The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1891-10-30
soeeY.s NICKEL.
The Great Sacrifice That Tie Made In th'
Cause OF Charity.

Cause OF Charity.
Little Bobby was In great fortune.
Coming down Race street he had found
n nickel In the crack of the pavement.
lie first rubbed Il carefully on his
trousers leg. Then he spat on his coat
sleeve and washed the dirty coin with
solicitude. twas nickel, sure enough.
The cool sizzle OF "A soda fountain
roared in Bobby's eavs He imagined
he saw the bright spouts with their
fascinating labels, the big nozzle with
the drip sponge under IL. lie could al
ready smell the sweet fragrance
of strawberry favoring. Yes, he
was already decided; he would
have strawb berry and vanilla,
nectar and cream. lie pictured
himself already standing before the red
granite counter, laying down that real
truly nickel like an Indian prince, and
ordering huge glass OF golden amber,
rosy foam. tempting. cooling, refresh
ing, tingling, delicious. And with the
very thought he Rugged himself with
his skinny little arms in his dirty little
shirt, and magnifice ntly hitched up his
enc suspender.
Just as he strobe manfully in at the
big door Of that saltwater elysium
the pitiful wall Of an ancient organettc
fell upon his car. lie paused moment
in his triumphal progress 10 listen and
10 see. A crippled old hag, blind as
bat, and dressed In filthy rags, crouched
over the cracked machine she tortured
into expostulative music. Her tin
cup was rusty, bent: handle IL had
none, and 1t was empty. Her hands
were like birds claws, thin, sallow and
blue-veined. Her constant hacking
cough raclSed her from head TO foot as
she crept closer 10 the post and ground
out the intermittent chords.
Bobby paused 10 listen and To see
He looked curiously ut the crouchng
beggar, raggcder and dirtier than him
self. peeped into the empty cup inter
estedly, and, turning, hurried on again
10 the fountain, licking his lips
AS he reached up to the counter 10
lay down his money he casually
looked back at the forlorn speci-
men on the corner. The blind old
woman had ceased her grinding,
and was feeling dumbly into the tin
cup. IL was still empty. She set IL
down, reached u trembling hand toward
the handle of the organettc, then let il
drop aimlessly at her side. pulled her
tattered shawl closer about her, and
bent with feebly-moving lips over the
outfit
Bobby stood gazing out at her with
his grimy paws in his pockets, one of
them clutched very tightly, in IL the
nickel.
Then he took one passionate look
along the row of flavor taps, up TO the
kissing globe on top, into the eyes of
the clerk, down Mt the clear glass i'm the
silver-holder waiting for his order.
A moment later the clerk rcficctively
set n still empty glass back on the
shelf One nickel tinlSled about in the
grinders battered tin cup on top of the
cracked organette. A pair of bare and
dirty little legs carried Bobby up the
street again, whistling loudly jolly
tune. AS he neared the place OF the
mornings lucky find however, his pace
grew slower, the glad whistle failed.
Bobby stopped; looked along the gut
ter, dimly hoping, dimly wishing.
Then he crept into an empty crock
cry crate, cuddled down In the broken
straw. and sobbed very softly To him
self. -Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.