The morning call., 1892-07-24

weeks or more and they sat evening after
evening listening with lated breath and
tears in their eyes to the log of the unfor-
tunate yoyagers in the Inflated jeanette.
Most of the boys had left school at the age
oi or 10 10 begin life. and their educational
advantages had been few, but / never
found it difficult to awaken their
eager interest in the great practical
questions and dOings of the DAY. We met
lD an UPPER room Of what had once been
the city jail. now turned over 10 the use Of
the society under whose auspices the class
was formed, and manv OF the boys walked
matter OF half a dozen miles to and from
the class after hard days wOrk.---I re-
member well one sturdy little fellow Of IL
who came regularly from bis home nearly
three miles away, through the severe East
ern winter weather, clad in thin summer gar
ments, only ragged, buttOnless cotton shirt
protecting his chest from the cold wind.
AnCther-but IL took them that way each
one of the 20 would fnd mention here, and
lack Of space forbids that. l have only
room to tell Of half dozen. chosen because
each In bis way Is typical. One might ind
a duZsn like him.
Perhaps | had better begin with Eddie,
my little I3-year-Old ehum, who began by
being one OF the bad boys OF the class.
Needless. untidy, Indifferent. apparently
nOpeiessiY stupid despite his bright fare
Eddie babe fair 10 become an undesirable
nuisance IN the class He was eTrand-bOy
III a big haTdware-st0re downtown. All
day loug his busy feet were kept running
and when evening came he wanted fun.
Most Uf the boys he knew came 10 the class
and Eddie cams with them rather than to
lose their companiOnshIp altogether. Not
hndlnE much fun there be evidently in
tended to make some If he could. | bore 1t
patiently for week or two and then took
Eddie aside aud reasoned the matter ont
with him. 1t did not seem to have any effect
and his pranks finally threatened to break
up the whole class. Casting about for a
means OF reaching him / at last played
trump card and invited the boy to tea. He
accepted the invitation and came to the
house a model of DeatnesS and pTopriety.
lie even wore brand-hew neckte, TO pro-
cure which, | afterwaTd learned from his
siepmOther, who gave it as an instance OF his
extreme vanity, he had gone without
cigarettes whole week. His shoes were
nicely polished and the absurd boy had his
hair carefully cOmbed down on his fore
head In imitation OF the dude of the period,
who had recently adopted the ridiculous
style: confess the result OF the visit dis
appointed me. j could not see that there
was anything in the boys character upon
which 10 get hold, and when he bade me
gOod-by that evening / shut the door reflect
Ing: Just shallow little ignoramus He
VIII grow up sort Of dandy among his
kind, marry some silly girl and they will
raise a family like unto themselves. only
weaker" But the next class night as Eddie
sat next me, during the history reading /
felt warm little paw slipped into my hand
beneath the table, and glanced around to
SEQ the boy giving the most earnest atten-
lion. / never had any trouble about him
again. Poor little Eddie. his one great de-
light in life was music. He had a fine ear
and clear, sweet. high soprano, and sang
very correctly. 1t was his delight to stop in
the audieace-hall, on the same floor with u.s.
and PICK OUT tune on the rafting old
piano that stood there. He was an expert
performer on cheap little mouih-oTgan
which he always carried In his pocket, and
1t was the dream of his life to earn enough
money 10 be aOle TO take music lessons. |
visited his home during brief Illness that
he had, and was entertained hv his step
mother with an account of his general
worhlessness. "He amt good fer nothin',"
she confded 10 me In bis hearing. Eddie's
mother had died when he was baby, and
his father had married this woman. After
ward the father died, and the widow, mar
rying again, these two were all the parents
the child knew. They took all of his wages
(S3 week., save % cents and gave him O
home and clothing of sort.
Such warm-hearted, affectionate little
chap he was. just before Christmas that
winter, he took me into his confidence. Out
OF his pitful little allowance of 25 cents
weekly he had saved over dollar with
which he meant To purchase presents for
the Twins, MS brothers, or at least the
children OF the couple he called father and
mother lie asked me to go with him to
| make a selection, and his delight over the
| little traps we picked out, during his noon
| hour one day. was as great as IL could have
| been over gifts for himself His step
mother, not Enowing my share In the selec-
tion, told me about the presents aiterward.
Eddie was mighty sly, she said, and she
| supposed he thought he could wheedle her
| into increasing his allowance. bur she
| shouldn't do it-'twas all she could do to
board and clothe him.
His end was characteristic number of
| disastrous, hfe-destrOying fires in tie city
had resulted in an order compelling fire.
escapes put up OH hotels and buildings in
| the business quarters. AS result owners
| everywhere had put up ladder-like con-
trivanees OF no particular value as fire.
| escapes but great temptation to climbing
| boys. One day at noon, as Eddie was hang
| ing around the store door. he heard pitenus
mewiDg above his head. High up on a ledge
| near the hre-escape he saw wailipg cat.
| She must have fallen from the roof aud
managed TO secure n footing on the ledge,
put there was no possible way for
| her TO get down, and she was making
the air hldeous with her lamentations.
| A signal of distress from any quarter
was an Imperative mandate to Eddie,
and grssping the lowest rung of the fire.
escape. he swung himself up and scrambled
ike monkey TO the rescue of the cat.
Passers-by looked carelessly up TO see him
| se. ner; NO one ever expects anything to
| happen TO boy, but somehow. having Sc
| cured pussie, Eddie's foot slipped, as he
| turned to descend, and down he came with
crash. Fuss landed on her feet and was
on In triee. but Eddie was dead when
they picked him up. Poor little fellow"
said one oi the men who raised him tenderIy
and carried BIN into TIE store; "he's better
| OIL, anyway" L do not think so. Life is
always better than death; but his step
| mothers comment reconclled me to that OF