The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-03-29


cheeks, that plainly told of insufficient
food. lie wore a suit of clothes evidently
made for some one else. They were patch
ed in places with cloth Of different coIors.
His shoes were old, his hair cut square in
the neck in the unpractised manner that
women sometimes cut boys hair. 1t was
a bitter day, yet he wore no oyercoat, and
his bare hands were red with the cold.
GLOW old are you, Tommy"
mime year old come next April. I've
learnt to read at home, and / can cipher a
little"
well. it is time for you to begin school,
Why have you never come before ?"
The boy fumbled with a cap in his hands,
and did not reply at onee. 1t was a rag
ged cap, with frayed edges, and the origi-
nal color of the fabric no man conId tell.
Presently he said: 81 never went 10
school 'cause-'cause-weIl, mother takes
in washin', an she couldn't spare me.
Bat Sissy is big enough now 10 help, an
she minds the baby besides"
It was not quite time for school to begin.
All around the teacher and the new scholar
stood The boys that belonged to the room.
While he wa making his confused expia-
nation some of the boys laughed, and one
Of them called out, Say, Tommy, where
are your cuffs and collar ~ And another
said, lyon must sleep in the rag bag at
night, by the looks Of your clotbes." Be
fore the teacher could quiet them. another
boy had volunteered the information that
the father Of the new boy was ''oid ST
Brown. who is always as drunk as a fid-
der"
The poor child looked round at his tor
mentors like a hunted thing. Then, before
the teacher could detain him, with a sup
pressed cry of misery, he ran ont Of the
room, out Of the building, down the street,
and was seen no more.
The teacher went to her duties with a
troubled heart All day long the ehild's
pitif1l face haunted her. Alright it came
to her dreams. She could not rid herself
of the memory of it. After a little trouble,
she found the place where he lived, and
two Of the W. C. t. Z. women vent to
visit him.
It was a dilapidated house, in a street
near the river. The family lived in the
back part of the house, in a frame add
ton. The ladies climbed the outside stairs
that led up to the room occupied by the
Brown family. When they FIRST entered,
they could scarcely discern objects, the
room was so filled with the steam of the
soarsuds. There were two windows, but
a tall brick building adjacent Shut ont the
light. 1t was a gloomy day, too, with
gray, lowering clouds that forbade even
the memory Of sunshine.
4 woman stood before a wasltub.
When they entered, she wiped her hands
on her apron and caaae forward to meet
them.
Once she had been pretty. Bat the color
and light had all gone out of her face, leav-
ing only s~harpened outlines and haggard-
ness of expression.
She asked them to sit down, in a ~listless,
uninterested manner; then. taking 4 chair
herself, she said;
s'sissy, give me the baby
A little girl came forward from a dark
corner of the room, carrying 4 baby, that
she laid in its mothers lap-a lean and
sickly-looking baby, with the same hollow
eyes that little Tommy had.
sYonr baby doesn't look strong said
one Of the ladies.
No. ma'am, she amt very well. l
have to work hard, aud | expect it affects
herr and the woman conghed, as she held
the child to her breast.
This room was the place where this fam
lily ate, slept, and lived. There was no
carpet on the floor; an old table, three OF
four chairs, a broken stove, a bed in one
corner; in the opposite corner a trundie-
bed-thas was all.
Where is your little boy Tommy"
asked one of the visitors.
s'Ee is there in the trindie-bed," re-
Piled the mother.
us he sick?'
"Yes'm, and the doctor thinks h amt
going to get WE'LL At this, the mother
laid her head on the baby's face, while the
tears ran down her thin and faded cheeks.
"What Is the matter with him?'
ale was never very strong, aud he's
had To work too hard, carrying water and
helping me lift the washtubs, aud things
like that
SIS his father deads.'f
mo, he amt dead. He used to be a
good workman, and we had a comfortable
home. But all he earns now-and that
amt much--goes for drink. Ii he'd only
let me have what little | make over the
washtub. But half the time he takes that
away from me, and then the children go
hungry
She look the child off her shoulder. 1t
was asleep now, and she laid it across her
lap.
Tommy has been crazy to so to school.
| never could spare him till this winter.
He thought if he could get a little eduea-
ton he'd be able TO help take care of Sissy
and baby ana me. He knew he'd never
be able to work hard. So | fixed up his
clothes as we'll as / could, aud last week
n. go n. oc-nsl A., 1npc ~n.,ld