Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1895-06-06
JACK.

ndrQ6ueO Cudp ds uc 10.
THAT is the kind that needs to 60"
But what IL nobody'll take him?'
Then will bring him back.
So said the superintendent OF one OF
the earliest companies OF children sent
out by the fresh air fund: and thus
II came that Jack Joined the eager little
crowd that was drawn from an alley
in the slums OF a great city.
Hes a tough one" said the superin-
tendent to himself, while watching the
boy Jack, as he half-carelessly, half
wilfully tripped up one or two smaller
boyJ in the rush when they were leav-
ing the steamboat to take the cars.
"He don't look like the right sort"
said one or two farmers
IF they were of the right sort they
wouldn't need our help" said pleasant
woman who sat in a spring wagon.
PUT him in here, please. Come, my
boy, will you go home with me?"
Jack climbed into the wagon, but he
made no attempt to enter into CONVEX
sation. His eyes were never raised TO
her as they rode along in silence, and
Mrs. Lynn began to conclude that she
had taken hold of a very hard case.
But ii was soon seen that there were
some things that Jack loved Before
night he had made friends with the
horses, cows, chickens. ducks, geese
and cats, and he was found lying under
a tree in rapt admiration of pert jay
which chartered about him, and which
Re had almost coaxed to alight on his
finger.
Come with me and / will show you
something more" said Mrs. Lynn, the
next morning after breakfast. She put
q pail of salt in his hand, and they
went up little glen, then up a steep
hill, and called:
Nan, nan, man,
A quiet pattering of footsteps was
now heard, and down the path came
line of soft-looking white animals.
whats their names?" asked Jack,
with great interest.
"They are sheep. There are great
many more up over the hill, but they
do not know me very we'll, so they
refuse to come. We must go further"
Higher up they went to where a
sunny pasture sleped more gently down
on the other side, and there were hun
dreds of the pretty creatures nipping
the short grass, or lying under the
trees. They looked at the stranger with
shy, gentle eyes, but gathered near as
Mrs. Lynn repeated her call
Jack laughed, and whooped, and
threw himself on the ground in the
excess of his delight, at first frighten-
ing them away. But he was soon in
among them, winning them by his
coaxing tones and the salt which he
held out to them.
The boys face seemed transformed
as Mrs. Lynn got her first full glance
at his eyes He laid his hand lovingly
on the heads of some half-grown lambs.
and he tenderly lifted one which
seemed little lame.
"You may take that one to the house,
If you like" said Mrs. Lynn, land l
will bind up the injured foot"
He did so, and when he returned to
the flock, he stayed there all day, only
going to the house when called to dim
ner by the sound of the conch-shell.
And every day afterwards the most OF
his time was spent on the breezy hill
side, finding his fill of enjoyment with
the sheep. He was little seen at the
house. seeming not to care for human
society; but he took long walks at his
will, from which once he brought home
n bird with a broken wing, and again
starved stray kitten, both of which
he carefully tended.
Hear him. said Mrs. Lynn, one
day, when she had gone out into the
meadow where her husband was at
work. Il believe he knows every sheep
there"
Jacks voice came ringing down with
"Hiho. hihol Hiho-o-o-o-o! Where be
you. Flax, Flinders and Foam? Come
here, my jolly boys, and kick up yer
haalo I'm the r. RI inPp'
He gets off some such rigmarole
every time he goes near them," she
said; land I'm sure all the sheep know
him"
Jack stayed month among his f1eecy
darlings, and when the time came for
saying goodbye to them, nobody was
there to hear him say it. He allowed
Mrs. Lynn to shake his hand as he
went on board the train that was to
take him to his home, or rather to his
homelessness, but he made little re-
Spouse to her kind farewells.
She had tried so faithfully to i'm
press him with the idea that there are
plenty in this wide world whose hearts
the dear Lord has filled with the ten
derest pity and love towards those
whose paths seem laid in Swallowed
places that she felt keenly disappoint-
ed, and feared she might have entirely
failed. However, she remembered with
comfort just as the last car was passing
the platform from which she had
watched it, she distinctly caught sight
of a boys face. whose eyes were FLIED
with tears as he strovo to gain las
glance at her, and she believed in hel
heart that 1t was Jacks face.
III.
Its no use trying to get the matter
rlghted," said Farmer Lynn to his wife
speaking in a tone of great vexation
This man Green is a tricky knave
Ever since the sheep broke into my
field and got mixed up with my flocl
the fellow has been claiming some
twenty of my best Atwoods and Cots
wolds, and now he's going to law t
make me give them to him."
well, II the sheep are yours, won
that course be the best for your"
Not with such man as that. He II
ready to swear that the sheep are his
and there's the trouble. I'm morally
sure / know my own sheep, but wher
Il comes to be pinned right down tt
swear to each one among so many,
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