The Grand Haven news., 1865-03-15

ing, on Fifth Avenue, was a boy apparent
ly thirteen years of age. He was liter
ally clothed in rags, his hands were blue,
and his teeth chartered with cold. Living
upon his knee was a newspaper he had
picked up 10 the street, and was trying 10
sead words upon it. He had been occu-
pied thus for some time when two little
girls, clad in silks and furs, came towards
him. The eldest one was about twelve
years old, and SO beautiful that the poor
boy raised bis eyes and fixed them upon
her with undisguised admiration.
The child Of wealth stopped before him,
and, turning TO her companion, exclaimed: !:
"Marian, just see this feller on my
stepsl Boy, what are you doing herep
81 am trying TO learn upon this little
bit Of paper" answered the boy.
The girl laughed derisively, and said 1;
"Well, truly, / have heard Of intellect
in rags, Marian, and here it is personifi-
ed"
Marian's soft, hazel eyes filed with
tears, as she replied:
"Oh, Louise, do not talk so; you know
what Miss Fannie teaches in school--the
rich and the poor meet together, and the
Lord is the Maker of them ALL"
Louise laughed again, and said to the
boy:
Get up from here, you shall not sit
on my steps you are to ragged and dirty"
The boy arose, and blush crimsoned
his face. He was walking away, when
Marian said:
"Don't go, little boy, you are so cold,
come to my house and get warm. Oh,
do come" she continued, as he hesiiated;
and he followed her into large kitchen,
where bright, warm fire was shedding
its genial warmth around.
"Well, Miss Marian, who are you
bringing here nowi" asked the servant
woman.
"a poor boy who has almost perish.
ed; you will let him warm, will you not,
Rachel?"
"Oh, he shall warm; sit here, little
boy," and Rachel pushed chair in front
of the stove; she then gave him a piece
Of bread and meat.
Marian watched these arrangements,
and then glided from the room; when she
returned she had primer with the first
rudiments of spelling and reading. Go
ing to the boy, she said:
Little boy, here is book that you
can learn to read from better than piece
Of paper. Do you know your letters ."
"Some of them, not all. ! mover had
any body to teach me. / just learned
myself; but, oh, l want to learn so badly"
Marian sat down beside him, and be-
gan teaching him his letters. She was
so busily occupied in this work that she
did not see her mother enter the room,
nor hear Rachel explain about the boy ;
and she knew not that her mother stood
some time behind them, listening to her
noble child teaching the beggar his letters.
There were but few that he had not
already learned HIMSELF and it was not
long before Marian had the satisfaction Of
hearing him repeat the alphabet.
When he rose to 60, he thanked Rach-
el for her kindness and offered Marian her
book.
." No, / don't want it," she said, "I
have given it TO you to learn TO read
from. Won't you tell me your namel"
Jimmie" he replied.
/ will not forget you, Jimmie; you
must always remember Marian Hayes"
was the little girls farewell.
Louise Gardiner and Marian Hayes
were playmates and friends. Their dwell
ing joined, and almost every day they
were together, for they attended the
same school. These two children were
very differently brought up. Louise was
proud and naughty. Poverty in her eyes
was disgrace and crime, and she
thought nothing too severe for the poor to
suffer. These views she learned from her
mother. Mrs. Gardiner moved in an ex-
elusive circle--the bon ton of New York.
Without its precincts she never ventured,
for all others were beneath her. Louise,
taught to mingle with no other children
excepting those Of her mothers friends,
was growing up believing herself better
than they.
The teaching that Marian Hayes re-
ceived was totally different from this
Mrs. Hayes was acknowledged by Mrs.
Gardner ss one Of her particular friends;
yet though she moved among that circle,
she was far from being ono Of them. Her
! doctrine was the text the little girl had