Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-11-21

petted me while they dressed my eye
and I eve was so happy in my life
Poor little fellow! Is the pain dread,
full? she asked, and the doctors and
the nurses all laughed when l replied
Yes. it hurts, but l don't care. I've
got you
WELL, when they'd got me comfort
able and the old lady had found out
all she could about me and had praised
me over and over for what she called
my self sacrificing bravery she start
ed to go, saying she would come back
to see me next day. But, no; l held
on to her hand with all my might. ]
had found a good thing, and l wouldn't
give it up. They couldn't coax or hire
me to let her 90. 1t touched her ten.
der heart, and after she found l didn't
belong to anybody she began to lool
thoughtful. She wasn't very well
dressed. l could see she wasn't q
rich lady. After bordering a minute
she said that If l wanted to come
and live with her she would take me
home with her after. 1 got we'll. She
said: I thought / had rather scanty
support for one, but 1 will try to man
age some way. I can't leave this
noble little boy without a home ]
almost sprang out Of bed in my JOY
and declared that I would work and
support Us both if she would let me
live with her.
And what q mother she was to me!
She clothed and fed me and sent me
to school. She gave me a name and
civilized me. She entered into all my
boyish interests and my boyish fun,
and we were just the %jolliest comrades!
And she gave me just what I was
starving for, love and petting, which
many a boy that has a real mother
fails to get, and she made me love her
as I never expected to love anything.
In fact, I didn't know what love was
till that fortunate Thanksgiving day
when / fell into her arms because her
runaway horse had hurt me. Do you
wonder that I count the loss Of that
eye as n of my blessings?
"And 1 kept my word. l picked up
all the odd jobs to help support us
both, and somehow everybody was
willing to give me q job. Mother has
said many a time that she has lever
Jared any the worse for having taken
me. 1 always found plenty to do. and
as 1 grew older and was able to carr
more it was my greatest pleasure to
give her little luxuries that she had al
ways felt that she could not afford.
~ had a craving for railroading; had
always had it when 1 was only a little
homeless kid. l tried for some time to
get the position Of brakeman, but my
lack Of an eye seemed to stand in the
way, till n Thanksgiving day just
three years ago l had q chance to
prove to them that l could see better
with one eye than some of them did
with two, and I got the position and
have held it ever since. Another fortu.
nate Thanksgiving, you see But the
best M is yet to be told.
"It was two years ago today that !
was coming into Chicago with a heavy
train, and q woman with a baby got on
| at a station a little way out and took a
seat in the very rear Of the coach. She
had on a large cape, and when she got
off in the station at Chicago she car.
ried a bundle under her cape which !
supposed was the baby. l helped her
off, and 1 observed she appeared to be
in the greatest haste.
After the passengers were all off
when l went through the train to look
for any parcels left, what should
find but that woman's baby on the
back seat! 1t was evident the woman
had deserted it Intentionally. The con
ductor called a council, and it was de
cided to put the kid in a founding asy.
lum until some information could be
obtained about the woman. went
back and looked at the baby again
while they were consulting about it
and just then it walked up and smiled
at me. Well, if you had seen that baby
smile you could not have resisted il
either. l just reached out and tool
her right up and told them l was go
ing to take her myself, as it was plair
nobody else wanted her. and she JUS