The news & observer., 1898-01-02
STORY OF
JHLUCKY JOE


when ones book is interesting, the FAC
that it is cold outside and that otnel
Deople are suffering does not seem t.
affect one as il should. SO when she
said that Celestine wanted to speak tt
me. / looked cross, / felt irritated, ant
4 got ND with no outward show of amia
bility. for there was no inward feeling
of that sort. And / never was goot
actress. Celestine is our laundress1 Sh,
is large. Indeed, she seems to be OK
huge smile that weighs nearly 3O(
pounds. In describing herself she in
variably says that she is buff, ant
though that may be the color of Geles
tines skin, she has the whitest hear
that was never made. When she saw
me, she put up her hands and said, Its
.Jo." / looked annoyed, and Celdstint
looked apologetic, and then, after q mo
ment's silence, during which got Ibacl
TO my normal good nature, she saiH, Ii
does seem as if there weren't no place
for him." Then / felt pain right il
my heart. Christmas week and nc
place for boy fourteen years old; o
city full of millionaires and not d hu
snan being but poor colored launHre
TO care for this boy.
JUST BORN UNLUCh4.
This is the story of 10. He's jusH 10
If he ever had another name, id has
been forgotten. He was a boy who al
ways seemed all corners; who heyel
looked comfortable. In winter time
his hands were chapped, and his feet
were frost bitten. In the summer
time he had the chills, and he hah the
hives. Originally 10 came from the
poorest part of North Carolina. He was
dhe son Of a colored preacher wh0 was
great on telling his congregation About
love, charity, peace, and good viii and
who beat 10 so dreadfully that when he
was seven years old the elders 0f the
church complained to the Justice df the
Peace, 10 was put on a baggage atraiI
and stole his way to New York; and
then some society took care of him
and finding that he had more ache& and
pains and was more amiable thah the
average boy the society boarded hind out
paying the munifcent sum of $1 pei
week for his keep. Dollars being
scarce Celestine took him, and Through
my acquaintance with her / met Hhim
For several years, in the intervals df his
various ills, he ran our errands and was
recommended by us to anybody who
wished a handy boy. But, alasA for
poor 10. Whenever he got what hight
be called a permanent situation,8 his
frostbites overcame him, or his hives
got the better of him, according % the
season, and he would return to eAeles-
tine as an undesirable piece OF g#eods,
Then, through another society, kael
took him, and for once IN ms III ~
was happy. He not only had enou "a t
,%a1xv tn1 ina 10
He grew to. know every bird and ery
flower in that county, and he sent lie
snake skin for a present, while les
tines little boy had box of fresh &gg'
come to him, laid especially to orde e by
a small black hen that the farmers fife
had given 10 for his very own. Bui
Celestine and | felt that this cor an'1
last. 1t was too good. So after ter
months of absolute happiness 10 ws re-
turned to US EEe had trod ON a &sasty
nail, and it had gone into his bare h&oot
and the farmer was afraid that loc Jaw
would result. Then 10 got into spi-
tai He liked it pretty well there but
having tasted the delights of col htry
life you cannot blame him for not Want
ing to stay in bed with one foot tie up,
could you? He was declared better and
put out.
USE FOR CHURCH M0NEYW
Poor 10 was not strong enough to
work. The farmer refused to take him
back. still fearing loekjaW, and 4 % TO
this time he has been living with C#eles-
tine. and my church money has gone to-
ward supporting him. My church m#ney,
by the bye, is a fiction-that is, 50 far
as church is concerned. At the Fri ends
meeting they do not take up Elec-
tion, and so | keep my church moneN for
whoever may need it. And You Would
be surprised to know the number eH de-
mands there are for it. little as H is.
Now. Celestine had come to tel meFthat
it 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 Celestine twas
given a note to the most fashionable
and most cynical man | know l4a re-
sponded TO it by a bank note andHsome
other things, and today ! went y see
10. 10 is not buff. He is distinctly
black, and when he laughs, and, 3r all
his troubles, he does laugh one in
awhile, he shows the Whitest teet YOU
ever saw in your life. After Y had
passed the compliments Of the day with
him he said: Missy, that there Entle-
man sent me the most comfy nlghkown
You ever seed" / looked at him hen,
and saw that 10 was robed in \ soft
flannel gown, with the collars andcuffs
embroidered in pale blue, and | reized
that my fashionable and cynical lend
had responded in more than one Wy to
my request.
NO PLACE FOR HIM.
Then 10 went ON to talk, for h was
pretty sick. and his brain was wxlder-
ing. After a little bit he asked: Amt
it queer, Missy, that all over thas yere
big world there don't never scenic be
any place for 10? What is the latter
with me? / amt like the leapers the
Bible. | amt got anything the latter
with me? / amt like the lepersA the
lust as shore as ] go to plac just
SO shore there something happ<s to
me, and people say, 10, you've pt to
git some place else Out there the
country it did seem as if it va big
enough for the other people and Z nae,
too. But, 10, that there nail hado go
and get III my foot, and that the far
ner gentleman SAID, 10, Ise aared
YOU might get something wronswith
YOU And here / comes back toseles-
tine and Celestipe's got plenty her
own 10 keep. and there don't soaany
people give out washings noNlays.
Ce}estine teached me to iron, Nnd /