True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-10-20
u Raglan, Editor and Proprietor.

her evening prayer, as she was wont,
then crept to the edge Of the pallet, and
worn out with fatigue, fell asleep.
The child was awakened at dawn by q
confused noise and din of voices. Ruth
was gone: She looked out and saw that
The inmates Of the apartment were already
at work. She dressed herself quickly /;
but there was no water or any other ap-
pliance Of the toilet 10 be seen, and Amy
had been reared by parents who, though
poor, were respectable in their habits and
feelings.
She asked Ruth where she could get
some water, and she was told d the pump
in the yard. After scanty breakfast she
asked her aunt what she would do, and
was answered grufly to 60 and learn to
make baskets or cages from Ruth, who
was not going out that day. But the
blind girl would give her little or no in
strucIiOn, and laughed maliciously at each
awkward attempt she made to shape the
stiff osiers, which in her own supple fin,
gers grew swiftly into graceful forms.
:" / fear can never make one," said
the poor child, with a deep sigh, after the
twentielh attempt.
ooh! I wish had died, too, with
dear father md mother" and she burst
into food of ears.
Mrs. Hartly looked up from some chain
that had become tangled, and called out,
in an ill-tempered tone I:
(" Come, have done with that ere sniv.
cling. I'll have none of it. What ails
the girl ? Cant she make basket :"
"She's crying cause she amt dead,
like her father and mother"
The woman, though hardened by pov.
erty and grief, was not hare; hearted, or
she would not have let her husband 60 a
long journey, when they heard the rumor
of his brothers. and sster.in.law's death,
to take upon them another helpless bur.
den. She remained silent moment,
then called Amy 10 her in a softer voice
She came up to her, wiping the tears
from her eyes and stood trembling before
her.
d" Don't cry, Amy" said she, suspend.
ing her employment for moment. "You
will go 10 your father and mother one
day. They say God has given poor
folks better share Of The next world; if
so, they will never be cold, or hungry,
or want work any more. / had mother
once; but she died Of cold and hunger
when I was young thing like you.
did not cry after her; but worked on,
ever since, until am all skin and bone,
as ye see.
The young girl looked up at that hol.
low-ged, ghastly woman, and saw tina,
she spoke truth. So she went back
meekly, and took up her work, again,
but with heavier weight upon her young
heart than even grief for those loved ones
had caused. But even then God smiled
upon the orphan, and sent comfort to her.
Ruth, who had been listening 10 her
mothers words, now put her hand in hers
and whispered:
Z" / amt a-going to be bad to- you. I'll
teach you-so don't cry"
Amy's loving heart swelled, She bent
over--for they were sitting on the ground
and kissed the blind girls pale cheek
But she seemed little used to such dem.
onstrations Of love, for she pushed hel
away and laughed. But, nevertheless,
she taught her, by some intuitive process,
to make both basket and cage and
though she had ridiculed all her former
attempts-such is the magic power oI
love and kindness, that she now stright'
ened and bent the basket, and, giving it {
few artistic touches, got up, and, guiding
herself 10 her mothers chair exhibited il
as Amy's work.
III. amt bad," said the woman "but
I hope ye did not lose much time in teach
ing her"
But instead Of making them, Amy now
sold the baskets and cages. This. was a
very successful move. The fresh, limo
cent face Of the child, and the soft, hum
bic expression Of her beautiful eyes, in
terested the passers.by, and secured hel
customers.
One day she came in after having sole
four cages and several baskets-an un
wonted occurrence.
The folks buy sooner from you thar
me-" said Ruth, enviously.
Amy inherited from her own gentle
mother what cannot be taught-forbear
ance, and she said
"No. dear, il is because your work il
SO beautiful. One gentleman, when
told him that it was blind girl did then
all, gayAme half a crown for you, and
have bought you such lovely pot o
mignonnette oui of it,
Ruth looked sullen, then laughed-th,
old, malicious laugh, as she said
81 don't care for flowers. What goo,
are they to me, when ] cant see them
"But smell this, dear. how lovely it is.
Amy stopped down to where Ruth wa
sitting, and put the plant close to her face
The girl dropped ber twigs, and smel
the delicious fragrance. She next fol
The leaves and tiny blossoms, and smel
them again. A softer, sadder expression
stole over her face. Even that triainI
kindness awOke the sweet, benign spiri