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London—every thing to’ be
people out of it think." 51° ae
+ Yes, every thing, or almost every thing there,
* ‘and among other things, starvation and death—
death was for Barbara, and starvation for her boy.
Barbara died the second night after reaching Lon-
: don; in a poor shelter where she had been ‘per-
found in London, so
i lt wuenaits Gary
. payment: ; Little Jacob wept and wailed over her
corpse until it was taken away for burial, but did
not fully realize his loss till it was gone. Then he
felt. how, utterly forlorn he was, and stopped
him; ‘there was no one to feed or take care of
him.» What could-he do? He asked for a piece
Ilow could he get it?.so hungry as he was, so
full of trouble, and knowing no one and not where
to go. Toe $ Peas >
Ile went
Ile saw food in the cook shops and begged for it.
None-for him.., So faint, so sick, he looked at
other boys... Were they starving too?.: Who fed
them? Some of’ them were'carrying baskets and
parcels; some worked in the shops; how happy!
_ for’ with work comes bread, , Jacob asked for
* work as well as bread. , No; he looked’ thin and
" * haggard, he was tog weak. He had been without
“bread too long.
dressed him was coarse and rough in ‘appearance
shook his head. “s vu a t
“eX eedn't tell. I knows—hungry—I knows—
. e's all tried it—had the bread-ail—I knows.”
“Yes, I’se hungry,” sobbed Jacob. 3) «
“[’m the one you're cryin’ for, then. ‘ You
Jay my broom, and you'll have summut to eat.
T feds "em as works Tor me. Shoulder and fol-
low.” os . Yeah tes ‘
- So saying, he threw down his broom, and Jacob,
getting upon’ his feet, shouldered it, weak as he
was, and hurried on after him.’ They. went to one
of the most frequented and fashionable streets,
where the broom-owner stopped, and taking his
broom from Jacob, began sweeping a: crossing
with great energy.
There, vn awees like that. _ Keep
_ bright as the queen’s eyes, holding back broom
and playing up cap every time there's a crosser.
That'll do it, for you've got a first class business-
look; aint been any, thing but hungry since ye
was born, I knows 3, and I'll bring ye summut for
the stomik., Ye won't think 0’ stealin’, the , cap’s
money, 0” course, "cos ye see T've got a cove on
the lookout for all my brooms, and that ye il know
when'ye try it, and none of *em tries it mor'n
2th big Tom.” Ch het. oo
oe ae a chuckle, big Tom departed, looking
back at Jacob as he went, nodding and making
Jous faces at him. ” : pte ate we
on yacob was almost, ‘overwhelmed by his tone, and
commands, and threats, ¢ @
his new employment.“ He swept away quite brisk-
* Uy at first, but the broom, was heavy and he very
fhint, | Still he did not dare to stop sweeping ex-
cent to reach
looking anxi
hoping to se
vem. as
‘ously the way’ that big Tom went,
e him come, back, But Tom was
slow in coming, having @ good time with his cakes,
and nuts, and beer, and small consequence, in a
low tap-house that he patronized. Poor Jacob 's
} an: '>us, piteous look-brought, many a penny into
his cap, but he dared not spend one of them,
Warned as he had been by his employer. “Had
© who feedeth the young lions forgotten him ?—Ife
who heareth the young ravens tumed.& deaf ear
to his cries ?——He who wateheth the sparrow’s fall
Ceased to care for this young immortal, for whom
Ilis Son had died? Nay; the Great Father never
+
OLMSTEAD: & CO., PUBLISHERS. .
. ‘(HH CROSSING-SWEEPER.. ,..- |.
No work in the mills; no work anywhere in the} /
* | town, and therefore no_ food and no shelter for
*, Barbara Coggle and her little son Jacob. ,They| :
tried starvation awhile, and then set out afoot for |':
mitted. to lie,“on giving her shawl as pledge for| ;
- of bread of the man who had ‘sheltered him, and},
was roughly told that he must get, his own bread. |.
4 > . - . ae
out and wandered along the. streets.
weeping, and wondered what would become of} *= !
Ile sat down exhausted on the |“
eurb-stone® and ‘wépt.’* He’ was’ discouraged.
, There was a touch upon his shoulder. He looked
Bp. ns . Me “ yal nati ane .
