Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1863-02-20
The Little Orphan.


friendless, hopeless, homeless, she ha
wept till she had no more tears TO shcc
and now she stood with her seanty cloth
ing huttering in the chill wind, pressin
her little hands tightly over her heart a
if to still its beating.
'Ii's no use fretting, said the rougl
man, as he stamped the last shovelfun o
earth over all the child had left to love
'fretting won't bring dead folks 10 life
pity you hadn't got no ships cousins
somewheres TO take you its a tough
world this ere, tell ye | don't see
how ye're going TO weather it. Cues
I'll take you around to Miss Fetherbee'r
she's got power of children and she
wants Il hand to help her, SO come along.
If you cry enough TO float the ark it will
do you no good
Alice obeyed him mechanically, turn
ing her head every few minutes to take
another ard yet another look where her
mother lay buried.
The morning sun shone in upon an
underground kitchen in the crowded city
Mrs. Fetherbee, a,tired in a gay colored
calico dress, with any quantity Of tinsel
jewelry, sat sewing some snowy cotton
lace on cheap pocket handkerchief A
boy of five years was disputing with a
little girl of three about an apple. From
zig words they had come to hard blows.
and peace was finally declared at the
price of an orange apiece and stick Of
candy--each combatant putting in for
the biggest.
Poor Alice, with pal G cheeks and
swollen eyelids was staggering up and
down the floor under the weight of a
mammoth baby, who was amusing him
self, pulling out at intervals little hand
frls of her hair.
Quiet that child can't ye ? said Mrs.
Fe,herbee, in no very gentle tone; y
don't wonder the darling is so cross, tc
see such a solemn face. You must get
little life into you somehow, or you woni
earn the salt TO your porridge here
There, declare, you've half pu! his eyes
out with these long curl5 dangling round |
Come here and have 'em cut off, they
don't look proper for charity child
land she glanced at the short, STUDY |
crops on the heads of the little Fether-
bees.)
Allies lips quivercd, as she said, Mo
Their used TO brush them smooth every
morning; she said they were like little
dead sisters; please DON'T said she be-
seechingly.
but tell you 10 cut EN- off, SO there,
an end of that said she, as the severa
ringlets fell in shining heap on the
kitchen floor, 'and do, for creations sake,
stop talking about dead folks, and cal
your breakfast if you want it; forgot
you hadn't any--there's some the chill
dren left; if you're hungry it will 60
down, and if you amt, you can 60 with,
out
Poor Allie The daintiest wouldn',
have gone down; her eyes filled with
tears that wouldn't be forced back, and
she sobbed out, Il must cry if you beat
me for tiny heart pains me so bad
'Hi-t-y-T-i-t-el what's all this = said
broad faced, rosy milkman, as he sal
his shining can down on the kitchen ia
BILE +; whats all this, Mrs. Fetherbee p
I'd as lief eat pins and needles as hear q
child cry. Who is she,' pointing to Al
lie, and what's the matter of her;'
why the long and short of it is, shes
a poor pauper that we've taken in out Of
charity, and she's crying at her good
luck, that's ALL said the lady with vex
I'd toss Of her head. That's the way
benevolence is always rewarded moth
ing on earth to do here but Tend the baby
and amuse the children, and run to the
door, and wash the dishes, and dust the
furniture, and tidy the kitchen, and 90 Of
a few errands ungrateful baggage
Jemmy's heart was as big as his farm.
and that covered considerable ground
glancing pitlfully at the little weeper, he
said skillfully, That child's going TO be-
sick, Mrs. Fetherbee, and then what are
you going TO do with her !? besides, she's
loo young 10 BE of much use to you-bet-
ter let me take her.