Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1889-10-18


and through the silent night.watches came
voice tenderly calling; "Willic, son; come
home.n
Stolen from his widowed mother by Q
band OF gypsies Ia distant State, when 0
few years old, he had wandered hither with
them.
And thcn, forsalSen by them in a At Of Ill
ness, he had been left on the steps Of Mr..
Balfour's palatlal house.
His life had been hard and loveless when
with his cap,ors; but since Hiram Balfour
took him in for 'what he could do" and
the kind, motherly wife had died, his life
had been full of bitterness.
"Be lively there, or you'll repent itr'
shouted rough voice from the doorway
and the little fellow bent lower over his
saw while the great tears dropped down on
the heavy oak stick he was cutting in twain
Then the man in the doorway came out
and measuring off heap of sticks said
"These you must convert into wood to-day,
And If, when / return tonight, 1t is moi
completed I'll whip you within an inch oi
your life" He went away and Willie was
left alone with his little heart ready to
break with its weight of unkindness.
" know shall fall" he sobbed. 30,
wish might die Why can'tIl" he moaned.
OAuSE ChluIcu uO' hbtlc pOyS WIN iASh
loving papas, too, while have to live to be
beaten by Mr.. Baifour. o, dear wonder
why God took Aunto Balfour away from
me; she loved me and was kinol'
At the end of an hour the weary hands
let go the saw bnd Willie crept away into
the corner of the garden and nestled down
in the cool grass to rest. Closing his eyes
ho lay quite STILL thinking. There were
strange thoughts fitting through his little
brain. He sat up and looked about him
cautiously; possibilities which had never
dawned to him before came to him now, and
he caught his breath at the bold idea.
~ am going-going to run-awayrn he
whispered, hoarsely. "Malbo i can find
mamma" And through the sultry summer
air floated something like an inspiration
sweetly, tenderly 1t came: "Willie, SON."
"What If JenlSinson sees mo,n he MUIR
INJURED, frightened Mt tho thought rs he
beheld the gardener busy with his tools d
few yards away.
But over the fence there was the road
leading TO the city, and 1t wasn't far there,
and once in 1t he thought he could dodge
anybody. Mr.. Balfour had gone the other
way, farther into the country, and he
wouldn't meet him. Yes, he would run away
Jenllinson's back was toward him, and he
hHSW WHtTS tHcTC WuS a Dohiu VII bhS
fence, and he could slip out and no one
could see him. If he ever meant TO go 1t
might as well be now.
"God help mo to get away from Mr.. Bal
four,n prayed the child, as he crept slyly
through the opening. 10, myln Could he do
it'll Yes he could.
The blue sky smiled above him, the
birds sang merrily in the trees by the
wayside, and every thing seemed glad that
he had gotten thus far.
On and on he trudged toward the city,
the day grew hotter and pain came into
his temples. The city, it must be hundred
miles from Mr.. Balfour's; he'd heard them
say it was ten miles, but he believed he had
gone further than that now. His head
throbbed fearfully and he was so hungry,
but after all 1t wasn't so bad Us to be whipped
at night.
A sound of wheels came to his ear. Was
1t Mr.. Balfour coming after HINT o, dear
But no; it was kindly woman in car.
riage who stopped beside him TO ask "Don't
you wish to ridel You're tired to death, my
little man."
"Yes'm, I'm most dead" said Willie,
family; shut / must reach the city before
night"
"Well, I'm going there" said the lady. "a
live in the CITY,"
He climbed into tho carriage and she let
the curtain down on his side to keep out
the sun and make him comfortable.
After looking him over curiously for some
minutes the woman asked: AREN'T you