New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-29

ct didn't do anything" he said; Il just STOOD
and watched A lame old man told her not 10
cry but that made no difference.
could not you have run round by the stair
way nj the end Of the Terrace, and got the
doll?" asked Aunt Emmot The htue s'i
might have managed TO get the mud cicaheu oh
and even your doing IT would have peen so'ne-
thing. There's nothing takes out the tas'e VI
Injustice so wei as kindness. even IL 1t isn't OF
much use"
This was quite a long speech for her -.
''Tom Robertson went round by the stairway
Laurie related land ne got the doll. IT was not
so very dirty because it was only maze Oh r@b
and was light and didn't sink"
wasn't the little girl very grateful?' asked
the aunt.
well, she vexed that one OF the JUL
shoes was gone" Laurie replied
"Anvhow Tom Robertson showed himself
thoughtful. brave little gentleman, that's all
can say" was Aunt Emmots comment. i
should like you to have been able to tell the
story Of yourself. Laurie.
But Tom got into an awful mess sad
Laurie with a queer little laugh the muo
went quite through his shoes and stockings ana
I don't believe his trousers will ever come right
again.
"Ah. wcllr' sighed Aunt Emmot "and your
trousers are new. I don't know what your
father would have said. And you always eaten
cold when you get wet feet
I did not like it In Laurie Prycc. that. for all
his talk about Tom, he didn't seem to nave an
honest boys o-worship for him Some OF
| his narratives almost had the abomnabe rins
Of tale-tclling
Then We heard that Tom Robertson had got
a dog 1t was a stray. which had followed MN
| In the street and ne had taken it home l-aune
said stray dogs often followed rom, ana nc
gave them part OF his lunch. Also the hoo-
ertsons kcp; three cats and there was generally
a kitten.
Aunt Emmot observed that she sure 1t
was a good sign In people when they i'Keu AM
mails Mfr rrvce said maybe certainly animals
were very we'll In their place; cattle shouiu DC
kindly treated or they were damaged AZ human
food. and any fool might understand 1t was
ones intercs; to use horses kindly but AS for
cats they scratched furniture and made horrible
noises at night, and dogs sometimes got hydro
phobia He did not believe in wasting food or
affection on useless animate when 50 many hu-
man beings needed both
ventur.d 10 remark that did not think
any human beings get less food or affection for
either that are given TO animals; probably they
get rather the more because the practice OF
giving anything is apt to grow into n general
T, habit.
Aunt Emmot said that really she should like
"A cat But she spoke hopelessly. as OF the I'M
attainabe.
asked Laurie why never saw Tom Rob
crtsnn BY I.aurie's own account they were al
ways together. and yet when CHANGED TO en-
counter Laurie in the street as did pretty Of
ten he was always alone creeping along. either
Close under the walls or else on the very edge OF
the curhs,onc ! asked why Tom was never in
vitcd e. tea | even hintcd that on some fine
half holiday might take both the boys to the
200 or the Tower l began to want to make
Toms acquaintance on my own account for
was a stranger in the neghborhood. the house
was horribly dull. and II seemed to me that he
must be really a jolly little fellow. For day af-
ter day heard many little things about him
which | have not been able 10 put into this
story: how he rang the bells OF the houses all
the way down St Martins Lane. how ne fought
the bully Of hts class. how ne sent valentine
to the parish heade. how he fell in love with
little girl at the Ladies' School near Covent Gar
den. and used to stand In the avenue Of st. Pauls
Churchyard flashing "A bit OF broken looking
glass into her schoolroom while she WAS at her
drawing lessons. Tom wrote some poetry"
too which Laurie repeated TO us. | remember
one verse; | have often caught myself mechan
cally repeating il:
''If your walls narrow
You cannot see far.
Knock IA hole in your ceiling.
And look at "a start
II seemed TO me there must be really something
in Tom. Certainly I. who had never seen him.