Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1856-11-20
The Little STRANGER.

| mOtucr.
The Little STRANGER.
Though person of very strict princi.
pies, no man ever enjoyed a joke more than
DR.. Byron; he had vast fund of humor
an everyday wit and with children, par.
ticularly, he loved to chat familiarly, and
draw them out. As he was one day pass.
ing into the house, he was accosted by a
very little boy, who asked him if he want
ed any sauce, meaning vegetables. The
doctor inquired if such a tiny thing was a
market-man. "No, sir, my father is" was
the prompt answer. The doctor said,
"Bring me in some squashes," and passed
into the house, sending out the price. In
a few minutes the child returned, bringing
back part of the change; the doctor told
him he was welcome to it; but the boy
would not take it back, saying his father
would blame. Such singular manners in a
child attracted the doctors attention, and
he began to examine him attentivcly; he
was evidently poor, his little jacket was
pieced and patched with almost every kind
Of cloth, and his trowsers darned with so
many colors that il was difficult to tell the
original fabric, but scrupulously neat and
clean withal. The boy very quietly endured
the scrutiny of the doctor, who, holding
him at arms length, and examining his face,
at length said:
"You seem nice little boy; won't you
come and live with me, and be doctor r.
ayes, sir" said the child.
"Spoken like a man." said the doctor,
patting his head as he dismissed him.
A few weeks passed on, when one day
Jim came to say that down stairs there
was little boy with bundle, who wanted
to see the doctor, and would not tell his
business to any one else. "Send him up,"
was the answer; and in few moments be
recognized the boy of the squashes, (but
no squash himself, as we shall see; he
was dressed in new, though coarse suit of
clothes, his hair very nicely combed, his
shoes brushed up, and little bundle tied
in home-spun checked handkerchief on
on his arm. Deliberately taking bis cap,
and laying il down with his bundle, he
walked up to the doctor, saying,
81 have come, sir"
"Come for what, my childg'
"To live with you and be doctor" said
the boy with the utmost naivete.
The first impulse of the doctor was to
laugh immoderately; but the imperturable
gravity of the little boy rather sobered him,
as he recalled, too, his former conversation,
-and reflected that he felt he needed no ad-
dition to his family.
"Did your father consent TO your com.
ing" he asked.
ayes, sir"
"What did he say?n
81 told him you wanted me to come and
live with you, and be doctor; and he said
you was very good man, and might come
as soon as my clothes were ready"
"And your mother, what did she say ~
'She said DR.. Byron would do just what
he said he would, and Sod had provided
fer nae. And; continued he, II have
new suit Of clothes" surveying himself, and
here is another in the bundle undoing the
handkerchief, and displaying them, with
twe-httle- shirts as white as snow, and
couple of neat checked aprons, SO careful
ly folded, it was plain none but mother
would have done it. The sensibilities of
the doctor were awakened, to see the fear
less, the undoubting trust with which the
poor couple had bestowed their child upon
him-and such child! His cogitations
were not long; he thought Of Moses in
the bulrushes, abandoned to Providence;
and above all, he thought of the child that
was carried into Egypt, and that the Di-
vine Savior had said, BLESSED be little
children" and he called for the wife of his
bosom, saying, "Susan, dear, think we
pray in church that God will have mercy,
UPON ALL YOUNG CHILDREN"
''To be sure we do" said the wondering
wife, land what then?''
"And the Savior said, whatsoever re-
ceived one such little child in his name, re-
eeiyeth me; take this child in his name,
and have care of him." and from this
hour this good couple received him to their
hearts and homes. 1t did not then occur
to them that one of the most eminent
physicians and best men of the age stood
before them in the person of that child it
did not occur to them that this little crea-
ture, thus thrown upon their charity, was
destined 10 be their staff and stay in declin-
ing age-a protector to their daughters, a
more than son to themselves; all this was
then unreyealed; but they cheerfally re-
ceived the child they believed Providence
had committed to their care; and if ever
benefcence was rewarded, it was in this
instance