"I just spoke to him for abusin' that poor match boy," said the good woman.
"I heard it all," said the officer. "Move on, my man, and behave yourself, if you don't want to get into trouble."
Such a scene was sure to attract a small crowd. One kind-hearted man drew out a dime from his pocket and handed it to the match boy.
"Here, my lad," he said; "take this, and I hope it'll do you good."
"Here are two boxes of matches for you, sir."
"No, keep them. I give you the money."
"Here's another dime," said a young man, of literary aspect. He was a reporter on one of the Chicago daily papers, who, in spite of the cases of poverty and privation that came under his notice every day, still preserved a warm and sympathetic heart.
Then a lady followed his example, and in the end, the match boy had received a sum much larger than the value of his small stock-in-trade.
Lyman Taylor's rudeness had proved to him a piece of good luck, in opening the hearts of those who would otherwise have passed him by without notice.
Smiling with pleasure at the child's good fortune, the good woman who had resented Lyman's rudeness so warmly, went on her way. If all had hearts as warm, there would be little misery or suffering in the world. It is often those who have little, that are most ready to help others poorer than themselves. I must not omit to add, that among the contributors to the little match boy's fund was the policeman, who placed a nickel in his hands, with the admonition to "brace up and be a good boy!" This was true charity, for out of his salary the officer had to support a large family of his own, and therefore had very few nickels to spare. He was bluff of aspect, but kind of heart.