: eeWhat's the use in blubberin’? It never helped | ”
pe es Ga EY! mae eae
Jacob made no answer. The boy who had ad-|.,
as well as voice, and carried a rough broom.’ He
and the effort and care of
out his cap to the passers, and kept
forgets any one of all His children, never. lis
omniscience cannot forget them, His love, will
not. . a S
An old German woman carrying a basket passed
the little hungry sweeper. She threw a great
Dutch kruller into his cap. ‘Eat, eat!” she said.
Jacob had no need to be told this, and soon had
devoured the kruller. "But he was only hungrier
than ever when it was eaten; his appetite, that had
been dying out in faintness, was roused by it. A
pretty child gave him an apple, and smiled as she
gave it. «JIow grateful both smile and apple to
the wretched orphan !—stnbeams in the darkness,
dew in the drought. ,
- It was mid-day before big Tom returned
coarse bundle in his band. a a
‘Well, young un, hand over!” he exclaimed.
“Show the guineas! king’s come.
Jacob had, no pocket, but he had stored his
pennies under the lining of his cap. Tom hunted
them out and was well satisfied. - : '
’- «Fair, fair!” he said, nodding and: winking at
the solicitous Jacob,’ and handing him back his
cap with a small, dry loaf in it. ‘*There! buddle
up that pack way and cram now, and see, my lar-
key, that you don’t keep me too long at the
broom.” ' me my
Jacob laughed at sight of the bread, and with-
drawing into the little dark alley to which Tom
had pointed him, was soon enjoying it to the ut-
most, He thought himself in great good fortune,
and only wished his mother could know of it. In
the fulness of his gratitude, he made haste to re~
lieve Tom of his broom. pobwatyal
“That's right, you're the larkey for me,” Tom
welcomed him. : “We’s a firm’ for business.
You're atare little babe to draw, an a haingel to
mind, lovely!” .and chuckling and winking, bis
commendation of Jacob, went to dispense dinner
to other crossing-sweepers-in his employ. ‘Ie
was the owner of four brooms, and these he kept
in action, witkyoung hands coaxed or pressed in-
to his service himself reaping the main advan-
tage. He te, all their receipts, from which he
liberally supplied his own wants, and then fur-
with a
»
THE! CROSSING-SWEEPER. teh dt eet
| o: . BOSTON, ‘THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1864.0: 22. SCHOOL. STREET, BOSTON,
ds sia ‘ ; sted nit ; ;
nished a cheap and scant allowance of food to his
émployecs, just enough to keep’ them alive,
Sometimes, as a great favor, he paid for -a night's
shelter for them, but his funds seldom allowed
this, They usually slept in dark doorways and
out-of-the-way corners, often disturbed by the
night police, and hiding from them as best they
might... 0-2). soa
It was not long before Jacob found that Tom's
service was less desirable than it had at first)’
seemed, since he was both selfish and. cruel.
When the weather was bad and the receipts were
small, he spent them all upon himself, leaving
him to starve, and even upbraiding and abusing
him because he had no more for him, He was in
hard bondage, and tried to think of some way of,
bettering his conditiong He ripped a little place
in the lining of his jacket, and hid a few pennies
there, that he might supply himself with Mod on
the days when Tom should fail,to do it, ; But
Tom was sharp-eyed and alert, and spying the
little bunch in the jacket, made an overhauling
and appropriated. the little deposit to himself,
giving Jacob a fearful drubbing, which made bim
stiff and sore for a week. , This determine’ Jacob
to desert his service; and the next morning he
crawled off through obscure streets to a part of
the town where he thought he was safe’ from his
old master; but he was not safe from hunger. ‘Te
begged for food, and was roughly turved from
door after door. Gentle’ women, mothers, even,
mothers of boys like him, frowned at him, and re-
proached him for troubling them.’ They had
never been hungry, and thought their children
would never be. Why does not God pinch and
starve such selfish beings, to make them pitiful
and merciful? Better to work for Tom, half-fed
and abused, than beg of such, 7)
\ At night Jacob crawled back to his old haunts,
and the next morning surrendered himself to Tom.
Some masters would have flogged him’ for run-
ning away, to prevent his repeating the offence.
Tom knew better than to indulge in any such
folly; since, if he did again run away, not an im-
“|yees.7 >.
yent a return,’ ‘IIe was glad to see
again, and only said," : Loy
:*Been sick, young Jun? , Slept out too much’
‘nights, and.’s tender. House up to-night;” and
giving him his broom, ‘added, “Ise kep it for
him’ back.
