The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-01-02
THE STORY OF CELES-
TINE AND LITTLE 10.
a True Incident Of Life Among the LoWIy as
Told by Bab-


! confess / was annoyed at being inter-
rupted. When one Is comfortable. when
the FIRE in front OF one is bright. when
ones book is interesting. the fact that ii
is cold outside and that other people are
suffering does not seem 20 affect one as IL
should. So. when she said that Ceies-
tine wanted TO speak TO me, l looked
cross. | felt irritated. and ! got up with
no outward show OF aIniahility. for there
was no inward feeling OF that sort. And
never was good actress. Ceiesrine IS
our lsundress She Is large. Indeed. she
seems 10 be enc huge smile that weighs
nearly 500 pounds. In describing herself
she invariably says that she is buff
and though that may be the color OF c.
lesfines skin. she has the whitest heart
that was ever made. When she saw mo.
she put Up her hands and said: It's Jo.'
i looked annoyed. and Celsstine looked
apologize. and then, after Il moments
silence. during which | got hack 10 my
normal good nature. she said, 1T does
seem as IL there weren't no place for
him. Then | felt a. pain right in my
heart Christmas week and no place for
a boy Ii years old, A city fun of mil
lonaires. and not a human being but a
poor colored laundress 10 care for this
boy,
This is the story OF 10. He's Just 10. II
he ever had another name it has been for
gotten HE was a boy who always
seemed all corners: who never looked
comfortable. In winter time his hands
were chapped and his feet were fros;hit-
ten. IL the summer time he had the
ehills, and he had the hives. Originally
10 came from the poorest part of North
Carolina. He was the sbn of n colored
preacher who was great on telling his
congregation about love. charity. peace
and good will. and who beat 10 so dread
fully that when he was years old the
elders of the church complained TO the
Justice OF the peace. 10 was pat on a
baggage train and stole his way 10 New
York. and then some society took care of
him, and finding thar 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,
CeeStine took him, and through my ac-
quantance with her | met him. For sew
eral years. In the intervals of his various
ills. he ran our errands. and was recon-
mended by Us 10 anybody who wished "A
handy boy. But. alas for poor Jo When
ever he got what might be called a per-
manent situation, his frosthites overcame
him, or his hives got the better of him,
according TO the season, and he would re-
turn 20 Ceestine as an undesirable piece
OF goods. Then, through another society.
a. farmer took him, and for once in his
life 10 was happy. He not only had
enough to eat. but he absolutely had time
10 play. He grew 10 know every bird and
every flower in that county. and he sent
ME snake skin for a present, while Ce-
lestine's little boy had box OF fresh eggs
come 10 him laid especially to order ny
a small black hen that the farmers wife
had given 10 for his very own. But Ce-
lestine and / felt that this couldn't last.
Ii was too good. So after ten months OF
absolute happiness 10 was returned TO us.
He had trod on a rusty nail, and ii had
gone into hts bare foot. and the farmer
was afraid that lockjaw would result.
Then 10 got into a 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 Celestine and my
church money has gone toward support
ing him. Ny church money, by the bye,
is a fction-that IL, so far as the 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 Ii is. Now, Celestine
had come 10 tell me that Il seemed as IL
JOS foot was getting bad again, and still
they would not take him at the hospital.
The church money was got out, and Ce-
lesttne was given note to the most fash
tdnahle and the most cynical man / know.
He responded to II by ID bank note and
some other things. and today I went TO
see 10. He is not buff He * distinctly
black. and when he laughs and for all
his troubles, he does laugh once In
while. he shows tho whltcst teeth you
ever saw in your life. After / had passed
the compliments of the day with him he
said Missy. that there gentleman sent
me- the most comfy nEghtgown you ever
seed" 1 looked at him then. and saw
that 10 was robed I'm soft flannel gown
with the collars and cuffs embroidered
in pale blue and / realized that my fash
ionahie and cynical friend had responded
in more than one way 20 my request
Then 10 went on 10 talk for he was
pretty sick. and his brain was wander
ing. After little bit he asked: Amt
IL queer. Missy. that all over this we're
big world there don't never seem ~ no
any place for 10? What Is the matter
with me- I amt like the leapers in the
Bible. / amt got anything The matter
with me 'cept n nail In my foot. but jn~t
as shore as go IN a place. just 90 shore
there something happens 10 ne and peo,-
PIE say. 80. you've got TO git some Mace
! else. Out there in the country II did seem
as II IL was big enough for the other p~o-
pie and me TOO. Bat no that there nail
had 20 go and get IN my foot. and that
there farmer gentleman said 10. rss