THE LADIES' FLORAL CABINET. 
247 
waked up, and when he opened his eyes he begun to cry, 
for he was awful ’fraid of me; thought I’d take his fid¬ 
dle away. But I put my arms around his neck, and 
told linn not to be afraid, I was ‘Pete’ who was agoing 
to bo a friend to him, for ho was too small to be left 
alone in the big cjty. Thei> he smiled, and looked so 
happy and trustin’ like. So I took him along with me, 
and showed him all the homo I ever knows. It ain’t 
pretty and fixed up like the swells has, but it’s kinder 
better than bein’ out in the streets all night. It’s a room 
in an attic, an’ there be lots of open places overhead, 
and the rain comes in sometimes ; but then I loves them 
places, for nights when I’se tired and hungry, and can’t 
sleep, I look at the little stars; they twinkle and laugh to 
me as if to say, ‘ I see you Pete,’ and just as I say 
good-night, they seem to run away, ancl oil I goes to 
sleep, and the little stars ; goes on their way through the 
sky to look at other boys who has a better bed to sleep 
on than I has. The ‘ little un ’ loves the stars, too, and 
calls them angels watching him so no harm can come. 
We got a splendid playfeller, as keeps us from cry¬ 
ing and getting lonesome when we ain’t made much 
money. It's a little white kitten we found crying in the 
street one night. Some bad boys tied a tin pail to her an’ 
she was awful frightened. I picked her up in my arms 
and took her home with us, gave her some of our sup¬ 
per, and she loves us because we don’t tease her. She 
knows, mister, when we ain’t had no luck, for we can’t 
give her much to eat. Then she looks up in our faces 
as if she wanted to cry, and rims all over us, and laps 
our faces as if she wanted to kiss us anyway. You 
know as how some boys like to bully little uns. Well, 
one day he was walking along, and up came a feller and 
tried to git away the 'little tin’s’ fiddle, but I jest 
pulled up my sleeve, and went fur him, and gave him 
a reg’lar throw. I won’t see him hurt no how, for lie is 
the bestest little soul as ever lived. He has seen some 
hard times ; poor enough some days, and hungry enough 
to steal, but we didn’t, ’cause that’s mean. The ole 
woman in the baker’s shop, she gives us cakes some days, 
an’ I’ll tell ye how't was. AVe went in there one night, 
me and the ‘little un,’ and we didn’t have much, only 
two cents for the two of us. He was awful hungry, 
and it was cold and drizzling-like out. I asked the 
missus to give us the mostest she could for the money 
as we had. She looked sorter kind to the ‘ little un,’ 
for he was a looking so wisliful-like to the sweet cakes 
in the show case, and said, ‘ Are them cakes too much 
for the money? ’ I don’t know as how it was, mister,' 
but she just took him up in her arms and kissed him 
right on the cheek, and the tears went a-triclding down 
her face ; for she said he was so like a boy she lost. So 
the * little un ’ had plenty of cakes, and we had a feast, 
you bet, that night j and we didn’t forget kitty at home, 
who was hungry too. Now when we have a real hard 
day, not much to eat, we tells the ole woman, and she 
never lets us go to bed hungry, then when me and the 
‘ little un ’ has a good day, we pays her all back. 
What would have become of us if it hadn’t been for 
her ? Last Cliristmas you would a cried, sir, if you could 
a seen how the poor ‘ little un ’ hung up his shoes on a 
nail in the comer for Santa Claus to fill ’em for him, for 
he heard how kind he was to all good boys. I knowed 
there wasn’t no Santa Claus, only I didn’t tell him so, 
and I tried hard to make some money, hut I couldn’t, 
for I did want to buy him somctlxing. That night I 
couldn’t sleep, and I cried, and cried because I knew 
the ‘ little un ’ wouldn’t find nothin’ in his shoes ; and, 
mister, you oughter heard him cry, and he said, ‘ Peter 
no Santa Claus ’member us, we ain’t got nothin’, and we 
tried to be good boys, too.’ But I told, him p’r’aps he 
didn’t have time, and would come that night. Oh! 
how hard I tried to make a few pennies. I picked up a 
purse for a lady, that she dropped, and she only thanked 
me, and I felt so bad. Going home I found a little 
branch of evergreen that some one had lost. I put it in 
my pocket, and when I got home stuck it in the ‘ little 
un's ’ shoe; and wheu he saw it he was so glad, he 
clapped his hands and said : ‘ Somebody did ’member 
me, and I’se happy now.’ He don’t care fol- Christmas 
now, for I’se told him there ain't no Santa Claus. It’s 
only little boys as has Ha’s and Pa’s, and friends.” 
After I had heard Pete’s story, I told them that I would 
be a Santa Claus to them, and that they should not 
wander about the streets any more ; that a home should 
be provided for them and Kitty too, and'they should 
have nice clothes to wear. The little fellows both fell 
on their knees, and tears of joy rolled down their 
.neglected faces. I have them both in my employ, and 
they are doing nicely. The “ little un ” is quite useful, 
and says very often, “ I had one little star that I loved 
to look at better than all the others, and I knew that 
angel would give me a better home some day, and Pete 
and Kitty too; and we are the happiest boys that ever 
lived.” .And they really seem to be. 
Kitty Clover. 
On! Don’t you remember, 
Long timo ago, 
When tjic path was in December 
Covered o’er with snow ? 
Then wo had a little walk, 
Then we had a little talk, 
But jealous oyos did soon divine 
The tootsteps thcro were not all mine— 
Oh! The snow, 
The toll-talo snow, 
Long time ago! 
Oh! Don’t you remember 
On that evening fair, 
Whoujtho jasmine flowers you braided 
In the raven hair? 
Homeward then I thoughtless stray’d 
And the jasmine flowers betray’d; 
For well tho jealous glances knew 
No jasmine in our garden grew 
Oh 1 Tho flower, 
The tell-tale flower, 
Long timo ago! 
And when wo were both forbidden 
Evermore to meet, 
Silly little notes were hidden 
By tho willow seat, 
But vainly for a noto wo sought; 
Could wo each other have forgot? 
Ah! Others knew as well as we 
The secrets of that hollow tree; 
Oh! The tree, tho hollow tree, 
It betrayed both you and me. 
Long time ago! 
