St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-05-31
CIR 11nn1e.
JOE'S COLLATERAL

1t was a very white head that
poked itself through the door of my
office one morning late in December
of 'S3-very white; not with the
SHOWS of many winters was it white,
but with snow that was falling
thick and fast on the day in ques-
ton. No; the curly head of my
small friend Joe had not known
MANY winters-ten, perhaps, We'll
sav-but into them had the chap
crowded many and varied expert
ences not so varied, after all, for it
was with one side of life, only, that
the little fellow had had dealings-it
was with life's rOugher side that he
had grown most familiar.
As he stood before me, tossing his
curly head-nOne the less curly for
all twas matched with snow -shak-
ing that wise little tOp-knOt OF his as
if the words he so hated to utter
might thus tumble out OF their own
accord, l well knew that some
exigency, some sore strait, had
driven the boy to my side in quest of
>
and | felt as if a tear had dropped
from the beautiful, pleading eyes.
Tears were near the surface, knew,
and were only repressed by sheer
force OF will and pride, with which
the little Trojan was most bOuntiful-
ly supplied.
Thinking to help Joe recover his
usual spirits, l began to tease him,
to chaff him about his whitened
locks and his rapid ageing; but he
stopped me-stopped me with q
word. "Oueeny''-was all that he
said, all that he could say, at first
and then 1 knew that the invalid
sister, who had indeed been the
queen of Joe's attic home, had pass
ed to SUMMER quarters, leaving her
brave little knight enveloped in
clouds that gave no promise OF
breaking away.
You see." he went on to explain,
I TUX my last earnings fer Queeny' 5
observation-disclosures l couldn't low
it ter pass 'thOut doin' sumpin to
cheer like; an she wuz smilin' so
bright over what l had brung her
and what had come from you! Why,
| wuz a-laughin' so hard for joy,
merself, that l didn't notice her
coughin' spell till all of student she
chOked and-and-well, I've come to
tell you that the roll of money wot
Oueeny found pinned to Their shorl
YOU sent can't be used for buying
her deliksies now, so [ thOrt praps
YOU would let me call it mine till l
ken earn more ter pay you.
would like to cover her with roses,
SOS the snow won't seem quite SO
cold fallin' on her when | take her to
the grave. Will you take my note
fer Their mount we're speakin' Of?''
Would I take his note? Yes, I did
take it. His bearing, his princely
bearing, forbade all thought of any
other course; and the note lies before
me as | sit at the same desk think
ing of Joe today-a well-thumbed,
ragged bit it is, but proud is its pos
SCISSOR.
Exposure to the ills of life began
TO tell upon the little newsbOy-
gentleman ofthe press, he facetiOus-
~ STYLED himself in some of our con
tidential chats together. Grief still
more plainly had told upon Joe,
despite his heroic efforts to 'act sit
nawthin had happened" March
found the little fellow thoroughly
disa bled, but not until he had
squared himself with the world that
had made such drafts upon him.
We who stood about him at the
last had the sad pleasure of seeing
Toe, too, covered with roses-rOse
whose warm glow seemed to allay
Just a little the chill of the March
wind sweeping through the attic
room Another note of Joe's we
found pinned to the boys shirt when
we stopped to find if his heart had
really ceased TO beat. Like this the
feeble scra wi ran on
ITO my Speshul friend and to All
wots been so Kind to me since
Queeny died and left me to live Alone
want to say that feal most Crate
full. don't no what More to say,
'cept that your kindness KEEP me up
sometimes when my Hart wuz jes
ready to Break. Queenv is waitln
fer me up among the Stars and
want to go, Goodbye and more
Thanks from Joe"
From Joes little roma ace We
might we'll learn much. His king
dom was only an attic room, but his
queen remained a queen; the little
fellow had placed her upon a throne
that would not crumble and fall
lZiOn'S Herald.