Jacob took’ the broom with a low Thank'ee.”
» | Poor, hungry, hopeless, whipped creature! Tom
‘| gave him no breakfast; he bad such a- fine face
for business, so wan,’ and haggard, and woe-be-”
gone, he did not want to’spoil it.” Such evident. ;
wretchedness was stock in trade for him. And_
so, patiently and hopelessly, sometimes fed and
sometimes starving, seldom warmed gnd-boused,
and often cold and chilled, always uncomfortable,
and often miserable, Jacob remained in the ser-
vice of big Tom. .Why couldn't he have a broom
of his own, and have all his earnings, to himself? “,
But how could he get one when Tom would not
allow him a single penny? ‘And if he could get
one, would Tom permit him to keep it? Would |
he not foree or steal it from him, and again re-+
duce him to his service? Jacob was greatly afraid» >
of Tom, and with good reason. if
But notwithstanding his fears, be made ; one
-|more attempt to provide for himself. By little -,
and litde he succeeded in removing so much dirt ,
from beneath one of the stones in: his crossing
that he could slide a penny under it, and here he
_| began to lay up a fund?’ But Tom; full of tricks
himself, was on the lookout for them in others.
Though be had no ‘‘cove” watching his brooms,
as he, said, he occasionally watched ‘himself, and + -
one day happened to see Jacob making a’ deposit.
| He screamed, and roared, and pounced upon him,
“Thief! thief! and cotched yees is.;, Didn't I;
‘tell yes? . Of course ye can’t;” and digging out »
Jacob's small hoard with his knife, pat it in his
pocket, poor Jacob trembling from lead to foot,
in mortal fear of his abuse, and feeling that there ;
was neither help nor. hope for him, anywhere.‘ >
‘| Meekly, without resistance, and with little noise, «"
he took his punishment from Tom, «IIe felt it the.‘
less because he was so hopeless and sick at heart...”
What would become of him?’ He was so often
hungry, and néw the cold pinched him worse than
hunger. Ilis clothes were thin, and the keen
winds cut him through; ‘he was shocless and
stockingless, and his fect smarted ‘on the icy
pavements; he could not sleep, only freeze, in
the long nights, huddled close to the mouldy,: «
frosty walls. What would become of him?
Who was it that said, “Leave thy fatherless
children, I will preserve them alive?” Who?
Where is Ile now? Does He know of Jacob?
or has Ile recalled Ilis word? or spoken in vain?
It was Jehovah Iimself who spake it,—I am THAT
Iam; He whose word never fails, who “changeth .
not, and in whom is no shadow of turning.” He .,
said.it. Help is coming, Jacob! help is sure!
Hunger, cold, abuse, unsheltered nights ‘a little
longer, only a little longer! Help is coming! . ,
It was a severe morning in December. . A thin.
sleet was falling, and freezing as it fell, and the °
pavements were a glare of ice. \ Poor, houseles$,
barefoot Jacob was at his crossing, stretching out
his little old cap to the passers-by, . Ile was too,
weak and miserable to sweep, but he had to be
there or he would not get his bread. How his
feet did ache! He tried not -to ery, but the big
tears would filt his eyes, and stand upon his
cheeks. An old gentleman, stepping, from the
curbstone to the crossing, reached out. his hand .*
to put something in Jacob's cap.’ He slipped,
and fell, and lay helpless. Jacob sprang to help |
him to his feet, and, unable, lifted his’ head, and,
held it carefully and tenderly.on his knees till a
carriage was brought to carry him to his home. .
The injured man was alive to the kindness of the
child, and, seated in the carriage, beckoned him, *
to approach. He put a shilling into his dhand, ,
and then his eye fell on the little bare feet. Os
“Poor child!” he said, “poor child! Come.’
with me!” and drew Jacob into the carriage.»
', “O my broom! my broom!” screamed Jacob.
“Never mind your broom,” said his new friend.
“O, yes, I must, or big Tom ‘ll beat me,”, :
“He won't. beat you. I'm your friend now,”
was the comforting assurance, and the carriage
‘
probable event, it would be most likely to pre-
drove off, Jacob looking back after the broom in
great anxiety. Ile felt that he was unfaithful
ene
a eb . i ag nt ee RE