The Monitor-register., 1896-06-19
LITTLE HUBERT'S FIRST EARN
INGS.
BY MRS. ANNIE A. PRESTON.

uoiho IL uurinR Tue niRhJ Dy StrOng WINGS
from the northwest.
The streets were blocked, and as the
struggling dawn began to tighten the
pretty quiet town, vague moving forms
could be seen in the upper part of the
city, breaking their way toward the
central railroad station.
Some of these were the regular en-.
ployes of the railroad company, others
were men and boys out of regular work,
on account of hard times, who were glad
of any opportunity of earning a small
sum to keep the wolf of want from their
door. The voices of these people so early
astir attracted the attention of a slieht.
pale faced lad in the corner room of a
tenement house on Grey's avenue, and he
opened the window, pushed back the
shutter. and looked out upon old winters
fresh ermine.
This is the heaviest snowfall yet" he
said to his mother, who was kindling the
fire in a small stove. 81 mean to take nv
little snow shovel and go down the street.
Perhaps L may earn money enough to
help about the months rent or to buy
some more coal. 1t may bring me good
luck to start out to seek my fortune on
W~ashington's birthday"
Sand the first time it is celebrated in
Massachusetts, as a legal holiday" smiled
the gentle mother, who always entered
into all her boys talk as if she was nc
older than he.
You can go out if you like, as there is
to be no school today, and snow neve
hurts boys, they take to it as naturally as
ducks to water. The flags that will be
hung out will be a pretty contrast to the
snow that clings everywhere"
"Flags everywhere! How odd!' echoed
Hubert. sit will be like having Fourth
of July in winter. l wonder if any one
will think of f~irecrackers. / wish l had
kept some over to set as an example for
other boys, but l shall not spend nv first
earnings. 1 shall bring every penny
home to you, little mother" and having
eaten a doughnut and taken a Gun OF
coffee to break his fast, he put on his
overcoat and mittens. His mother, who
had been rumaging in a bureau drawer,
now brought to light a tiny silk flag kept
as a souvenir of some happy day, ant
stuck it in the front of his wooden cap.
"There, that is to show that you are il
sympathy with the spirit of the day
Goodbye, dear. and a merry time t,
you"
The poor young widow watched tn,
boy until he turned the corner, and thel
gazed steadily through a little spao
between the tenement houses to catcl
another glimpse of him as he passe,
down Main street.
She was glad to have him go out, thi
idolized, only child of hers, for sometime
the strain of keeping up a Cheerful
demeanor before him was almost insuI
portable.
81 must always be cheerful In his pres
ence," she said to herself. "What kin
of a Christian example do l set for hir
if l am not, and have 1 not Gods prom
ises ? Why should 1 ever be tempted t,
give way to encouragement ?" and sh
took up her needle and began her dali,
task of embroidery, by which she earne,
their livelihood.
Hubert, meanwhile, with his ligh
s~now-shOvel over his shoulder an
whistling as he went, trudged in tn
narrow footpath made by his predecessor
straight to the railway station. AS h
reached North Main street he saw a it'll
way ahead of him a short, stout ma
with a young fresh, kindly face, an,
thick, white hair.
"There thst ia Mr.. Jack Mulliganl' h
said to himself. He owns the Connect
cut River Railroad. / mean to ask hin
if 1 can help to shovel the snow off tn
tracks ?"
AS they reached the entrance of tn
great passenger house he ran up to tn
gentleman to proffer his request, findin
a score of others SO eager in front of him
The young old man marched straight o.
to where a painting, pufing locomotive
stood, steamed up, ready to take the frs
passenger train north.
"The New York train is thirty minute
late already, sir" said the engineer, ant
then looking down at Hubert he nodded
good NATURALIZATION he liked boys ant
boys liked him, and said to the maste
mechanic: "Luther Blanks child; Xix,
his father, isn't he ?"
"As two peas" said the man, gazini
gravely and steadily in the upturned face
"He has kept the day we celebrate il
mind, while the p~erplexity of the n o
and the belated trains put the idea tina
flags would be in order quite out of m!
head. Haven't we a bit of bunting some
whore, Cap'n Fred ?"
"How is that, Owen" said the enginee
to a c~Iean-faced Irishman, who wa
throwing wood into the fire box, for thei
was not a coal-burner on the road at tina
time.
"1ll see, sor," and Owen rushed ava.
and plunged into the depths of som
mysterious tool closet, returning PRESENT.,
with a dozen flags that were quickl,
made fast to the cab, the steam-chest, tn,
dome and the head light.
"Here is one without a staff" sait
Cap'n Fred, tossing it to Hubert. sit il
silk, and large enough to tie around you
neck if the snow blows" but the lat
folded it neatly and put 1t in his pocket
The sun was up now, and frem tn
"Massasoit House" nearby, and from
many public buildings, flags were thrown
out to the winds that still rushed madly
through the streets, tearing the snow il
white masses from roofs, facades ant
window lodges, and dashing it In the
faces of the hurrying passers by.
"Could l 60 up the road with the othei
men and help to shovel out the drifts
Mister Jack ?" asked Hubert.
Mr.. Mulligan's lips twitched slightly
at the "other men" as he said:
"You have earned a ride by reminding
us of the flags. q am going up until we
meet the down train, and if everything ii
all right | shall come back on that. You
can go that way if you like. When Con-
ductor Carroll sees your shovel he will
not ask you for your fare." So, with the
gang of men, feeling quite important as
any of them, Hubert scrambled upon the
starting train.
Meantime. fl ftv miles tn the NORTH war