The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1895-05-15

usual solemn industry and disregard OF
all else, by which the whole family, help
ing the husband and father, can some.
times make S. a week There was an
unusual and powerful outside interest
which made them frequently cast anx-
4ious and expectant glances at the mouth
of a tunnel-like passageway which led to
the street. 1t was through that passage
age way the wagon men must come with
the box. Now and then one, more inn
patient than the others, would send a
child ont to the street Ito inquire if tho
wagon was in sight. Lena overheard
one of the children return and report
that the wagon could not yet be seen
from either end of the bend, and then
she said to Lizzie: "Come into my room.
1 have the price"
AS she passed Pietro she stopped, pat
ted the babys hands and said; "rll send
out for some mill for Tommy"
Pletro smiled his delight. He had
given Joe all his money, ten cents, inlthe
morning, as bride to stop beating Mag
gle, and he sorrowed that he could t
buy milk for the baby.
"Poor Towmy! Poor Towmy" he said.
'Towmy like-a-milk, good a-milk"
The two women went into the back
room on the floor below, and sent out
one of the children in the hall with eigh
cents and two bottles-tve cents for the
gin and three cents for the milk. The
bottles were soonlreturned filled and q
mouthful of gin was given to the mes
senger-he declined the milk--for his
services.
Pietro walked up and down the little
room with Tommy, up and down, up and
down, turning each time so that the baby
might not look into the next room where
the thing was in the corner. But Tom
my would not have seen, for his eyes
were closed. Often Pietro went to the
hall and looked down the gloomy stairs
to see if the women were coming with
the milk. He could hear them shouting
songs in the room below, but no one came
with the milk.
'Poor TOMMY! Poor Towmym Groom
ed the old man. He took off the red
handkerchief from his throat and laid
over TOmmy's head, for it was chill in
the room Pietro thought hard of some
other way of getting food Tommy could
eat. Some of the other women in the
house might send out for a penny's
worth of milk, he thought, but he dread
ed to ask them then, He knew they
were all excited and expectant over the
event of the coming of the wagon, and
would resent any suggestion of task
which might cause them to miss a detail
of the ceremony.
"After the wagon was come and gone,
then. if the agent don't soon, I'll ask"
thought Pietro, and he held the baby
closer to his rough coat, for the room
seemed more chill.
Suddenly the court was alive with ex-
citement as swarm of children poured
into it through the passage from the
street. They heraIded the wagon men,
and the windows of the front and back
tenements We're instantly crowded with
women'S heads. There was frantic
rush up the stairs of the buck tene ment
ahead of the wagon men, but this was
roughly checked by the policemen on
guard.
The wagon had been delayed, and be-
fore the men had gathered up what they
came for the agent arrived-the great
agent of the society which rescues chill
dren from that life, when those who
could prevent such reScues by the law
are in jail or in the morgue. Before the
face of that agent the children fled in
terror and their mothers hid them.
''Where is the child?" the agent asked,
as he entered the room.
The woman pointed to PietrO, who,
frightened, smiled, clinging closer to
Tommy.
The agent in kindly manner took the
red handkerchief from off Tommy's
head. He looked at the baby, felt its
pulse, placed his ear to its heart, and
then said to the wagon men:
"This goes with you, too. 1t is not a
case for me-"
Pietro felt of the babY's face, gasped
| and shrieked:
"Oh, Gesu! Oh, Gesu! Poor Towmy!
! Poor TnwmuNi and the women walled