Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-01-26
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ONE THANKSGIVING DAY.
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The boys were poIu VI
dishonest parents, and they lived in
the Pocket of the street.
They were small and ugly and
Irish
Some day all the world may see
their pictures by going to certain
gallery, called Rogues'. think, they
will be considered very interesting
studies in criminology. But that time
is long way of.
You Slipped into the Pocket by q
little narrow neck, opening between
two warehouses. 1t was quite dark
along here, and little announcement.
as a dress pocket sometimes is, ou'
in second you were in a tiny court.
shut in fast by the backs OF the high
warehouses and on the other sides by
small shanties.
The Pocket was fine place to live
in. The courtyard was boarded over
and the boards were old and loose
When BY chance any thing was
dropped, il was sure to roll away into
the cracks, and then there was the
excitement of ripping up board or
two, and seeing the black beetles and
terrible things with many legs scut'
tie out of your way. Then there was
too, the fun Of hiding by the neck at
dusk time, and suddenly springing
out at a passer-by, and say: boo"
at him, and see him jump and then
swear at you. But best Of all, il you
happened to have policeman aftel
you for any cause whatever, You
could get out of his way, three times
out OF ten, by slipping into this
| Pocket.
O. there was no mistake. the Pocket
was the prize abode OF the street
There was always some one ready &c
move into one of the ahantles, when
some one in there was obliged to
move out for lack Of rent.
OF course, it grew dark pretty early
in winter time. The high warehouses
seemed to take all the sunshine. High
houses often do. And there was a
damp green mould which grew very
we'll over everything. 1t was very
pretty, this moss-mould ALI winter
the water never stopped dripping oil
the ends of the houses, and long into
the summer you heard it: Drip, drip
drip"
There were some clods of eartl
turned up in front of one Of the shan
ties. Some enc had ripped up few
of the boards and attempted a gar
den. 1t was struck full OF sticks o
varying sizes.
The women who made buttonhoe
had planted these sticks. Sometime
her patrons gave her flowers, and sh
always carefully trimmed off TIN
leaves and planted the stems. The
never grew, but then they might an
time. You can never tell when
plant may take a notion to grow.
This woman had lived in the cour
try once and knew the smell of TIL
fresh plowed field, knew the countr
when May was there, and you coul
smell the new sweet green thing
everywhere.
: Nobody ever disturbed her stem
, they stood through rainy days an
summer days, upright in the gree
} mould. Sometimes after hard rain
t when it turned warm quickly, til
wooden floor of the Pocket sent u
clouds Of yapor.
ITS the develx own as is undf
us, and him hissn' up hot steam
said one of the Pocket jewellers to il
tie Maggie Tooley, and little Magg
wouldn't cross the court for week
e save on the dead run
s You're another" said another bo
"Dis amt hot, Dis amt steam.
yer tink re deevi can't make an
: thing but hot steam, yer left, d
| here's cold steam. Like fog If fC
amt cold steam. and steam amt HI
fog, I'd like to know what is.
: His listeners could not tell him.
4 But o, you should see the Pocket
the summer time. when the window
were all open, and the sewing m
chine belonging to the woman wi
took in work, was blzzing, and Il
sparrows were chrpng and fussln
and the little woman who made bu
e tonholes all day hummed to hersel
: 1t was only a little note, like the OF
"cheep' Of the sparrow. And whit
Mrs. Tooley dragged the washt'
: into her doorway and splashed gre
S bubbly suds around. and the sqna
n of sky over the Pocket was one da2
ling blue!
0, you should see it them
d One of the little buttonholer
3 shoulders was higher than the otht
. from always sitting one-sided. so
y to be close to the light maybe, al
: the forefinger Of her left hand W
rough and ugly and needle-scarre
She had a soft, delicate face and t
= children approved of her. Their ov
p mothers did not stop at home.
. This was the day before Thanl
giving, and great rows of fat turke
. were hung around, and fine lit
" white pigs were living in state. ca