The evening world., 1892-02-10
HIS FIRST PANTS.
To Little John They Were a Brief
Dream Of Happiness.
Cruel Poverty Compelled His Mother
to Pawn Them.
Now Hc Can't Go to the "Soup
School" +" Because He Looks
Like a Girl.

six-year-old Peter was telling me about the
" soup school," ana two-year-old brother Bob,
who lay across his mothers knee with his
heels up aud his head down, was doing his
baby best to make nie believe that he, too
had just come from "soup stool,' when the
door was kicked open and In bounced girl, l
supposed from her head and dress.
This is john" the mother said.
DIS Is Jon," the baby repeated.
John - was all said, but he understood
my question, ana there was a blaze OF in
dignation In his brown eyes when he replied
al amt dirl! and got pants. Haven't
got pants, mamma2"
"why don't you wear them p asked play
fully.
They're In the hook shop and / can't, but
] amt a dirl.'
The poor woman Dlushed when / asked
what the child meant, and when she
told me / blushed and tried to apologize for
my clumsiness
No heart opens to sympathizo without
letting In delicacy, and at the tirst move had
stuck dagger in her pride.
BY way Of mending matters helped John
off with his hood and COAX, and assisted by
the mimic, Bob tried to prove the superiority
OF feminine attire, but 1t was wasted effort.
John was not open to conviction, and to
Clinch the argument he turned the cloak up
side down. braced himself against the door
and proceeded to put his leg in the sleeve.
Then got the touching little story about
his " first pair"
MAMMA made my pants, and she tried
N n n M hpy or m 'rhnn Sh nj
them In the lock shop. And l didn't wear
them none. hut I'm goln' to wear them and
60 to the soup school with Peter. Now l
can't go. They'd say was a dirl, but amt,
and got pants"
"And dot pans" came in cuckoo tones
from under the table.
The mothers eyes flood when she tells me
that her husband has been out Of work since
Christmas, and that she Z" put away the lit
tie suit for paltry 80 cents.
Tiny Bob In the mean time has captured
my pocketDook ana Is quietly robbing me.
samples and poems are more plentiful than
change, and as he tries to pick out the
pennies his mouth opens In sympathy and
his little red tongue becomes rar-reaching
and very juicy. When he hands copper to
his brother, Peter looks towards his mother
and timidly remarks: " I'll save this to buy
pair OF shoes"
He tells Inc that he wears Items" and that
Bobs shoes "got too little, but they amt
wore out. They got little when he was In the
hospital"
Baby Bob had an ugly abscess and spent
six weeks in Bellevue. Peter and John "went
to sec him one day, and he was playin' in a
lal n IN hisSpHr The
only been home few days, which accounts
fer the privileges he enjoys.
The dream Of Johns life Is to 70 to the
"soup school," His mother cOrrects him, bat
"lndustrial does not begin to describe the
institution In Monroe street to his way Of
thinking. Peter says: They give you soup
every day and two pieces OF bread, and II you
want more and you hold up your hand you
get IT," For u long time John had his doubts
about that school, but they disappeared the
day Peter came nome with long piece OF
maccaroni in his mouth "that he didn't
swaller Till seed It,"
Mocking- bird Bob is indescribably sweet.
No human creature could resist his captivat-
Ing prattle.
He went into Bellevue as fragile and pale as
q lily, and the doctors sent him hCme as round
and plump as a pudding, fragrant and rosy
with health.
Peter is n beautiful boy, OF that delicate
type frequently seen among the very poor,
whose spiritual development will most likely
exceed the physical.
John Is not yet five years OF age, but he is q
boy, every inch OF him.
And yet the proud parents OF this lovely
trio are most unhappy. The mother is Ill
the husband Is out OF employment, the rent is
overdue and the dread OF having to so to the
hospital and leave her children appalls the
woman and unnerves the husband. And yet
the wife begs Tor something to do. She can
sew, and she does sew for the neighbors. but
her customers are as poor rs she is herself
and most OF the pay comes In the form o
food, seasoned with blessing.
BoD's father Is a young man about twenty.
lvc and teamster by trade, but willing tc
do anything Tor the means OF support. lie is
sober, faithful and intelligent, he loves hi;
family, and their love stimulates him. En-
forced idleness, always hard for an active
manly man to bear, is most distressing In the
! face OF sickness.
THE EVENING WORLD Will forward any as
sistance that the kind-hearted reader Is IN.
clined to render and II Will also vouch for the
character OF the man. John is not 4 girl, and
1t is cruel injustice to keep him In skirts
when he "has pants" that iit Bob ant
Peter must have shoes and the ailing mother
needs many things; but, as the young lathe!
said, ~ can FIX everything II can only gel
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