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PW t/i Hi Ivl ? j A flkpr IX \ f in l t " sCrp , . V • ni ■v Mv; GOD, FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS n§OW; LBSE §1^: HIM, all creatures here below,' him above, ye heavenly host; pE FATHER, SON and holy giiost! WOTTLES AND RAGS. A THANKSGIVING STORY. Bottles had been declaiming from the Lof a barrel which stood among other pchandise upon the dock, when a slim te of a girl came toward him from the per tell s/de of the wharf. Bottles jumped from the barrel, and, with a stage tide, faint approached the girl. They are a pair; he a gatherer of empty bot [H, slie a rug picker. If ever they had jrnes |y they are now no longer the quarters spoken, they for It are known among as Bottles and Rags. They were Lion street waifs. Bottles is one mass of tatters and flit rs from crownless hat to torn shoes, rough Ll which his frost bitten toes peep. the girl, if anything, is more ragged an he. As he grasps hold of the hand, p spirit of the man within him speaks: [‘Poor little Rags! cold as a hunk of 1 tat Where you b’en? what you got? and fni y ou goiu’ to do with it? If you’ve and got nothin’ and can’t do any .‘n’, then come with yer father. He’s ft ten cents, and ten cents ’ll buy a plate i 1 fried cakes, kid.”. K jn was interesting to study the expres of utter trust which came upon the H’s face while the boy is speaking. Her (her! Tnat was only a pet term he was Bit L' to use, expressive of his guardian over her. “Bottles,” said the girl, after a short iise. “what’s the most money you ever li in all yer life?” fTo onct, do you mean, Rags?” IkYup.” Fa ell, let me see; I had—why! last • Istmas I had as much as one seventy- 7 7 i\ 5*. N S4N & m % V % -Vvlx^Y-— s?: Mg Ns 4 lirg ; 1 ( BOTTLES AND RAGS. You poor thing! yer too poor fur me to iate with,” broke in the girl, as she her ragged skirt away with mock i here, Rags, you’ve allers b’en iwith yer father. You've got sun I yer mind. Jist tell me the hull v—1 11 cut you off with ten cents, i^i’ the reg’lar shillin’.” r said the girl, ii-^ont the hand which she had con * .nYTiehind her. [ie -d boy fell the article back a which step or slie two held, as he upon lietter & ags. hain’t I brought you up ner this? You, you who I picked out the gutter! Oh! it’s sharper than a snake’s tail to have a priggin’ darter.” “But 1 didn’t prig the puss,” quickly exclaimed Rags. “Ah! spoken like me own dutiful child. I say, Rags, is the puss well heeled?” 4 4 I hain’t looked; it’s heavy, though, and it jingles. I only found it while ’go over on India wharf. I run all the way to find you.” Bottles took the purse in his hands. As he felt the magic touch of its contents through the silken meshes it drove all thought of cold or hunger away. In the purse was more money than either had ever before touched. In it was warmth and victuals, though Bottles gave no thought to either, so overjoyed was he in the possession of the precious money, real gold and silver, for he could tell that by its clinking. The two waifs finally, cold and tired, reached the tumble down structure in South street, where they lodged. They climbed up the rickety stairways, passed through the narrow, dark and ill smelling halls Until they reached the attic door, upon which Bottles tapped softly. A small circular disk in one of the upper panels slid back, and a thin, beak like nose with a pair of red rimmed eyes appeared in the opening, ns a sharp, raspy voice inquired: “Who's there?” “Bottles and Rags,” responded the boy. The door was opened and the pair passed into the low, musty smelling room. “Got Tithing?” asked the raspy voiced female. “Nixy,” returned the boy. The purse in his pocket seemed determined to jingle. This would have been a dire calamity; for the old woman would have pounced upon it like a hawk. 4 4 And you?” asked the woman, turning toward Rags. The girl held her hands out, palms down and open. “Huuipli! purty pair. No bottles, no rags; got nothin’! Can’t stay here to¬ night.” I’ve 4 4 Oh, yes, mammy—I forgot. that?” got a dime. Can’t you let us stay fur broke in Bottles. “A dime! small ’nuff. I—well, gi’ me the money,” said the woman. Bottles laid the piece upon her out¬ stretched palm. She threw a bag hood over her iron gray locks, and taking a noseless pitcher from the window sill went