The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-01-07
THE TRANsPLANTED LILY.
BY FANNY FERN.


find no fault with them, with their snowy
sheets and Mosaic quits OF patchwork
In each was q little homeless, hOuseless Or
phan, taken in for shelter Miss Betsy" had
been the rounds, and seen each little head
duly deposited on its pillow. A very nice,
particular person, was Miss Betsy The
ssBoard Of Directors" said so, and Miss Bet
sy thought so herselfl Her hair ives as smooth
as her tongue, and her kerchief starched as
stiff as her manners. Not one OF those little
yagrant hands would have thought OF touching
that immaculate calico dress She had heard
them all say their prayers, listened at the door
to see il any dared to break the rule that 'fOr-
bade their speaking" and went down to a
comfortable dish o. tea and hot buttered muf-
fins, sal fled that she had ministered to every
want of their childish natures, temporal and
spiritual. Blind Miss Betseyl There are
depths even in a child's soul, yours cannot
fathoml
A little head is cautiously raised from its
pillow. The eyes that look slowly around
upon those sleeping forms, are large, and dark,
and sorTowful. Hot tears fell thi;k and fast
upon the elasped hands. "MOtherl Mother!"
is wrung from a little heart too young to bear
its weight of grief uushared; and the little
head falls back again in helpless, hopeless mis-
cry, on the pillow. Lily closes her eyes,
bra she is not asleep. Mono. She sees
form, languid and enaciatcd, stretched upon
a dying bed she feels the soft touch OF dear
hand on her forehead; large, mOurnful eyes
follow-follow-f follow her, sleeping or wax
ing. A sweet, low voice fingers ever in her
ear-"God protect my orphan child"
Miss Betsey has told Lily that lie has done
it--that she ought to be very thankful she is
IN such a nice institution, and that if she is
"gO0G, " she shall live ont to service some day,
with a good lady; and Lilly pushes back the
thick hair with her delicate hand and won
ders what "gOing ont to service means; and
Miss Betsey takes the long Curls which she has
clipped from her head, and throws them out
the window, aud asks her if she don't feel
grateful she has such a kind friend as herself!
and Lily tries to swallow great lump in her
throat, that seems like to choke her, and says
"Yes ma am" while she forces back to their
source the large tears that are gathering under
her eyelids. Then she looks at the unbend-
ing, Drimifigure of Miss Betsey, and wonders
was SIZE ever a little girl? and her mother ever
die, and leave her all--aH aoneI and she feels
as ii she must throw herself on somebody s
neck and ask them to love her. Aud then she
looks at Miss Betsey, but the quick instinct Of
childhood says-"No no! not there!'' and
then she wonders what makes all the children
there, seem like grOlcn people, and why they
trembled If they tumble down, or drop book
by accident, and why they eat less and less
every day, Of their little soup dinners? and
what makes her head SO dizzy when she tries
to knit; and then she wonders if heaven is a
great way off, and how long it will be before
she gets there's and then her over charged
heart can restrain itself no longer amid those
voiceless, silent sleepers, but finds vent in a
long, long bitter cry Of anguish.
Miss Betsey" comes up, and tells her she
is every naughty to break the rules, and
Lily says, amid her sObs that she ''wants to
20 to Heaven with mamma and Miss Bet
sey asks, If mamma belonged to the church!'
and Lily thinks not" and Miss Betsey
shakes her head doubtfully tells her she
hopes she will be better than her mother; ad-
vises her to SAY her prayers, and goes down
again to her buttered mullins.
81 IN tired of life, Mary" said the elegant
widow Gray. 81 M sick Of its holloWnes
and insincerity. ] owe all my friends, save
yourself, to the accidents of wealth and posi-
tion. If Heaven had only blessed me with
childreU COull find one to my mind, I'd
adoDt it to -mOrrow-but it must be a pOetcal
child, Mary; a little, fragile, spiritual, deli
cate blossom. Woudn' it be Joy to watch
such mind unfold itself? to listen to all its
aaiCete, original sayings, and teach it to love
me as only such child can lover Where's
my bonnet2 I'm off to the-Asylum.-
That imaginary child Of mine must have its
"Stay;" said her thoughtful friend, "Such
a child as you speak of-should you find it
requires skillful training. No careless, un-
practised hand should sweep so delicate harp
A heart with such a capacity to love, ss you
look for, has q capacity equally intense for
suffering. When you have trained her to hab-
its Of luxury, and refined her tastes, should
You weary OF your charge, and allow her to
fall back upon the guardianship of the rough,
I ,F,at t1y,r. E, j
slider her superiority only fit mark for the
brutal sneer or coarse jest-spiteful because
so far beneath her-what thenT'
ooh, ron 'tpreach, Mary! Sufficient INTO
the day., &c. Where's my hat aud shawlT'
said the impulsiyc woman.
'This is our school room, Mrs. Gray" said
Miss Bctsey. "The children are all very COM
Portable and very happy, as You see. 1t would |
be hard for one of them to iedUe me, suppose;
but shall say 1t is for the best, if you
find one to your mind.
Mrs Gray glanced up and down the long |
rows of benches, and her artistic eye failed to |
be favorably impressed with the little cropped |
heads and bolster-like forms, swathed up in |
factory gngham; and she was Just about re-
firing, disappointed, when her eve caught sight |
Of Lily" A quick, bright flash came to her
cheek, and her eye kindied, as she stood be-
fore her.
The vigil of the night previous had exhaust.
ed the little creature; her knitting lay upon !
the floor, her small hands had fallen listlessly |
on her lap, her head resting lovingly on the |
shoulder Of her next neighbOr. Her long |
lashes were damp with tears that.trembIed on
her cheek; her silken hair, spite Of Miss Bet |
say had formed itself in little rings about her
temples, and the careless grace of her atti-
tude, notwithstanding her unbecomiDg dress,
was a study for painter.
"WIll you 60 with this lady?" said the prim
Miss Betsey, as the startled child unclosed her
eyes at the touch of those skeleton fingers
Lily brushes her hand across her eyes, as if
bewildered by the sweet face before her and
not quite sure that she was not dreaming.--
"Hg mother Smiied at ms S0i'' said she, mu-
singly, as she slid her little hand into Mrs. |
Gray's.
At the side of a richly canopied bed, kneels
our little Lily. "Please God bless my new
mamma, and let her 60 to Heaven with me-"
Mrs. GrBy stands concealed behind the cur.