed himself to be very miracle
of raggedness. His bare limbs showed
through the holes in his clothes.
Dickens DO" who "was always a
bein' chivvied" and who twas always
a movin' on could not have presented
d more abject appearance There was
about him, too, somewhat of Jos" air
of suspicion and resentfulness, born of
having long been hunted as an out
cast. 1t showed when the lady asked
what he was doing sitting in that cold
place.
'Nothin'." was the response; II amt
dom nothin' at ALL and then he re-
lapsed into his crouching position.
Have you no home?n he was asked.
.None but de lodgin'- house, an ]
amt got no money for dat.
How much would that cost?"
''Tenpence for week"
'Have you had any thing to eat?"
"a sangwitch yesterday" was tie
sententious reply.
Instantly the lady's hand sought her
purse. This was evidently a case of
real misery.
But the lady's change had been ex-
pended in Broadway. and the wait
seemed to think that no help was to
come after all. But the lady's escort
came to the rescue. and even had not
he done SO, assistance would have come,
for that moment belated servant girl
on her way home was passing and saw
the scene. Drawing a small coin from
her pocket she thrust it into the boys
hand and hurried on, simply remark
ing: Lord love We. num-"
Then the gentleman added substan-
tiallv to the servant girls mite, and
the boy was advised to hurry away
and get a meal and bed. He lost nc
time in following the advice. but with
a hurried. awkward THANK We, miss"
he dashed away as though fearful that
his benefactors would resent their gen
crosby and follow him.
1t was then that the lady and gentle
man saw what they had failed to sec
before. AS the boy rose from where
he had been sitting, a gray cat jumped
from the step beneath him and disap-
peared in an arch-way. The cat, like
the boy, was a waif. Like him he was
cold and hungry. Like him he had nc
home and no friends. The animal
and the human being met on common
level They were mated by mis-
cry. and what was more natural
than that they should form an al
lance against their common enemy?
And that is what they did. The cat
crouched beneath the legs of the boy
and was to an extent shielded from the
wind, while on the other hand its soft
fur had prevented the cold from enter
ing through the rents in the boys
clothes. 1t was a queer partnership,
but in way it was successful one.
In fact, to the reporter who involun-
tarily witnessed it it seemed a queer
incident. But it simply proved what
has been often said, that queer things
occur every night and day in the streets
of New York, and it served to heighten
the reporters respect for the proverb
referred to above.-N Y. Mail and
Express.
"A HaGpitton of Pi,rtorracv