out. “Good. She’s gone fur beer. Wher she drinks beer she sleeps, and when she sleeps, we counts the contents of this puss. Rags, I say, kid, we’ll have a daisy time to-morrow. Did you know to-morrow was the day fur doin’ big eatin’? It’s a reg’lar hol.’erday, and all us rich coouf don’t have to do nothin’ but injoy our¬ selves. ” “A hollerday! will the band and tin p’lice and fireworks” “Rags, yer out of yer lattytude, as the sailors down at the Hum sez. To-mor¬ row \s Thanksgiving, kid.” “What’s that, Bottles?” “The day set ’part for doin’ big feedin’, sabe?” “Yup,” responded Rags. “I say, Rags, did ’ny one see you pick it up—the puss?” “No; I jist seen it kinder jammed down in a big crack. I knowed it was ducats, and, when knowin’ a thing of that sort, I made sure no one was lookin’ when I lifted it.” “And a purty good lift it was, Rags. That one lift means big feedin’ fur you and I ’long with the swells. If there’s nuff ducats left we'll get sum new togs and board round a spell ’fore settlin’ down to biz ’g’in. Nixy, now, here comes the old woman.” The latter entered with the pitcher of beer. The waifs went to the snuff box win¬ dow and gazed out upon the chilly look¬ ing roofs and the slippery street below. The old woman drank the beer, after w hicli she rolled herself in a tattered blanket, laid down upon a creaking bed, turned her face to the wall, and was soon lotidlv snoring. “She’s gone up, Rags. Now fur it, but hang a rag over the keyhole first,” said the j^y qq, c g; r j uhl as he requested, then came and sat down by him. He po Ure a the clinking pieces upon the soap box under the window sill. “Hags, I reckon there’s nuff ducats here to buy a hull house from bottom to ca baza.” “Really, Bottles?” I hain’t . “You hear your fftther talk! much on the couut, but I uuess I can strike it within a few hundred, .Tist fol ler me—-hello! here’s sumthin' else in the puss. A ring. Bah! I don't take no stock in them things. Can get ahull cartload jist like it down in Salem street fur ten cents a one. Put her on, kid.” The ring, evidently designed for a child, just fitted the dirty little linger over which the girl slipped it. “Now fur the ducats. Rags, ducats is the root hog er die; an’ I’m jist porker miff to root into ’em. One, two, three —grand and galorious signors, here’s more’n ten double buzzards. Them stands fur $20, two of ’em is $40, and so on xcetry. Here goes fur a count. One, two, three, four, live. That’s jist an even $100. Phew! rich is no name fur it. Put yer finger on that pile. Hags, yer boldin’ down $100. Does it burn yer fingers? I’ll even up with that pile and—presto!— dollars and there’s $200. Two hundred other chicken feed too numerous to men tion!” exclaimed the boy, sweeping the money into the purse. “Better drop the sparkler in. If the old woman gits on to it, good evenin’ ducats, sparkler, big feedin’. and all. 1 reckon we’d better get sum ba’nty sleep now.” “But, Bottles, I’m hungry. I want somethin’ to eat first,” said Rags, turn¬ ing her big blue eyes up at him. “Chew on that then, you poor little hungry kid you. All I got. Eat ’way, Rags; I can stand it till mornin’—no, till dinner to-morrow.” The boy lay down upon a pile of rags, and after the Kill 1> ml eaten the> cracker which he had (deen to her sho ton lay down near him and « wrapped In sin,niter, ahoy a wtUned early rose an, 1 stole from the att.e, lea, mg the old woman still asleep. *** “I say, Rags, hain’t this jist old scrum shus?” “Yup,” mumbled Rags, as she took a great bite of bread. “See here, kid, don’t be wastin’ yer oatitite on sich common grub as bread. Sail into the beans and salard, and ham ’n eggs,and eramberry and sass and—turkey. Turkey is the galorious bird of freedom today,” urged Bottles, helping himself in turn to each of the dainties as named. Perhaps the Crawford was never graced by such a pair during the w hole of Its ex tent of catering to the public, Bottles had purchased two regular din ner checks, and chosen a table in the cor¬ ner so as to be as free ns possible from the hungry crowd which thronged the place. The waifs’ faces were washed clean; they were as tidy as their dilapi¬ dated garments would permit. A new yellow'ribbon held Rag’s curls back from her really pretty face, with its roguish, big, blue eyes, cute little mouth and turn up nose. And