The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-01-17

! Il place Tor nlm somewhere Else
Let us try what our own bright
home can do" said Mildred, earnest
iy; tenderness sometimes reclains
when all else is vain.
Asa Allan returned to the crowd
Lift the poor fellow to my carriage, =
he said, and the crowd moved back in
wondering silence at such an unheard-
OF thing as IL gentleman picking up IL
poor drunken man. One of the by
ISLANDERS said harshly:
Sure the station-ho is good
enough for such as he you may get II
william into your house, sir there S
not much trusting such, though he
does look as though he might have
been a gentleman once. Good luck to
you though, for your kind deed may
| you not repent it .
Il don't think | SHALL replied ASA;
and the poor, unconscious fellow was
! lifted and laid upon the cushion oppu-
| site to where Mildred sat clothed III
| her costly furs and glowing velvets.
Only once did the poor boy utter "a
low groan. Il don't think lie is so
much under the influence of liquor as
! he is worn out with want sIid Asst.
He has fine face as | catch sight of
| it in the passin" gasli9ht.
Poor fellow murmured Mildred,
| fling the rich carriage robe in her
daintiIy gloved fingers and covering
the thinly clad youth, whose l,alii,l
face looked CHASTITY in the Gin light OF
the carriage lamps.
| They arrived ut theiro own door, and
| the sicK stranger WAS carried into Il
pleasant room aud laid upon II clean,
white bed-a luxury he had not
known for many IL night. Only once
| did he open his eyes, and then, after II
! bewildered glance he closed them in
| unsciousneSS.
| \ doctor being summoned, he said
that he thought the boy was insensi
| bic more from actual starvation than
| from liquor, and ne orde red strength
ening drinks and food to be given in
small quantities at short intervals.
An attendant was placed by the poor
fellows bedside to give him the neces-
sary nourishment. Mr.. and Mrs. Al.
Ian awaited the morning ere they
could know anything more concerning
| their strange g"Ssi OF one thing they
were persuaded, that he WAS suffering
| from want.
Consciousness slowly returned to the
stranger as the hours went by and he
was strength ued by the nourishir@
food he ask, d family where he was.
The attendant informed him how lie
had been picked mp Ivy the kind heart.
ed man under whose root lie then lay.
Tears of gratitude flied he eyes of The
sufferer as he said Il did not thii.k
any one won d be SO kind to Il strauS
er"
In the morning, with many thank.
for their great Kindness, the poor boy
related to Mr. and Mrs. Allan his his
tory. His home was in II quiet New
England village. where he had father
motEer and sister He had been wild
he SAID, and fond OF rowing, and he
had become tired of the restraints OF
home and determined to run away
and come to the great city, where ht
could do as he pleased and make his
own fortune. He had quite II sum o.
money when he first came, but it wa.
soon spent with wild companions
who, when he had lost his money, left
him to his fate. He had tried to get
some kind of employment, but the
places were all full, and as he had
never been brought up to hard labor
there was not much that he knew how
to do He could write u fair hand, anC
|
place, but he found so many other.
seeking the same that he had beeI
unsuccessful, and at last actual star
walton stared him in the face. lie haG
begged lodging at the station-house
for IL night or two, and had spent the
days in searching for work. lie was
OIL his way back to the station house
to ask once more for shelter, when he
sank down utterly exhausted from
WEAKNESS and want of food in his toll
some search.
Does your mother know where you
are p asked Mildred.
No" answered the boy; Il have
not written to her since | left home
She would be broken hearted did she
know how low | have fallen. | had
every comfort at home, and my moth
er little imagines that her son has al
most died of actual starvation. | wa.
foolish fellow to leave my home ; my
rowing has brought lie only bitter
ness
xviii you go home ~ asked Asa.
mo, sir, not il | can obtain employ
ment here. | ran away to make my
fortune, and | will not go back & beg
gar. Twas very wrong to leave, bu
now l will show myself man ant
strive to atone for the past. Can you
direct me, sir, to any place where they
would be likely to take boy like me
As soon as / have obtained employ
ment | will write to my parents, ask
ing forgiveness for the past
Perhaps | can get work for you il
the printing room of our paper" re
piled Asa, but it will be close WORK
and small pay"