MY LITTLE GENTLEMAN . No one would have thought of calling him so , this ragged , barefooted , freckle-faced Jack , who spent his days carrying market-baskets for the butcher , or clean clothes for Mrs. Quinn , selling chips , or grubbing in the ash-heaps for cinders . But he was honestly earning his living , doing his duty as well as he knew how , and serving those poorer and more helpless than himself , and that is being a gentleman in the best sense of that fine old word . He had no home but Mrs. Quinn 's garret ; and for this he paid by carrying the bundles and getting the cinders for her fire . Food and clothes he picked up as he could ; and his only friend was little Nanny . Her mother had been kind to him when the death of his father left him all alone in the world ; and when she , too , passed away , the boy tried to show his gratitude by comforting the little girl , who thought there was no one in the world like her Jack . Old Mrs. Quinn took care of her , waiting till she was strong enough to work for herself ; but Nanny had been sick , and still sat about , a pale , little shadow of her former self , with a white film slowly coming over her pretty blue eyes . This was Jack 's great trouble , and he could n't whistle it away as he did his own worries ; for he was a cheery lad , and when the baskets were heavy , the way long , the weather bitter cold , his poor clothes in rags , or his stomach empty , he just whistled , and somehow things seemed to get right . But the day he carried Nanny the first dandelions , and she felt of them , instead of looking at them , as she said , with such pathetic patience in her little face , ' I do n't see 'em ; but I know they 're pretty , and I like 'em lots , ' Jack felt as if the blithe spring sunshine was all spoiled ; and when he tried to cheer himself up with a good whistle , his lips trembled so they would n't pucker . ` The poor dear 's eyes could be cured , I ai n't a doubt ; but it would take a sight of money , and who 's agoing to pay it ? ' said Mrs. Quinn , scrubbing away at her tub . ` How much money ? ' asked Jack . ' A hundred dollars , I dare say . Dr. Wilkinson 's cook told me once that he done something to a lady 's eyes , and asked a thousand dollars for it . ' Jack sighed a long , hopeless sigh , and went away to fill the water-pails ; but he remembered the doctor 's name , and began to wonder how many years it would take to earn a hundred dollars . Nanny was very patient ; but , by and by , Mrs. Quinn began to talk about sending her to some almshouse , for she was too poor to be burdened with a helpless child . The fear of this nearly broke Jack 's heart ; and he went about with such an anxious face that it was a mercy Nanny did not see it . Jack was only twelve , but he had a hard load to carry just then ; for the thought of his little friend , doomed to lifelong darkness for want of a little money , tempted him to steal more than once , and gave him the first fierce , bitter feeling against those better off than he . When he carried nice dinners to the great houses and saw the plenty that prevailed there , he could n't help feeling that it was n't fair for some to have so much , and others so little .
When he saw pretty children playing in the park , or driving with their mothers , so gay , so well cared for , so tenderly loved , the poor boy 's eyes would fill to think of poor little XXXXX , with no friend in the world but himself , and he so powerless to help her .
Nanny Quinn Wilkinson almshouse dandelions fire garret left right water-pails