The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1854-02-23
THE MATCH GIRl OFkEaIUcKY
BY faAscls 5. osoooD.


BYfRAscIs S. osoooD.
"Six for ZIP! matches. matchesg' The
voice was clear and glad as the winds, and
Russel Hartley turned to see from whence
i proceeded; little bare footed girl, abou,
ten years old, with the sunniest, sweetest
lace he had ever seen, was tripping Just be-
hind, and, as he turned, she held Up her
matches with such winning, pleading,
heavenly smile in her blue eyes, that ne
bought nearly al she had at once.
Her hair fell in soft Iight waves rather
than curls, nearly to her waist, and hole
in her little straw ha let In sunbeam up-
on it that turned il haifto gold.
In spite OF the child's coarse and tattered
apparel, in spite Of her Iowiy occupation,
her manner, her step, her expression, The
very tone OF her voice unconseiously be-
tTaysd native delieaey and refinement.
WHICH deeply interested the high bred youth
whom she addressed. impelled by an ire
sistible impulse, he fingered by her side as
she proceeded.
What syour name, my child?" he ask.
Virginia, sir, what is your.l"
"iariley-Russel Hartley" he repIiad.
smiling at her artless and native simplicity:
"and where is your homer
"Oh, | have no home, 81 least no; much
OF one. Isleep in the barns here" and q.
gain she looked up in his face, with her hap
Py and touching smile.
"And your moiher!"
In an instant the soft bFow was shadow
ed, and the uplifted eyes gIistened with
tears.
81 will tell you all about IT, lyon will
come close to me; don't ike to talk loud
about it, she replied in low faltering tones.
Russell Hartley took her little sunburnt
hand in his, and bent his head in earnest at.
tention.
"We had been on the great ship ever so
many days, mother, and father and I, and all
the other people; ;and one night we were in
the room they called the ladies' cabin, and
mother had just undressed me. and | was
sitting on her knee singing the little hymn
she had taught me, and she Rad her arm a.
round my neck-mother loved me ah! so
dearly-and she was 30 sweet and good. no.
body will ever be SO good TO me again!"and
here the little creature tried to repress a
scb,ard wiped her eyes with her torn apron.
"Weli' and so was singing my pretty
hymn
or old tn Apostle walked the wave,
A seamen walked the land,
A power was near him strong to save,
For Jesus held his hand.
Why should fear when dangers near,
I'm safe on sea or land,
For I've in heaven q Father dear,
And he will hold my hand
Though on a dizzy height, perchance,
With fa.tering feet stand,
No dread shall dim my upward glance,
For God will hold my hand.
But oh! If rdoubt should cloud the day,
A nd sin beside me stand,
Then firmest, LEST LOSE MY WAY,
My father, hold my hand!
All at once there was a dreadful copfuS-
ed sound; a rumbling, crashing, shrieking
noise-a terrible pain, and then-I awoke
up, and there was on a bed in strange
room, and some people standing by the fire
talking about steamboat that had burst
her boiler the day before, and found that
had been washed en- shore, and that Mr.
Smith had found me ard taken me home TO
his wife, and she had put me into warm bed
and tried to rouse me; but she couldn't until
woke up myself the next day. And when
cried for my own sweet mother, they look
ed sad, and said she was drowned, and /
should never see her again. And ken
wanted TO be drowned too, but they said
that was wicked, and was sorry said SO,
for | would no, be wicked for the world
Mother always loved to have me good; and
so always tried to be as happy as they told
me | must, but | could not--fnr great
used to pine so AT night for her
arms around me! AT last found little
comfort in doing Just as she would like to
have me, and in knowing that she could see
me still and in talking to her; and | used to
sing my little hymn up to her 10 heaven,
just as did when sat on her knee, and
sing it now every night. MIR. Smith and
his wife both died and left me oil alone a.
gain; but am hardly ever sad now for am
most always good, aud you know good peo-
Pile must not be unhappy" and the beauti-
ful loving smile shown again through her
lingering tears as she finished her simple
story.
Russei was touched to the heart. His
own eyes were moist, and bending down, he
kissed the innocent cheek of the little or
phan, and bade her 60 with him, and he
would give her money to feed and cloihe
herself.
But the child drew gently, and somewha,
proudly back and said earnestly, "Ohrl
never take money as a gift; mother would
not like it, Then kissing tenderly the
gentle hand that still held hers, she tripped
lightly around corner, and moment af-
ter, Hartley heard'her soft. silver, childish
voice, tremble far in the distance, singing
Matches! matches! six for a ftp! Who'll
buy my matches, ho!'
Russell Hartley kept that sweet picture
in his soul, undimmed through years Of trav-
ell, and change, and care. He visited with
the noble galleries Of painting
and sculpturs in England, France and italy,
and many gem of art was enshrined and
followed in the music tables Of memory but
Iher. was none to rival the gem of nature
The mstchless little match girl of Kentucky,
with her fair hair streaming on her scanty
red, cloak, The glad and innocent smile in
her childish eyes, and the lovely beam steal
ing through the hole in the old straw hat to
light as message from heaven the lovely
head Of the orphan girl. The beautiful ray
Of ofight--made more beautiful by its chosen
resting place. giving and receiving grace, II
seemed a symbol of the Fathers love for
The poor motherless wanderer, It was only
he hole in the hat that let in the sunshine
twas her poverty and her lonely, lowly
state, that made her especially the eliildof
His divine pity and tenderness; and they,
ike the sunbeam, changed to gold her daily
d. al 4