The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-31

many houses for others, but had never
1 owned one himself. The furniture IN
4 his rented cottage hardly paid the fus
neral expenses when sold at auction.
For two weeks Joe lived with neisl1-
/ Dor, and then the 8al9cgsHen GGea8
that they must dispose % hie7 case. All
/ sympathized with the cTpdaa boy ana
wished him well, bat no one wanted 81
adopt him and give hlza q home uAtll
I he became a man. sF
Some parents thought they had too
many children already, while others
| thought the boy would be too much
expense. If the matter had been left
to Joe he would have left the village
and gone away and hired out to some
farmer, but under the law the select
men. were the ones, to say what he
should do.
They did not waste many words
over it. It was decided that he
should be sent to the poorhouse until
somebody would come forward and
adopt him.
In some localities the poorhouse is
called the county house, but both
terms mean the same thing. It is a
place in the country to which old peo=
pie who can no longer work and take
care OF themselves are sent. Orphan
boys and girls also become inmates.
Should stranger without money come
along and fall Ell he would be hustled
to the poorhouse to get well or die.
It has always been thought a great
disgrace to be sent to the poorhouss,
and when Joe was told that he must
become an inmate he was sadly hui
inflated. He knew that he was old
enough and strong enough to 60 out
and earn his living, and he felt that
it was wrong to force him to become
an object of charity. That was the
law of the state under which he lived,
however, and he must submit
Within an hour after the selectmen
had come to q. decision, one Of them
= r.. zaInaa
poorhouse, which was situated abolt
three miles from the village. It was
sometimes spoken Of as the poorfarm.
The building itself was of brick and
looked comfortable enough from the
outside, and 1T was surrounded by so
acres Of land which were titled BY one
or two hired men and such inmates
as could work
The news had gone through the
village that Joe was 70 be taken to
the poorhouse, and quite a crowS
gathered to see him of. A few men
shook hands with him. and a few bows
said to each other that II was too bad.
wnlie Jim shower, the bad boy Of the
village called out:
TIN glad of it! Joe was always
stuck up, and now let's see how he
will feel as a pauperH'
A man turned around and cuned
him, and two boys drove him away
but Joe's feelings had been dreadfuljv
hurt and he was crying as he drove rseF
The man in the buggy with him
could have talked and cheered him ~,
a bit, but he hadn't a word to saw II
was as IL Joe was the worst bov in tire
world and he was taking him to
prison.
When they arrived at the. poorhouse
Joe was taken into the ONCE. There
he met the overseer or superintendent.
He was a stern looking man. without
one kindly line in his face, and after
he had written the boys name ana the
date down in book he closed 1t ana
said:
Dung. man, want you to UNDER
stand a few things. You are not here
to be fed on sweetcake."
NO, sir, replied Joe.
Nor to spend your time in ulav
You will eat what is set before Won
and make no fuss about it and vnf5
viii be expected to work hard and earn
your way
yes. sir
and 7 don't want saucy words froa4
you. If you viii give me any I wiz
make your ears ring. You may think
Of running away. II yca try It on
then look out for me. I viii follow
you a thousand miles but what / catch
you. and when I have you back I VIII
give you such a dressing down that
you viii remember 1T to your dying
day Now go out into the corn field
and ask for Mr.. TompIxins and ten
him to set you at work
ITO Be Continued.9