The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-08-26


tlew cloes since me mudder died." was
his comment.
When the door opened and Jack
went forth with bundle, he was
greeted as one who had come from a
great victory. One boy had a postal
card, one had two stamped envelopes,
three had sheets of paper, and nearly
all had stubs of pencils.
Write to me, Jack!" Say, write to
mel" You know me, Jack!" and the
crowd attended Jack to the street cor
ner, and ran beside the car for q block
shouting parting messages. When
alone with his escort. Jack manifested
nervousness and anxiety. The delights
Of the country, and the Junior Repub-
lie in particular, were most eloquently
described by the escort. In the midst
of thrilling description of the pleas
ures of driving the COWS home, aided
by fine dog, Jack whispered: "Say.
/ can't wear desc pants to work In. I
ought to brought me old pants. Say,
ken we get me old pants?" These the
escort knew were probably in smoke
In the yard even then. The most posi-
tive assurance that he could have
clothes to work in quieted the boy, who
settled back to enjoy his new posses
sions In taking a seat in the elevated
train Jack caught glimpse of himself
In the mirror.
Catch on to the dude!" he ex-
claimed, with radiant face.
jacks new life began. His industry
and honesty soon made him public
official in this land Of junior men and
women; he was appointed jailer. He
was as popular with his fellow citizens,
for be was captain of q baseball nine.
Alas for the frailty of human nature!
power and authority? Jack commit
ted an offense, and was liable to ar
rest.
One afternoon In August Jack stood
leaning against the clubhouse door.
He had run away. With every evidence
of righteous indignation he protested:
"Did ye want me to stay and be jugged
when I was de jailer MYSELF"
Jack would not tell what he had
done, and his confidence was not
forced.
He withdrew himself and was again
the dwarfed, coal-black, ragged, lone
ly boy, who belonged to nobody.
I wore my prettiest dresses and
whitest gloves, and bowed with all the
grace at my command when he gave
me the opportunity: Usually when he
saw me he walked with every appear
ance of carelessness in the opposite d.
rection. My heart was sore, for want
ed this boys friendship.
The boys club met to sing for half
an hour one day in the week. The
dainty musician was In her place, with
the boys around her. I opened the
door suddenly. Jack almost fell in the
hall; he had been listening. He
Strengthened himself.
"Come in. Jack, and sing with the
boys"
He turned into the room silently
and took seat in the corner.
In little while he stood back of
the singer with look of suppressed
excitement.
Suddenly a low. ripping accompa-
niment, which grew firmer, filled the
room with melody. 1t was Jack
whistling- g-improvising, changing at
every verse and chorus. We held our
breath; we dared not look at him lest
we should silence him.
Jack had forgotten time and place.
His gift had been born to him that
day, and with it q new place in the
world. He could do something that
no one in his world could do.
Jack, as o problem, exists. Jack,
with q new animation and sense of
supremacy, has been born. What his
future Is to be we ask each other and
cannot answer. There is one verdict
among the people who know Jack. He
will work for as long time as he can
get work, never knowing hunger or
exhaustion while it lasts. He shares
hts money with the man who threw
him off when he was too young to find
employment, forgetting the past as
though 1t had not been.
Last week we heard of o possibility
of Jack getting in mill. where he
could learn q trade. We face now q
new feature In the labor problem. A
man took the place at q boys wages.
Jack drifts about when there is no
work, coming to the clubhouse when
ever the doors are open. No word
from him tells his struggle. When
there is work he disappears.
We can put little pleasure into
Jacks life; beyond that he remains
problem.-N. Y. Outlook.