Page 36 - HSLChristmasAnthology

HSL Christmas Anthology Page 36
AND THE POOR CHILDREN. 13
Wolfgang Turkheim, grandson of the old
woman who always came when little Hein-
rich took hold of her apron, was a very rude,
boisterous boy. He had not a bad heart,
but he was bold and strong, and he had
lived with people who taught him all man
ner of evil things. His father hnd been in
prison several times for stealing. His mother
died when he was four years old ; and his
father had brought home a coarse, rough
woman, who sold oysters. At night she
came back with a bottle of rum, and they
drank together till both of them were ready
to fight with every body. When Wolfgang
was very small, this woman used to encour
age him to quarrel with all the boys that
came near him. "Come, my little game
cock," she would say, "go at him. Let
father see how you can lick a boy twice as
big as you are." Thus taught, Wolfgang
thought it was brave and beautiful to fight ;
and he became a perfect nuisance to the
neighbourhood. Poor little Heinrich could
not step out of doors to pick up sticks to build
houses for Gertrude, without having Wolf
gang come out and knock them all out of
his hands. Then he would say, " Pick them
up again • if you don't, I'll kick you ;" and
when the patient little fellow had picked them