The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-26
A True Incident Of Life
Among The
LOWfU.

I confess was annoyed at being in
terrupted. When one is comfortable.
when the fire in front of one is bright,
when ones book is interesting, the fact
that it is cold outside and that other
people are suffering does not seem to
affect one as it should. So, when she
said that Celestine wanted to speak to
me. / looked cross. ] felt irritated, and
] got up with no outward show of ami
ability. for there was no inward feel
ing of that sort. And l never was a
good actress CeleStine is our laundreSS.
She is large. Indeed, she seems to be
one huge smile that weighs nearly 300
pounds In describing herself she in
variably says that she is buff" and
though that may be the color Of Celes-
tines skin, she has the whitest heart
that was ever made. When she saw me,
she put up her hands and said, It's
Jo." / looked annoyed, and Celestlne
looked apologetic, and then, after mo-
ment's silence, during which got back
to my normal good nature she said. 1T
does seem as if there weren't no place
for him" Then 1 felt a pain right in
my heart. Christmas week and no place
for a boy IA years old! A city full of
a poor colored laundress to care for this
boy
This is the story of 10. He's just 10.
IF he ever had another name, it has
been forgotten. He was a boy who al
ways seemed all corners; who never
looked comfortable. In winter time his
hands were chapped, and his feet were
frostbtten. In the summer time he
had the chills, and he had the hives.
Originally 10 came from the poorest
part of North Carolina. He was the
son of a colored preacher who was
great on telling his congregation about
love, charity, peace and good will and
who beat 10 so dreadfully that when he
was years old the elders of the church
complained to the justice of the peace.
10 was put on baggage train and
stole his way to New York, and then
some society took care of him, and
finding that he had more aches and
pains and was more amiable than the
average boy the society boarded him
out, paying the munificent sum of 81
per week for his keep. Dollars being
scarce, Ceiestine took him, and through
my acquaintance with her l met him.
For several years, in the intervals Of
his various ills, he ran our errands
and was recommended by us to any,
body who wished a handy boy. But,
alasi for poor 10. Whenever he got
what might be called a permanent sit
uation, his frostbites overcame him, or
his hives got the better of him, accord
ing to the season. and he would return
10 Ceiestine as an undesirable piece Of
goods. Then, through another society,
farmer took him, and for once in his
L,
enough to eat, but he absolutely had
time to play He grew to know every
bird and every flower in that county,
and he sent me a snake skin for a pres
ent, while Celestine's little boy had a
box of fresh eggs come to him. laid
especially to order by a small black hen
that the farmers wife had given 10
for his very own. But Celestine and I
felt that this couldn't last. 1t was too
good. So after ten months of absolute
happiness Jo was returned to us. He
had trod on rusty nail and il had
gone into his bare foot, and the farmer
was afraid that lockjaw would result
S'hen 10 got into q hospital. He liked
1t pretty well there. but having tasted
the delights of country life you cannot
blame him for not wanting to stay in
bed with one foot tied up, could you?
He was declared better and put out.
Poor 10 was not strong enough to
work. The farmer refused to take him
back. still fearing lockjaw, and UP to
this time he has been living with Celes-
zine. and my church money has gone
toward supporting him. My church
money, by the bye, is a fiction-that is.
So far as church is concerned. At the
Friends meeting they do not take UP
a collection, and SO l keep my church
money for whoever may need it. And
you would be surprised to know the
number Of demands there are for il
little as il is. Now. Celestine had come
TO tell me that it seemed as If JOS foot
was getting bad again. and still they
would not take him at the hospital. The
church money was got out, and Celes-
tine was given note to the most fash
1onahle and the most cynical man |
know He responded to it by a bank
note and some other things. and today
! went TO see 10. Jo is not buff. He is
distinctly black. and when he laughs
and. for all his troubles he does laugh
once in awhile, he shows the whitest
teeth you ever saw in your life After
! had passed the compliments of the
Gay with him he said, Missy. that
there gentleman sent me the most
comfy nightsown you ever seed I
looked at him then. and saw that To
was robeG in a soft flannel gown. with
the collars and cuffs embroidered in
pale blue, and ! realized that nv fash
ionsole and cynical friend had respond