The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1899-05-09
HOW THE CAPTAIN
FOUND HIS BOY.

BAS"'Nb Oh oAlt AlE NuAls
"Please, sir. ~
"Who taught you to steal?" asked
the captain. The boy made no
answer. Grimy tears were pouring
from his eyes.
answer me, said the captain.
eff [ don't ] don't get no victuals,
said the boy, can my stomach is as
holler. Feel of it, mister? It's as
holler as drum. She's been a beg
gin to-day and we'll have stew. L
won't have none if don't fetch moth
in. Oh"
"Who is she?" asked the captain.
"Me mother" said the boy.
GIVE been hungry myself" said
the captain, thinking of certain
Indian prison experience. cit isn't
pleasant
Then he thought of his boy.
Good knows L ought to be tender
to the little ones, for the sake of
Nellie's child" he said softly; then
aloud:
"Loddie, I'll not send you to
prison"
"Thankee, sir" said the urchin.
"And I'll give you breakfast, ="
said the captain
The dirty elf executed sort OF
joyous war dance.
"Do you know why L forgive you?"
said the captain. The child shook
his head.
81 have a little boy" said the cap
tain. Hes very different from you,
poor child. He would not steal any
thing. He washes himself. NV lad,
you must wash yourself as soon as
you find water. But 1 couldn't bear
to think of his being hungry, and for
his sake ! can't bear to see other little
fellows hungry. It's for his sake
that L don't call an officer and tell him
all about it. Remember that, and try
to be like-like my little fellow, poor
laddie, clean aud good. Don't steal {;
try to get work. Will you promise?"
The waif said, eyes, sir" of
course.
Then the captain led him into n
cheap eating saloon and watched him
eat until his stomach was no longer
"holler."
You little wretch" he thought, as
he looked at him! eff could see
my boy and him together now, what n
contrast" And ne fancied his boy
round and white and pink, and fair of
hair, like his poor lost Ellen, and
know he said that he would pity this
poor fellow and be kind to him.
The meal was over. The captain
paid for it, and then drew the boy
between his knees and lectured him
To be good was to be happy. Honesty
was the best policy. Cleanliness
came next to goodness. These were
the heads of his discourse.
Then he gave him half crown, and
bade him go and be good and clean, in
Gods name.
And the boy was off like a fash.
Thousands just such as he are in
this great city" sighed the good cap
tain, as he walked along "Ah, hep
Then he went in search of Mrs. Ann
Golden and his own fair darling.
But Mrs. Golden was not so easily
found as he had hoped. There was a
little shop in the house he had been
directed to, and the keeper thereof
said that she had bought it of Ann
Golden; but l haven't seen her since.
she said; only there's a bit Of card
with her number on it-that is, if I
can find it. After search she did
find it. And the captain, thanking
her, hurried away; but another disap-
pointment awaited him.
Mrs. Golden had not lived i'm this
second place for several years. She
had moved into --- row, but what
number no one could remember.
At --- row, whittier the captain
drove in n hackney coach, n woman
owned TO having had her for lodger.
"She had child staying with her,
too, she said. little Ned. she
called him, but, to tell the truth. she
drank so that I warned her out. I
couldn't abide such doing. She went
to Chancey lane, number nine.
10 Chaucey's lane the captain went.
II was q filthy place, and there was a
drunken woman az number nine who
was not Ann Golden, and who threw "a
stick Of wood at him for asking for
that lady And now every clew was
lDH'' ana the captain nearly beside
himself with anxiety, applied To the
authorities for help. and, after many
days Of great unhappiness, heard Of
an Ann Golden vino lived m q quarter
OF London $50 low aud dangerous that
all decent people Stunned 1T.
''NO wonder, the captain thought.
'if she lived there that sine should
have had his remittance. sent 90 the
postoGice, and left him To- believe tina,
his child was still I'm the decent home
to which she had at first taken him. Sc
Almost ill with excitement. tho
poor captain drove, with u policeman
as protector, into the maze of hidcou4
lanes and courts that led 10 Ann Col.
den's dwelling, and, following hi4
conductor, dropped into n filthy eel
lar, where, amid the horrible leakage
Of drainpipes and almost in utter
darkness, sat an old woman with a
bottle beside her, who started up when
the captain aud his guard entered and
cried.
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