croaked the grateful little voice , as the child was caught up in John 's strong hands and set down on the car-step . With a word to the conductor , and a small business transaction , we left Jack coiled up in a corner to finish his nap as tranquilly as if it was n't midnight , and a ` knocking-round ' might not await him at his journey 's end . We did n't mind the storm much as we plodded home ; and when I told the story to Rosy-face , next day , his interest quite reconciled me to the sniffs and sneezes of a bad cold . ` If I saw that poor little boy , Aunt Jo , I 'd love him lots ! ' said Freddy , with a world of pity in his beautiful child 's eyes . And , believing that others also would be kind to little Jack , and such as he , I tell the story . When busy fathers hurry home at night , I hope they 'll buy their papers of the small boys , who get ` shoved back ; ' the feeble ones , who grow hoarse , and ca n't ` sing out ; ' the shabby ones , who evidently have only forgetful Sams to care for them ; and the hungry-looking ones , who do n't get what is ` fillin ' . ' For love of the little sons and daughters safe at home , say a kind word , buy a paper , even if you do n't want it ; and never pass by , leaving them to sleep forgotten in the streets at midnight , with no pillow but a stone , no coverlet but the pitiless snow , and not even a tender-hearted robin to drop leaves over them . PATTY 'S PATCHWORK . ' I perfectly hate it ! and something dreadful ought to be done to the woman who invented it , ' said Patty , in a pet , sending a shower of gay pieces flying over the carpet as if a small whirlwind and a rainbow had got into a quarrel . Puss did not agree with Patty , for , after a surprised hop when the flurry came , she calmly laid herself down on a red square , purring comfortably and winking her yellow eyes , as if she thanked the little girl for the bright bed that set off her white fur so prettily . This cool performance made Patty laugh , and say more pleasantly -- ` Well , it is tiresome , is n't it , Aunt Pen ? ' ` Sometimes ; but we all have to make patchwork , my dear , and do the best we can with the pieces given us . ' ` Do we ? ' and Patty opened her eyes in great astonishment at this new idea . ` Our lives are patchwork , and it depends on us a good deal how the bright and dark bits get put together so that the whole is neat , pretty , and useful when it is done , ' said Aunt Pen soberly . ` Deary me , now she is going to preach , ' thought Patty ; but she rather liked Aunt Pen 's preachments , for a good deal of fun got mixed up with the moralising ; and she was so good herself that children could never say in their naughty little minds , ` You are just as bad as we , so you need n't talk to us , ma'am . ' ' I gave you that patchwork to see what you would make of it , and it is as good as a diary to me , for I can tell by the different squares how you felt when you made them , ' continued Aunt Pen , with a twinkle in her eye as she glanced at the many-coloured bits on the carpet . ` Can you truly ?
just try and see , ' and XXXXX looked interested at once .
Deary Jack Patty Pen Rosy-face Sams knocking-round night preachments storm