Bottles, he had laid out a portion of the wealth on a paper collar, green tie and huge, glaring, red glass pin. The ring which the parse lmd contained was upon Rag’s forellnger. “Hold up, Rags.” whispered the boy, touching her foot with his; “don’t lick yer fingers. Hain’t 1 learned you better ner that? I’m goin’ to make a lady of you, kid, and I’m bound to have you git on to them small items. “All right, Bottles; I guess yer right. I hain’t up in sich catin’ as this, and you must para in slips.” “Here’s the wine list. Do we want Muimn?” “Nixey. ’T ain’t fur sich as us, Bot¬ tles, ’Sides, you’n I has started out on c « ket, and it hain’t the thing «... ur us to a budge.” 4 4 Yer speakin’ in a right toot now, Rags. I only mentioned the fackfurfun. Can’t you smuggle one of them tarts, Rags?” girl, “Hain’t it stealing?” asked the looking up quickly. “Not if the court knows hisself. I paid for all that comes to this table in the way of grub. 1 own all, but them dishes, spoons, forks and sich, and— But hold up. I'll go put a flea in this feller’s ear who sold me the checks.” Bottles rose and went to the cashier’s desk. A pc culiar expression came upon his face as the boy six/kc to him. Then he reached down under the desk and handed out f paper sack. The boy’s face was wreathe* with smiles when he came back. “It’s all right, Rags. I told him a howl reckoned we’cl have to make thi: fcedin' Inst till next Thanksgiving; also Hint we wasn't bloated bankers and had hard diggln’ fur grub. Hegiveme this bag. and said 1 could take all’that we couldn’t eat. Hain’t it slick?” i 14 WCU, I should smile. Here’* two jam fc.rts” r 111 . .-**-“•**' > ' V raw* vA.,XI s “04 7 r i * #. CXI : ( tIM imLgr • IMIr it * m K O j A I j ' - f r 4-N* o “hain’t this jist old horumfsiti’s?” : “Hold on, Rags; put the solids in first Pr you’ll smash the tarts.” A smile passed over each face as the waifs loaded their bag with the remains of the meal. “Ready, Rugs?” j “Yes; let me git my op’ra hat on all j | square.” arranged her headgear to suit, her. . She , , „ oU1 , : , tl> ti ,e,loor. Then-all tide hrluhtnew. turned to , , for „ lm . ,. lml fonn , , vi „, j ( ,„„ hIe „ f bl , lss „ uttou8 the , , ,. a , v( „, eakl the oltlccr, i taking hold of each by the shoulder. “Yob don’t mean us? I say, boss, you’ve got the wrong party, We hain’t done But nothin, little have Hags we, liajjH?” crying. The poor was bine coats hod always been the terror of her life. She had heard terrible stories about them, L*ow% she and Bott les are in t he care of one, and she is ready to drop j u fright. “What’s the racket, boss?” asked Bot ties. He, too, was troubled; but he must put on a brave face for the girl’s sake. j “Lifting a purse. Come on.” And this was the end of the poor little waifs’ grand dinner. On the way to the } Nation house w ith an ofllcer. A curious crowd of street boys, news¬ paper venders, 1 mot blacks and the like followed the policeman and his two little prisoners to the station house, His honor was taking dinner; would not hold court today, and the two waifs were put into a comfortable cell upstairs, it fl gs ( . r j e( i herself to sleep, while Bot Hen, hero like, sat by her side upon the cot and kept cheering her up by telling her that it would be all right in the morning, And down stairs, nrnler lock and key, the unlucky purse and ring were lying in the desk drawer. * * * “Next.” The two waifs, Bottles and ltags, were pushed forward until they stood in front of the desk before Ids honor. “Bless me! what’s this? Little ones* what are you doing here?” asked the kind faced judge, beaming down upon the pair, through a ret of gold bowed glasses. Bottles knew it was not proper for him to speak, and Rags could not. “Officer, what is the charge against this pair?” asked the judge of the policeman who had made the arrest. “Stealing o purse, your honor.” “Ah! that is a serious charge.” “But, sir, ’t ain’t” “Never mind, my little nmn; your turn will come. TaT the party who made the complaint stand forward.” A tail man, clad in clerical garments. with long drawn visage, stepped fOt¬ ward. The corners of his trap like mouth were drawn down in a mast solemn expression. He clasped his bauds in front of him, and turned his eyes upon t lie little waifs, as though even their presence waa unholy to his cloth.