The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1898-12-01

look at one SQudrelY.
He reached the heed of the car just
as the popcorn boy entered in his GUS
tomary nerve-racking manner.
"Say!'-the man stopped before the
youth, holding on to the back of the
seat to steady himself, "Say," he repeat
ed, II want to ask favor of you, mis-
ter"
The popcorn boy was stricken dumb
at being thus addressed.
"DOn't take that basket down the car
just yet. Can't you take the books and
papers along first, just as we'll? The
kids won't mind them SO much. We
shall get off at the Junction, and that
amt very far now"
"What kids ?" demanded the popcorn
boy.
"My two down yonder. You can see
'em there" said the man gaining cour-
age as he proceeded. "You see, it's
like this, I've been in prison two years.
Now Pm going west with the kids. I've
just money enough to take us there
and get us bite now and then on the
road; but them kids, they remember
leastways, the boy does-how they u.s.
ter ride on the cars with me before,
and l ulster treat 'em to every thing
that came along"
81 was earnin' good wages at an hon
est trade then, and it'll nigh about
break their hearts if you come along
with that basket full of goodies, and
me not havin' red to buy any. Come
you'll wait won't ye? 1t amt far to
the Junction where we get off,"
The man turned without waiting for
reply, and stumbled back down the
aisle. And then a remarkable thing
happened-a miracle If you will. 1t
was proven that a popcorn boy, whose
anatomy embraces castiron lungs, a
nervous system made out of steel wires
and brazen bronchial tubes, has a warm
human heart. His face, ON which no
expression but that of insolence was
ever known to appear before, was
strangely moved, and he vigorously
rubbed the back of one grimy hand
across his eyes.
"Say, did you hear dat?" he blurted
out, appealingly to the neighboring pas
sengers. "Did you hear what dat man
said? Them kids are goin' to have all
they want outer this basket, an 'twon't
cost them cent. Now you gents shell
out an give him enough stuff so at he
can buy 'em all the candy they want
from here out west"
He swung his basket onto his other
arm, whipped off his cap, and we found
ourselves shelIing out before we hardly
realized it. Then he marched down the
aisle, emptied the cap on the seat beside
the father, and about half the contents
of his pockets beside the children, and
hastily decamped.
But somehow, that wasn't the end
of it. The man broke down and Sob
bed; but we didn't pay any attention to
that. One good woman found that she
had spare cloak with her that her lit
tie girl didn't need, and it was much
better and warmer than the baby's
threadbare garment; and travelling
man who was taking home new over
coat to his little boy, took it out of its
paper and dumped it beside the six
year-old, and blowing his nose violent
ly, went into the smoker.
And then one goodly old grandmoth-
er went down the aisle and kissed the
children warmly, and as if the man had
been her own son, she pushed the hat
brim back from his forehead and left
the print of her kind old lips there too.
And the train slowed down at the
Junction.
The man rose up with child on Ell
ther arm, and he seemed taller than he
was before, and his carriage was more
manly, and his face shone like an an
gels.
If ever I reach heaven, where my
good old mother went so many years
ago, know that l shall see that man
there, whatever his past has been.