A KNIGHT IN RAGS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 77, 31 March 1928, Page 3 (Supplement)

A KNIGHT IN RAGS.

Everybody is familiar with the story of how Sir Walter Raleigh on one occasion spread his cloak in the mud for Queen Elizabeth to walk upon and boys have often secretly wished that a similar opportunity for gallant action would come their way. Now, here is a story of how such an opportunity came to one boy and what came of it.

On a very dirty Bort of a day in midwinter, two gentlemen were walking down the main street of one of our towns when they witnessed an unfortunate little accident. The streets were very muddy and greasy and as they picked their way very gingerly through the mud they noticed a little girl, daintily dressed, carefully crossing the rflad. Before she got across, however, her feet slipped and down she fell on her hands in the thickest and stickiest of the mud. Before they could make up their minds as to what to do, a ragged little newsboy, shoeless and capless, with clothes so torn that once he got out of them he would be puzzled to pet his arms and legs through the right roles again, darted like a flash to her aid, lifted her very carefully and carried her to the safety of the footpath.

Then, holding her hands helpless'v in front of her, the little girl burst into tears at the sight of their muddiness. One of the gentlemen took out his handkerchief to wipe them; but he noticed that it was a fine silk one, so he put it back into his pocket. At this the second gentleman took out his handkerchief, but ihis was a snowy white linen one, and the mud was so very bad that it really seemed a shame to spoil so fine a handkerchief and back into his pocket .t went. Meanwhile the newsboy watched them and grinned a little at their hesitancy and he had no handkerchief to offer. All at once his face opened out into a broad giin and bending his little thin body, he turned his back to the little girl and said, "Here you are, you just wipe 'cm on me."

At this the girl ceased her crying and carefully wiped her begrimed hands on the boy's bended back till her hands were nearly clean and his poor rags were plastered with mud. The boy's face glowed with pride as the girl thanked him and the gentlemen felt rather silly and shamed. Ihey whispered together for a niinulo and turning to the boy said, "Come with us and we will buy you a new suit

of clothes.' ''No, tliank you," replied the boy, '"these old togs will do for me and tbey .won't spoil." However, the gentlemen insisted and they took him into an outfitters and bought him a new >?uit and a handkerchief as well. My! but he did feel a swell when he came out. And that was Sir Walter Raleigh number two. .. .7° ' parn a Ipsßon from the Old Sace Courtesy cultivates kindness."