Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-01-21
A ROY AND A BANANA SKIN.

One day last week white haired old
gentleman was walking up 9th avenue
with his cane. Not far In front OF him
dwaddled boy eating u big, ripe banana.
1t was near the noon hour and the street
was thronged with people hurrying of TO
lunch. Presently the boy, having finished
the banana. dropped the skin on the side
walk and went whistling up the street
The old gentleman stopped aud bent over
slowly. leaning heavily on his cane, and
picked up the banana skin. just then
the boy looked ov.r his shoulder and saw
what the old man had done. He stopped.
with his hands in his pockets. and
watched. curiously. 4 lose To the curb
ing stood n for .orn old dray- horse, with
its head hung down and one leg bowed
out. lie looked as II he hadn't had
enough TO eat in months.
The old man held out the banana skin
and the discouraged old horse instantly
pricked up his ears. lie was evidently
suspicious at first that a joke was being
played on him, but it was only for mo.
ment. He reached forward eagerly and
nipped the banana skin with his soft lips.
When it was gone he looked up wstfully.
but the white. haired old man was walk
ing on up the street with his cane The
boy stopped whisting he was thinking.
and 20 were score of other people who
saw the little incident.
THE BIG NAN A. HIS MOTHER
We wee ut a railroad junction one
night waiting few hours for train in
the waiting-room, trying to talk brown
eyed boy to sleep. Presently freight
train arrived and beautiful little old
woman came in, escorted by big Ger
man. and they talked in German, he CIV
ing her, evidently, u lot of information
about the route she was going, and telling
her about her tickets and baggage check.
and occasionally Eating her on the arm.
At first our Cnited States baby. who did
not understand German, was tickled to
hear them talk, AMI he snickered' at
the peculiar sound of the language that
was being spoken. The big man put his
hand to the old laiy's check and said
something encouraging, and tear came
to her eye. and she looked as happy as a
queen. The brown eyes of the boy
opened pretty big. and his face sobered
down from his laugh. and he said
Papa, it il the mother"
We knew it was. but how should a
four-year- old sleepy b,by that couldn't
understand German, tell that the lady was
his mother? We asked him how he
knew, and he said:
"Oh. the big man was so kind to her."
The big man hustled out we gave the
little old mother the rocking chair, and
presently the man came in with baggage
man. and to him he spoke English. He
said: This is my mother; she is going
to Iowa, and have to 60 back on the
next train, but l want you to attend to
her baggage and see her on the right car,
the rear car, with a good seat near the
centre. and tell the conductor she is my
mother. And here Is dollar for you,
and I'll do as much for your mother some
time"
The baggage-man grasped the dollar
with one hand, grasped the big mans
hand with the other. and looked at the
little German mother with an expression
that showed that lie had a mother. too;
and we almost knew that the old lady
would be well treated. Then we put the
sleeping mind. reader on bench, and
went on tn. platform and got acquainted
with the German. And he talked of
horse trading, buying and selling, and
everything that showed he was q live
man. ready for any speculation. from
buying yearling colt to crop OF hops
or barley, and that his life was very
busy one; and at times disappointments
and rough roads; but with all this hurry
and excitement he was kind to his mother,
and we loved him just little: and when,
after few minutes talk about business.
he said: "You must excuse me, must
go TO the depot and see If my mother
wants anything" we felt like grasping
his fat red hand and kissing it.