Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-01-09

nothing little devil? Where ave yer bin
mot to git back till this time, when yer
I knows as I'd nothin' in the place?
Y'only thing o yersef, yer selfish little
Narmnt and never o. yer poor mother.
/ 'Om much ave yer got? Is that Sally wi
| We? Come In, dor and she took the boy
/ by the arm and pulled him violently into
( the room and shook him, gov much
ave yer got?"
tTuppenee, mother" said the boy
''OnIy tuppence yer lazy young vaga-
bonel I'll teach yer to come 'ome day
arter day wi beggerly tuppence. But
1 l don't believe yer yer young devil
Ye're keepin' 1t back, yer lyin' young
/ thief. Give it ere, Yer won't ave no
/ supper, SO can tell you, yer lazy young
beast! There's al! the supper you'll get
4 this nightr' and she gave him two or
three violent cuffs on the head.
Then she turned to the little girl.
''Wot ave you got, Sally?' There was
no more gentleness in her voice or man
ner than there had been for the boy
The girl gave up the two coppers which
the boy had given to her The woman
snatched them out of her hand with an
oath, when she saw how little thefe
was.
And volts the good O. sending you
out to beg, yer young rip, I'd like to
know. if yer don't bring 'ome no more n
this? You've been skulkin about all the
blessed day l s'pose, stead o dom
what | tell yer ter do. I've a good mind
to break every limb in yer blessed body,
yer useless little foolr' She shook the
child violently, as she had shaken the
boy. until the little thing cried piteously
Then the woman pushed her across the
room with an oath to the corner where
the rag bed was, and telling the two
children to lie quiet till she returned,
under threat OF a violent thrashing, she
went out to spend in drink the money
they had brought to her
"Don't cry, Sally said Tom. putting
his arm round the girl She's CORN out
now. Come close ter me, and then Wen
git dry and warm"
"She's 'urts me so, Tom" said the girl,
sobbing. Don't it 'urt your
Yes answered the boy, course It
do. But ] don't let her see it, else She
go on all the more. Then ne pulled
the ohild's face to him, and kissed her
''P'raps we'll ave a good day termof-
rer. Sally; an then mother won't be SO
blooInin' erost wifi us, Yer can't git
much drink for fourpence, yer know
and that's what's made 'er so wild.
In this way, and with many soothing
and encouraging words and gestures, the
boy cheered and comforted the girl till
her sohs ceased, and she few asleep
olaSnlng ms hahd N polh HsiS
The boy himself lay awake. waiting
and listening for his mothers return;
and when he heard her heavy, unsteady
footsteps along the passage, he preten-
ded to sleep while he watched her enter
the room and throw herself on to the
bed. Soon afterwards her heavy, stem
torous breathing told him that she slum-
bered.
He crept from his rag bed, and, going
to his mothers side, threw over her the
rough, dirty coverings that lay on the
bed, as she had been too full of drink
to do this for herself. He then went
back to the side of the girl, and, after
kissing her, lay down quietly, and fell
asleep, wondering in a vague way
whether everybody found life such a
hard affair
The next morning the children left the
house before the mother had slept off
her drunkenness.