The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-03-01
MACK'S CONVERSION.

'fIt's an i'll wind that blows nobody any
| good" said the old woman 10 herself.
| Here was going TO borrow baby, and
| when you borrow you've got 10 pay back
somehow, IL IL is only baby, and il /
don't mako by this, why, can jest chuck
it away agin somers." +"
Tho sympathizing pubic soon saw this
respectable female seated at her regular
post on the steps of public building,
with the baby In her arms. Two cents
worth Of milk served for its dinner; 10
cents worth Of laudanum kept IL quiet for
long while.
And the unfortunate little waif was
kept by the old .woman, and In time
learned to walk learned light, learned
To swear, was sent out to beg by itself
and became "a street boy.
The old woman died at last, and there
was no ono even to cuff him. Hc earned
money by an odd job now and then. He
stole anything he could. He was coaxed
into reformatory schools now and then
and played repentant and had somo soup.
He starved, but not TO death. Some.
times he went TO the gallery of some cheap
theater and saw a play and wished he was
noble highwayman.
So no grew up TO manhood--attained
those years when, in other Glasses OF soci-
ETY., fresh hopes awaken new careers are
entered upon. Even to this muddy street
creature little alteration came.
He always had known how to smoke;
no learned by picking up cigar ends from
the cutters. But when he could get IL he
could drink now also, and he had begun
to understand that woman was some
thing TO be insultod on all occasions.
txx.n 10
sionaries felt sure that Mack was going to
get religion. They got him into church
and prayed with him. He had not the
slightest idea what IL was all about
He went to their big room once or
twice, a room in the. worst part of the
city, hired for the purpose of attracting
the most degraded to the meetings.
He ended by stealing the contribution
box from under the very nose Of its near
sighted guardian and decamped with it to
some unknown region, leaving on the seat
he had occupied when most moved pack
| of dirty cards arranged in the order of q
finished game of solitaire.
As for Mack, having escaped to Jersey
Shores he spent his i'll gotten gains in riot
as long as they lasted. Finally he gambled
| away tho remnant at a low tavern far out
| on a country road, and being discovered
dead drunk and penniless at the hour Of
|. closing was dumped out into the mud by
the proprietor of the place and his assist
ant
About daylight he came to his senses,
| and no staggered up and away, had an
| other sleep by the roadside and awoke
again to tho consciousness that he mover
was in a worse plight
He was in country place. The ways
and means possible to him In the city
| were impossible here. He had no money
| for fares though he heard the shrek of a
steam car hard by. He was hungry and
| miserable.
Lying all night in Jersey mud had given
| him chills and fever, though he did not
| know It,
So, when the sun began to glow with
| noontido heat, he staggered past white
| cottage with "a paling fence before 1t and
! against those palings a dark green foliage
| of row of currant bushes, with the rcd
| fruit glistening in pendent punches, like
| SO many jewels.
Fovered and parched, this fruit was
wonderful JOY TO him. He stopped and put
| out his hand and clutched n dozen of the
! berries Ho put them To his lips. His
hand went out for more, when voice in
tones not angry but decisive, called to
him:
young man, let those berries alone, or
! I'll set the dog on you"
Mack looked up. There was the gentle
man whom he denominated Parson Walk
cr looking over the fence. He knew of tho
stealing Of that contribution box. OF
course he was an enemy.
DIR. Walker wont back to his seat on the
1 Ia. l,.sl
sweet old womans voice from the dining
room:
"Ob, Thomas, how could your
what, BetseyS"
| "Why, Thomas, saw him as no passed
"a poor starving soul, IL ever saw one!
| I've been among the poor enough to know
hunger and sickness when / SEQ ON. He's
both, and you wouldn't t let him cat few
currants"-
Il thought it was just the sort of trick
| boys are always playing" said the old
| gentleman. IN try to catch up with
him, and II he's hungry III bring him
back. -
So away he trottcdinto tho woods. And
! there, lock ing whi,o and wen among the
| trembling shadows of the green branches,
| he found Mack
His head was on his arm, and he was
crying.
My boy" sad tho old man. bending
| oyer him, and soltenod as the old lady had
! been by the memory of n lad who had died
| years before, the only one who had ever
called him father, my boy, I'm afraid
you are not well-why, it's Mack" And
! with the discovery came a feeling of re-
! pulsion
| Il was dry" said Mack. "How did
| know thCy was your'ni"
my boy, said Parson Walker, "if you
were hungry or thiraty, you were wei
comt; IL you arc either how-and | think
you arc-como home with mo and have
some supper l came after you for that.
/ thought it was nero thisyiug trick
taking the currants, and I'm little fond
! of my garden
! Mack sat at table with white cloth
upon it and had all ho wanted. He ate
IN silence. Then he lifted up his head
"Parson Walker" no said as respect
fully as knew how, lis this any part of it,"
"Of what my boys' asked the old man.
"Of Christians" snid Mack.