The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today

in the woods. Hawkins drew rein and entered the yard. A boy about ten years old was sitting in the cabin door with his face bowed

p, you mustn't be going

face came up out of the hands,-a f

so, my boy. Tell me-i

awkins stepped within. It was a poverty stricken place. Six or eight middle-aged country people of both sexes were grouped about an object in the middle of the room; they were noiselessly busy and they talked in whispers when they spoke. Hawkins uncovered and approached. A

other, loving one another. She's ben sick three weeks; and if you believe me that child has worked, and kep' the run of the med'cin, and the times of giving it, and sot up nights and nussed her, and tried to keep up her sperits, the same as a grown-up person. And last night when she kep' a sinking and sinking, and turned away her head and didn't know him no mo', it was fitten to make a body's heart break to see him climb onto the bed and lay his cheek agin hern and call he

he put out his small hand and smoothed the hair and stroked the dead face lovingly. After a bit he brought his other hand up from behind him and laid three or four fresh wild flowers upon

th somers-she kep' school when she fust come. Goodness knows what's to become o' that po' boy. No father, no mother, no kin fol

eyes were turned inqui

k on a homeless orphan. If he will go with me I will give him a home, and loving reg

tranger's hand with cordial good will, and their eyes looked

a true man,

e a minute ago, but you

return after many days," said the old

t here," said one. "If tha hain't room for you and

s arrived at his wagon leading his little waif by the hand, and told his wife all that had happe

e before you. And there isn't any compliment you can pay me equal to doing a thing like this and finishing it up, just taking it for

ranger who offered him a home; the funeral, where the stranger's wife held him by the hand at the grave, and cried with him and comforted him; and he remembered how this, new mother tucked him in his bed in the nei

things he was going to see. And after breakfast they two went alone to the grave, and his heart went out to his new friend and his untaught eloquence poured the praises of his buried idol into her ears without let or hindr