The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1858-04-16
: The Child Angel.

The Nelson hotel was the largest
and most fashionable house Of re-
sort in q town on a seashore, q pop.
ular wstering-place, famous in the
annals Of the wealthy. 1t stood not
far from the brink of the sounding
sea, and commanded q prospect of
surprising beauty.
Among the very select few who
came here for the purpose Of invig-
Grating and improving health, we're
young couple by the name ofllay-
den. Harriet, the wife, was an in
teresting woman, not yet thirty, with
a quiet, gentle manner, and voice
whose every tone was music. She
was a New England woman, Of
Puritan extraction, and sweet,
practica! OnriS;an Rnt tho s~an'-
est crerure in this beautiful group
was Autoinctte Hayden, a child Of
three years. She was not robed in
flounces, or laces, or ribbons. Her
little limbs were unfettered BY fash
ion, and had the freest play; her
ways were all natural, her walk and
talk and play were IS o child's walk
and talk and play should be.
Loose Ben was an uncouth carica-
ture OF a human being, Of some six.
teen years Of age, slouching in his
dress, dirty, sometimes ragged, bear
ing all the gibes put upon him with
sullen moin and stoical silence -
Lose Ben shunled, looked suspi-
ciously ut everybody from under his
eyebrows-shrank from every hu-
man voice, never seemed to care
whether they called him fool or
knave, and only cared to gather his
loose limbs together in some sunny
place after his services were over for
the day, and think-what could the
poor outcast think? He was Ger
man, and possibly never knew his
parentage; he would not say wheth-
or he had any father or mother. 1t
was his duty to make fires in the
rooms OF those who were invalids, in
the early morning, and for this pur-
pose the father OF Little Antoinette
employed him, for though it was
summer time, yet the chill air of the
sea made the early morning raw and
cold.
So, with an arm full Of wood
Loose Ben wendcd his way to No
IS, q large room on the second floor
As he entered. Mr.. Hayden glanced
up from his dressing. table, and fol
lowed his lazy motions with his eye
for a moment. Little Antoinctte sa
on the floor by the bedside, halfcov
cred with the lace curtains that fel
like spray over her spiritual fac
and figure. She, too, looked oil
earnestly, snspending her play for
moment, and then as his labor pro
gressed, she stood by his side. ii,
gazed toward her, and seemed para
lyzed into greater stupidity at he
sweet smile. She did not mock him
scream ont or spring from him, a
other children did, nor call him un
feeling names, bu. as she stood ther,
with a sanity light on her brow, sh
laid one white, dimpled hand on hi
ragged sleeve, and with winning
voice asked, "does yom lore God!
! lie was too much startled for
moment tc speak, but the great shin
! ing eyes beamed into his black lustr
orbs, and again that voice of sur
passing beauty asked, ''does you lov
Godp
He looked up, he looked dow
;, awkwardly, and in his broad Dutc
4 dialect said half sheepishly, "yl-as.
: "Does you pray to God in I'll
r ,norniug2' persisted the little on
. still keeping her hand upon him
j and he in the same voice answert
r "ya-as.
:, Then the little one seemed salts
c Od; she danced and capered about
j. chatted with this coarse, booris
: boy-watchcd the curling flame {
: it ascended, and built, all uncol
: sciously, a fire Of love and gratitu(
: on the altar OF that uncultivatt
t heart.
y The season went on, and Nettie
@ mother improved in health. II
= thin figure rounded out, the pa
:, checks grew flushed, and she 10,
If long walks and drives along Il
y quiet beach.
70 Every morning when Loose b
! came up to build the fire, that dc
% little voice would say, "does y,
J. love God?" and when he had n
's swcrcd with his stereotyped "ya- -as
l. che would add in precisely tho wor
81 'as before, "does yOu pray to God
10 the morningl" and again with til
'r stupid wondering look, he would 3
"ya-as." But there was change
D. this semi. barbarian. Gradually I
o, rough, heavy locks were trained
70 fall back from his low but full bro
r. his wood colored face grew clea
ID and his great hands evinced Sol
er marks Of attention. BY some my
ly tcrious process his clothes We
ke mendcd, and gradually Loose b
ay seemed to emerge from his loutl
lit shell into a region Of more thoue
- and freer scope. The hotel loung
ng still jeered him, still called him
re kinds Of strange and original nam
us but he did not mind them, and h
IN one seen him going up to his da
Ire duty to room So, smile might ht
ur been detected lighting mp his HON
'es face, till 1t was almost handsome
al; And as he entered day after d
70, came the same questions about !,