FRANKIE AND THE CRIPPLE.
ONE evening, near the close of the term, Nelly walked home in company
with one of her schoolmates, and did not notice that her cousin went
another way. One, two hours passed by, and Frankie did not make his
appearance; and at last his mother became so anxious, that she sent his
brother out to search for him.
Willie went to the square to see whether he had stopped at any of the
stores, then, as he did not find him, to the houses of some of his
schoolmates, but none of them had seen him since school.
"Where can he have gone?" said Willie to himself. "Perhaps he was at his
teacher's, and has returned before this time."
He walked back toward home, looking around on every side.
He was passing a house, when he heard a noise in the yard, and looking
through the trees, saw a company of boys standing round a curious little
carriage, in which sat a boy who was talking to them. He ran eagerly
into the yard, for he thought Frankie was among them.
As he drew nearer, he found it was not a boy in the carriage, but a man
without legs. He had met with a dreadful accident, and been obliged to
have both his legs cut off; and now he was trying to support himself by
selling pictures, rolling himself in his carriage from house to house by
means of a crank wheel. This was very hard work for him, especially when
he was going uphill; sometimes he was obliged to get boys to push
behind.
Willie saw his brother Frankie standing by the man, helping him hold his
pictures, which he was exhibiting to the lady at the window. Frankie's
face was very red, and great drops of perspiration stood on his forehead
and nose.
"Why haven't you been home?" asked Willie. "Mother is very anxious about
you."
"O, Willie, see this poor man!" exclaimed Frankie. "I have been pushing
his wagon for him ever since school. He says he is a cripple, and can't
walk at all. I'm going to push his carriage home now, as soon as he has
sold pictures here, and then ask mamma to give him some supper."
"Why, Frankie Gray," called out the lady at the window, "is that you?
Well, come and take this money, dear, to pay for three pictures."
When the carriage started, the boys all ran along; but none of them
offered to assist in rolling it, except Willie and Frankie.
"You are tired," said Willie; "I'll push now." So Frankie took off his
straw hat, and wiped the perspiration from his forehead. His hair was
wet through, and curled in small rings all over his head.
Mrs. Gray was looking anxiously from the window when they entered the
avenue, and ran eagerly down to meet them.
"O, mamma!" cried Frankie; "I met a poor man. He has no legs, and can't
walk at all. He has to wheel himself about in a little carriage, to get
enough money to buy his food. It's very hard work, and so I waited to
push it for him a little while. Was it naughty, mamma? Will you please
to give him some supper?"
Mrs. Gray looked in her son's earnest, loving eyes, and all her
displeasure against him vanished. She caught him to her heart, and
kissed his cheek and lips. "Yes, my dear," she said, "you shall have the
pleasure of giving him a good supper. But are you not hungry yourself?
It is long past tea time."
"I did not think any thing about it, mamma," said Frankie, "I was so
sorry for the poor man. There, Willie has pushed his carriage up to the
back door. I wonder how he can get out."
In a few minutes the poor cripple had walked on his knees to the table,
where Jane had set him a bountiful meal. Frankie seemed to consider the
man his especial charge, and Mrs. Gray drew Willie into the entry,
where, through the door, they could see what passed.
As soon as the food was before him, the cripple began to eat; and
Frankie, who was seated opposite, so as to be ready to attend to his
wants, gazed at him in great surprise. "Why!" said he, "you didn't pray
to God."
I suppose the dear child had never before seen any one begin to eat
without first asking a blessing. Even when he and Nelly were playing
tea, one of them always shut their eyes, and solemnly asked God to bless
the food.
The man stared at him and went on eating, while Mrs. Gray smiled as she
peeped through the door, to see how serious the boy looked.
"Don't you love God?" asked Frankie.
"I dun know," said the man.
"I love him," continued the child, "and I should think you would;" then,
after waiting a moment, he asked, "Did he cut your legs off?"
"No," said the man, laughing; "the doctor did it."
"I'm glad of that," said Frankie. "You ought to love God, and pray to
him every day. Perhaps, if you did, he would let your legs grow again."
Willie almost laughed aloud; but Frankie was so eager to do the man
good, that he did not hear him.
"I am afraid you are a wicked man," he said, "if you don't pray any."
Mrs. Gray saw the cripple lay down his knife and fork, and gaze at the
child; presently he spoke, but his voice trembled as he said, "I used to
pray when I was a little shaver like you. My mother taught me."
"Where is she now?" asked the boy.
"She has gone up there, long ago," said the man, softly pointing his
finger upward.
"Well," said Frankie, earnestly, "you can't go to heaven and live with
her there, unless you are a good man and love God. I used to be naughty
once, but my mother whipped me to make me good."
"That's too bad," said the cripple.
"No; it's just right. The Bible says she must. I'm trying now to be a
good boy; and I wish you would try too."
"I guess there isn't much danger of you," said the man. "You're the
most wonderful chap I ever saw."
"I don't know what _chap_ is," replied Frankie. "When I say my prayers
to-night, I am going to ask God to give you a new heart; and then you
can't help being good."
"I wish you would," whispered the man, drawing his shirt sleeve across
his eyes.
He pushed his chair back from the table, saying, "I've had a first-rate
supper; and I thank you and your mother a thousand times for all your
kindness."
Willie then stepped into the kitchen, and helped him from his chair into
his carriage, at the back door. The man gave Frankie two of his
handsomest pictures, saying, "Don't forget what you promised to do for
me to-night. I have nobody else to pray for me now."