The Newtown bee., 1891-06-05
TOMMY BROWN; IS HE IN YOUR
 SCHOOL?

the boy.
 He was pathetic little figure, with thin face, large, hollow eyes and pale cheeks that plainly told of insufficient food. He wore a suit of clothes evident ly made for some one else. They were patched in places with cloth of different colors. His shoes were old, his hair cut square on the neck, in the unpracticed manner that women sometimes cut boys hair. It was a bitter cold day, yet he wore no Overcoat and his bare hands were red with cold
 "lIow old are you, Tommy"
 ''Nine years old come next April. I've learned to read at home and can cipher little."
 "Well, it's time for you to begin school. Why have you never come before?"
 The boy fumbled with a cap in his hands, but did not reply at once. It was ragged cap, with frayed edges and the original color of the fabric no man could tell.
 Presently he said: 'I never went to school 'cause-well; mother takes in washin' and she couldn't spare me. But Sis is big enough now to help ; an she minds the baby besides"
 It was not quite time for the school to begin. All around the teacher and the new scholar stood the boys that belong ed in the room. While he was making his confused explanation, some of the boys laughed and one of them called out : Say, Tommy, where are your cuffs and cOllarE" And another said: "You must sleep in the rag-bag at night, by the looks of your clothes.' Before the teacher could quiet them, another boy had volun- teered the information that the father of the new boy was "old Si Brown, who is always as drunk as a fiddler
 The poor child looked at his tormentors like hunted thing. Then, before the teacher could detain him, with suppress sed cry of misery, he ran out of the room, out of the building, down the street and was seen no more.
 The teacher went to her duties with a heavy heart. All day long the child's pitiful face haunted her. At night it came to her dreams. She could not rid herself of the memory of it. After little trouble, she found the place where he lived.
 It was dilapidated house, in street near the river. The family lived in the back part of the house in frame addi- tiOn. The ladies climbed the outside stairs that led up to the room occupied by the Brown family. When they first en- tered, they could scarcely discern objects, the room was so filled with the steam of the soap suds. There were two windows, but tall brick building adjacent shut out the light. It was a gloomy day too, with gray, lowering clouds, that forbade even the memory of sunshine.
 A woman stood before the wash-tub. When they entered, she wiped her hands on her apron and came forward to meet them. Once she had been pretty. But the color and light had all gone out of her face, leaving only the sharpened out lines and haggardness of expression. She asked them to sit down in a lstless, unin- terested manner ;then, taking chair her self, she said: Sissy, give me the baby"
 E corner of the room, carrying the baby, which she laid on her mothers lap-a lean and sickly looking baby, with the same hollow eyes Tommy had.
 "Your baby doesn't look strong" said one of the ladies.
 "No, ma am, she isn't very strong. l have to work hard and expect it affects her." and the woman coughed, as she held the child to her breast.
 This room was the place where this family ate, slept and lived. There was no carpet on the floor an old table, three or four chairs, a broken stove, a bed in one corner, in an opposite corner a trun- dle-bed-that was all.
 "Where is your little boy, Tommy?'' asked one of the visitors.
 "He is there in the trundle-bed," repli- el the mother.
 ''Is he sick?''
 "Yes'em, and the doctor thinks he isn't going to get we'll" At this, the mother laid her head upon the baby's face, while the tears ran down her thin and faded cheeks.
 "What Is the matter with him?'
 ''He was never very strong and he's had to work too hard carrying water, helping me lift the wash-tubs and things like that"
 'sIs his father dead?'
 "No, he ain't dead. He used to be good workman and we had comfortable home. But all he earns now-and that ain't much-goes for drink. If he'd only let me have what little I make over the wash-tub. But half the time he takes that away from me and then the children go hungry"
 She took the child off her shoulder. It was asleep now, and she laid it across her lap.
 "Tommy has been crazy to go to school. never could spare him till this Winter. He thought if he could get a lit- tie education, he'd be able to take care of Sissy and me. He knew he'd never be able to work hard. So I fixed up his clothes as well as I could and, last week laugh.at him, but he thought he could stand it If they did. l stood in the door and watched him going. lean never for get how the little fellow looked" :" she con tinued, the tears streaming down her face. "His patched-up clothing, his old shoes, his ragged cap, his poor little anx- ious look. Returned to me as he left the yard and said, Don't you worry, moth- CT; ain't going to mind what the boys say.' But he did mind. It wasn't an hour till he was back again I believe the child's heart was just broke. thought