Evening star., 1902-09-13
]. COLE.
By EMMA GELLIBRAND.

BY EMMA GEl4LlBRAND.
"Honnerd Madam:
(Which hav seed in the paper page Boy
wanted. and begs to say J. Cole is over
thertene, and I can clene plate wich my
brutther is under butler and Iernd me-
and 1 can waite, and no how to clene win
ders and boots. ]. Cole opes you will let
me cum. l arsks and all found if YOU
do my washin 1 will take sevven ]. Cole
will serve you well and opes to Civ salts
faxshun. can cum tomorrer. J. COLE
'.P. Size is not very tori but CROWN
My brutther is very good hite. am
sharp and can rede and rite and can hadd
fggers, If you like"
I had advertised for a. page boy, and hay
ing puzzled through some dozens of an
swers, more or less illegible and impossible
to understand, had come to the last one of
the packet, of which the above is an exact
copy
The epistle was inclosed in clumsy en-
velope, evidently homemade, with the aid
of scissors and gum, and was written on a
half sheet of letter paper, in a large hand,
with many blots and smears, on penciled
lines.
There was something quaint and straight
forward in the letter, in spite of the utter
ignorance of grammar and spelling and
while 1 smiled at the evident pride in the
"brutther who was very good hite''
and the offer to take less wages if 'I would
do his washin,' l found myself wondering
what sort of waif upon the sea of life was
this not very tall person, over thirteen, who
would serve me we'll"
l had many letters to answer and sew
eral appointments to make and had scarce
ly made up my mind whether or not to
trouble to write to my accomplished corre-
spondent, who was sharp and could rede
and rite and hadd figgers,' when, a shadow
the open window, 1 looked up and saw,
standing opposite my chair boy. The
very smallest boy, with the very largest
blue eyes 1 ever saw The clothes on his
little limbs were evidentIys meant for some
body almost double his size, but they were
clean and tidy. 81
In one hand he held a. bundle tied in a
red handkerchief and in the other a bunch
Of wild flowers that bore signs of having
travelled far in the heat kof the sun, their
blossoms hanging down, dusty and fading
and their petals dropping one by one on
the ground.
Who are you, my. child?' I said, 'and
what do you want?'
At my question the boy placed his flow
ers on my table and, pulling off his cap,
made queer movement with his feet,
though he were trying to step backward
with both at once, and said. in a voice so
deep that it quite startled me- strangely
did it seem to belong to the size of the
clothes and not the wearer:
please m, it's j. Cole; and I've come to
live with yer. I've brought all my clothes
and everythink - D" tss-
For the moment felt little bewidered,
so impossible did 1t seem that the small
specimen of humanity before me was act
ually intending to enter anybody's service;
he looked so childish and wistful, and yet
with a certain honesty of purpose shining
out Of those big, wideopen eyes that in
terested me in him and made me want to
know more of him.
You are very small to go into service"
/ said, 'and l am afraid you could not do
the work l should require; besides, you
should have waited to hear from me, and
then have come to see me if l wanted you
to do So"
yes, 1 know I'm not very big" said the
boy, nervously fidgetfng with his bundle;
'leastways not in hite, but my arms is
that long they'll reach ever so Ugh above
my ed and as for bein' strong, you should
jest see me lift my fathers big market
basket when it's loaded with 'taters or
wotever is for market, and | hope you'll not
be angry because | come today; but Dick
that's my brutther Dick-he says, You fol-
Ter my advice, Joe,s he says, and go arter
this ere place, and don't let no grass grow
under yer feet. I knows what 1t is gon'
arter places, there's such lots a-ftin' after
'em that If you let's so much as a hour go
afore yer looks em up there's them as slips
in fust gets it. sand Wen yer goes to the
door they opens 1t and seZ, 'It amt no use,
boy, we're sooted," and then where are
yer, I'd like to know? So,' sez he, Joe,
you look sharp and go, and maybe you'll
get it So come, mum, and please, that's
ALL"
But about your character my boy" 1
said. you must have somebody to speak
for you and say you are honest and what
you are able to do. ! always want good
character with my servants. The last page
boy had brought three years good char
/ ActGr from his fOrn1a Situa fiOn ~
''Lor," said Joe, with a serious look, did
he stay three years in place afore he came
to you? Wotever did he leave them people
for, where he were so comfortable? If I
stay with you three years you won't catch
me leavin' yer and goin' SomewhereS else.
Wot muff that chap was!"
l explained that it did not always de-
pend on whether a servant wanted. to stay
or not, but whether it suited the employers
to keep him.
'Praps he did somethin' and they give
i'm the SACK murmured Joe. He was a
But about this character of yours" I
said. 'If 1 decide to give you a trial,
although l am almost sure you are
too small and won't do, where am to go
for your character? VIII the people where
your brother lives speak for your
"Oh, yesi" cried the little fellow, his
cheeks flushing. II know Dick'll ask 'em
to give me carieter. Miss Edith, 1 often
cleaned er boots. Once she come 'ome in
the mud and was a-goin' tout agin directly,
and they was lace-ups and a orful bother
to do up even, ana she come into the
stable yard with 'ersdog5 and sez, Dick.
will you chain Tigertap, sand this little boy
may clean my boots if8he likes. on my
feet?' So cleaned lem and she Civ me six
pence, and after thafI when the boots come
down in the morninsl got Dick always to
let me clean them aittleiiboots, and 1 KEEP
'em clean in the insides, like the lady's
maid she told me not to put my 'ands inside
A Prize for photographers.