The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-08-26

punched me, zee. nm Z jest dropped me
papers down 10 tite EN-, Il n de Odder
dago grabbed 'eln IN run. BNt I'll git=
square wild dem dagoes!! he INDEED. med
itative ely. @s.E
s.How
"l'll st Tiger snln time wen be ai,, I.
WOOxy, ter cum down ter de stand; he lie
git away wild EN-, see 2!
ss.NVell, here's Il dime. Run down to the.
home. aud go to bed. Stay there to-
morrow morning. until / come to zee you.
Maybe l would HE to be 4 side partner
of yours aud Jimmie 81 5
8 Hnlly gee, tanks. and, without wait
ing for further persuasion, the boy ran
out into the bleak night. 5*s.
The clerk gazeds ut the young man with.
cynical smile. 55
Il could do that twenty times u night.
If liked, = he said. coldly; at does not
help them any. = sd
"Just think. though, Of the good it
does me, returned the young man, care
iessly; lam thoroughly selfish, ad-.
nit. 5:.= E s3 ~ #s
sfhere are plenty Of societies for
them, continued the clerk; this pro-.
miscuO,ls giving only pauperizes Them
We all need lift sometimes, over.
hard places. This problem of helping the
poor has not yet been solved, and never
will be until there is more practice of the
comradeship and brotherhood of which
we hear so much. Everyone believes in
the theory; it is beautiful to talk about,
but how many live it?'' s.s..
What would you have? Society di-
vlded into two classes, the Summer aud
the Summed - 3
."That might be preferable to the two
classes into which it is divided ut pres
ent. Moral support is what the poor need
hot so much money as friends and
friendly advice. Some one to put them
on their feet, and stand by them until
they are strong enough to stand alone.
But il is so easy to write Il check and
hand it to the minister; then our con-
science is free to curse every beggar we
see. Well, guess Hllzb off, good night!''
and lighting fresh cigar and turning up
the collar of his large and comfortable
ulster, the young man departed.
A block from the hotel his attention
was attracted to small figure in the
tuitively, and, walking towards it, recug-
nized the boy from whom he had par'e
about fifteen minutes before.
He looked at him in speechless surprise.
The boy, young as he was, realized the
suspicion with which he was regarded
please, sur!' he exclaimed eagerly, 81
wuz goin' ter de hum, an l found jim
ME here, see--an' Jimmie wuz sick, he
wuz cryin', am I guy him de dime, and
tole 'em ter go ter de hum"
The man looked sternly ut him, and still
made no remark. Deed, sur, it's true,
dead true. See-here's Jimmie's coat; he
left it fur me, and wuzn't hungry, an he
amt had nothin' ter eat all day
He unwrapped ragged old coat from
about his bare legs and held it up in tri-
umph
"'Deed, sur, We kin go an see.''
/ Here. you young reprObate. how far is
it to that home you talk about?''
Just down dere-two blocks, sur"
Here is a quarter which I think will
enable you to take all the houseless peo-
pie you may meet on the way, and also
yourself to the home. Now run, and do
not let the fact of your having had one
dinner debar you from ever eating anoth-
er. Remember, I will see you and JIM
ME in the morning.
The young man resumed his struggle
through the snow. The night had lost
all it's terrors for him. His mind, alb
sorbed in the whirl of ideas set in action
scious of the elements He thought only
of the light and happiness those few PEN
MES had brought out of the storm and
darkness, and to one who had long been
in the habit of squandering large sums in
pleasures that did not please and amuse-
ments that did not amuse it was reve-
lation. .:.
Suddenly he stopped. His face turned
unconsciously upward, as though he was
seeking some ray of light out of the
blackness of the heavens. For one mo-
men he stood so; then his hands went
deeper into his pockets. and his arms
ahead again, with. the quick and firm
step of sudden determine ton.
Had he a CLEAN of light? *, =. re-. !.
For what was he indebted to that mid
night waif2 t.s @..ss5s 49,
For what would that midnight waif be
indebted to him Edith Morton in Home
Journal FEN: s> s s@: 75s