The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-03-07

s'ft seems to me l. DO remember something
of it. But none of us saw them, I'm sure"
"No; they were weather bound William
only meant to give me a call. He was always
little shy of us, because his people were poor,
and 1 don't know as I tried to overcome it as
much as I ought There were few finer young
men than William Grove. He had his own
way to fight in the world, with neither friends
nor money, but he'd have got on-deperd up
on tiff he had been spared" -
ssAnd you liked his wife ?" a'iF rs
"Yes. Lefty was poor, but I've seldom seen
a more tidy right-headed little body than she.
I guess William knew yrlst be was doing when
he picked out his wife"
'fDid she leave any children?"
eyes babe, only a day or two old"
"What become of it p"
ssI reckon it went to the POOR house." said
Joseph, the younger, who had been listening
to this conversation.
"No, it was given away" said his mother.
"Well, think it went to the poor-house
ssNo it was given away. l heard the name
of the family, but I have forgotten"
"Well mother, all know is that when was
riding over here with a man from s., five or
six years ago, he told ME that William Groves
child was in the poor-house."
Nothing more was said at the time, but
some weeks after, when Grandma Grove found
that Joseph junior, was going over to s., she
told him that, if there was room in the buggy,
she would 90 with him. The family wondered
what should take her to S., but size was wo-
man who was in the habit of deciding matters
for herself, and no one questioned.
"Where do you wish to go; GRANDMA ?''-
said Joseph, when they reached the town.
"You may drive me to the poor-house"
said the old lady; and to the poor house
they went. William Groves child was not
there-no, but the books were, and they
would tell. Yes, there was the record Lefty
Grove, bound out, at certain date, to Mrs.
Green, of certain number of a certain street.
"You may go on and do up your errands,
Joseph" said the old lady, when she had pick
ed her way carefully out of the foul poor-house
ward for the people of S. h d no reason to
be proud of their charities. ~ will walk
know the way, and it isn't far. Then 1 will
come to YOU at the Kasier House. You'll not
get through so as to go home tonight if
hinder you"
"But I'll carry you there, Grandma"
"No, no. It's right out of your way, and /
want to look at the old place" For the town
of S. had been familiar to Grandma Grove in
her young days. So she went on slowly, over
the icy ways, buried in dreams of the past, and
hardly noticing where sic went, until dis
turbance in the street attracted her attention.
. ii
a hunchbackl' l'' was called out by host oi
ragged boys who were pslting the unfortunate
ubiee6-vff- tl,eir-j with snUws~lls. here
was street pump just beside the sidewalk,
where she was passing, with the ice frozen in
to dangerous mound all about it. A crooked
pinched, halt-frozen little girl had climbed up
painfully among the ice, and filled her heavy
pail with water, but just as she was turning to
pick her way down, one OF the boys had run
purposely against her, and thrown her down
drenchine her with the contents of the pail
And when she attempted to rise the shower
of frozen snowballs had come upon her, ac-
companied by the jeering cry that had attract
ed the attention of Grandma Grove. The
child managed to get upon her feet, and then
poured out such tide of anger and hatred as
chilled the blood of the old lady who had beer
on the point of interfering in her behalf
Grandma Grove stood looking upon her for
few moments, and wondering if that pitiablc
object could be the child she sought.
.Dreadfulr'--she shuddered, as she listened
to the childs speech. 'They have trampled
upon the poor thing, body aud soul, till she is
warped out of all shape. William Grove.
child never could have grown into that, with
out terrible management"
Then laying her hand upon the shoulder O
the child, she said, ''Do you think it right tx
use such words, little girl ?'
"Taint right for them to throw me dowr
and SNOWFALL me- sobbcd Lefty. 'Tom Greer
knocks me down and spills the water every
time he catches me here, and then his mothe
beats me because am slow and get wet"
"Do you think your mother would like tt
hear YOU use such words, even if you were i'll
| treated W
81 aint got no mother"
"But you had once. IF she is in HEAVIER
now she doubtless sees and hears all you do"
'sI hope she don't" said Lefty, with he
long lashes swapping themselves dry of tear
in an instant, and her face growing pale at th
thought. "If she cares hope she don't know
anything about me-" e. 49,
IYou must come in now," said Grandm;
Grove, taking her by the hand 81 am goins
to see Mrs. Green" for the old lady had notes
| the numbers on the street, and knew that th
house was hard by.
HShe wont let me 60 in that way" said Let
ty, drawing back as she attempted to lead he
in at the main front door.
81 will let you," said her conductor, knock
ing at the door. "This child is very wet, sh
said, stepping into the house, "the boys hav
thrown her down with her water, and she mus
have dry clothes," :; ~
| .sShe did it herself" said Mrs Green angri
I ly. "She does it every day. She's the yer.
plague of my life. There never was such
careless, ugly child before"
"She was not to blame this time. L saw
all myself Will you bring her some DIR.
clothes?" and drawing the child to the fire sh
began to undo the frozen garments.
SShe can't stay here, said Mrs. Green look
ing dcfantly at the intruder. "She'll wet th
carpet. And 1 don't allow of no interference
in my family affairs" sa
"This child belongs to my family" sal
Grandma Grove, quietly, 81 have attended
my family affairs for great many years, an
no one will hinder me now. Will you brin
me some dry clothes r
Mrs Green looked into the resolute face Q
the old lady who had not paused in her work
and noticed the responsibility of her dress
'sDo you mean to say that child's relatlV
O. yourn ?" she asked.
E'I do" t
"I wish you joy of your relatives" :" muttere
the dressmaker as she flung out Of the room
Lefty stood by shivering, no longer with tn
I l..