Year: 1860

<: there is poor boy in our school, who
I wish had some Of my clothes. The
boys call him Pinch because he looks so
pinched but he is real clean, and his
knees and elbows are well patched he
was dreadful cold in school to-day, l
know he was, he kept shivering So


"The poor do not suffer half SO much
from cold, as we think, said his aunt,
/" for they get used to it.


"Let me see you try it, - said George.


Hush, my son. said his mother


Well, mother, just as if flesh and
blood did not-feel such weather as this,
with only an old strip of cloth between
them Auntis covered wife flannel from
head to foot; no wonder she does not
know what cold is.


George and his aunt were not apt to
agree, and the worst of it was they did
not agree to disagree.


d" "What is the boys name besides
Pinch ?" asked his mother.


"Jed Little. guess he has no father
and DO not know where he lives. 1
only know he is good fellow, and real
pitiful this weather.


Well" said Mrs Maxwell, " if you
can do anything for him, l shall be glad
to have you"


Good" cried George, turning to his
book again, )" before tomorrow night [
will take the shiver out of poor Jed, if
[ cam He could now study better.


Jed was not at school the next fore
noon. George asked where he lived !;
none Of the boys knew-none at least
that he asked After the school the
master told him, and away he scampered
to find him. 1t was an old block Of
buildings in another part of the town,
which he made business to search
through and through after he got there.
Presently there was tap at one of the
basement windows, and George spied
Jed's face at one of the squares.


Halloa, cried he.


Jed came to the door and peeped out.


Where are you bound down here p
he asked


Looking you up, old fellow" said
George.


" Mother is lining my trousers, and
I've nothing to wear while she is doing
it said the boy, :. l cannot go .out, so
you come in


George went into the little room where
the Littles lived-a poor widow with four
whom the long and severe win
ter was pinching to the extent of their
very slender means. Such box of
stove, George thought, and about a por-
ringer of potatoes and Jed with his
summer pants. on and a blanket over his
shoulders while his mother was patch
ing strips of flannel into his school
trousers, and they the best be had. It
was the reality of poverty which he sell
dom saw.


Il thought I would just hunt you up,
Jed" he said. making as if he would go,
for he felt half ashamed of his thick coat
beside his poor, half clad school mate.


"Thank you ever so much for COM
ing said Jed, sit is good in you. Why
you see 1 almost froze in school yester-
day, and mother did not want me to go
till she had Tune to fix them. She sews
for the shop and has to sew for US by
peace meals I wish twas always sum-
mer, George, like the tropics geography
tells about"


q Poor Jed" said George to himself,
as he ran home poor fellow, poor fel
low Mother he said, bounding into
the room with his cheeks aglowing. Il
want you to make up bundle of clothes
for Jed Little quick mother


''It is dinner time, said his aunt.


DINNER what do | care for dinner
when poor Jed Little is freezing"


But his mother quieted his impetuosi-
ty until after dinner, when she went up
stairs with him and gave him leave to
select full and comfortable suit for the
poor boy. George shouldered his bun
die and took in his other hand paiIful
of dinner for the destitute family.


You are good boy said his aunt.


"Good am not good, I've not a
spark of goodness in ME, cried he.


"My child, how you speak TO your
aunt, said his mother gently, laying her
hand on his head


"I know it, mother, I know it, it's
very rough in me, but aunt will forgive
me for speaking so"


GEO." said his aunt and mother both.


u have had good visit, ," said George
on his return, bringing home a serious,
thoughtful, softened look with him.
" Jed could not speak, he only looked,
and looked his mother did the thank
ing. I did not want thanks, only it
seemed to do her good. Jed grabbed
me by the hand when came off and
squeezed it so; some other time, said he,
ard that was all he could say"


Twenty years or more had passed
away, and IA poor miner was taken from
one of the Sacramento boats and landed