Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-08-14
The Little Stranger /.

Though man of very strict principles no
man ever enjoyed joke more than Doctor
Bryon; he had vast fund of humor, aud
ever-ready wit, and with children, particularly,
ne loved to chat Familiarity aud draw them out.
de was one day pass ng into the house, he
was accosted by very little boy who asked.
hm II he wanted any sauce, meaning vegeta-
! bles The doctor inquired if such tiny.
thing was market man ''No, sir, my father
Z IS was the prompt answer. The Doctor
sald,-"Bring me in some squashes," aud
passing in the house, sending out the change:
In few moments the child returned, bringing
back part of the change, the Doctor told him
he was welcome to it but the child would
not take it back, saying .his father would
blame him. Such strange manuers in a child
attracted his attention, aud he began to ex-
anime the child attentively; he was evidently
poor, his jacket was pieced and patched with
every kind of cloth, aud his trowsers darned
with so many colors it was difficult to tell the
original fabric, but scrupulously neat and
clean witbal. The boy very quietly endured
the scrutiny of the Doctor, while holding him
at arms length, and examining his face At
last he said:
"You seem nice little boy; wont you
come and live with me and be a doctor 2"
''Yes sir" said the child.
"Spoken like man. said the Doctor,
patting his headas he dismissed him.
n few weeks passed on, when one day Jim
came to say there was little boy with u bundle
down stars, waiting to see the Doctor, and
would not tell his business to any one else.
''Send him up" was the answer; aud in
few moments he recognized the boy of the
squashes, but no squash himself as we shall
sce;) he was dressed in a new, though coarse,
suit of clothes, and his hair very nicely combed,
his shoes brushed up, and little bundle tied
in homespun. checked handkerchief on his
arm. Deliberately taking off his hat, aud
laying it down with his bundle, he, walked
up to the Doctor, saying
81 have come SIR =,
Scene for what, my child?'
''To live withyou aud learn to be a doctor"
said the child, with the utmost uaivete.
The first impulse of the Doctor was to
laugh immoderately; but the imperturbable
gravity of the little thing rather sobered him,
as he recalled, top, his former conversation,
and he vowed he never felt SO perplexed in.
his life. At that time he felt he needed no
addition to his family.
"Did your father consent to your coming2"
he asked
eyes sir"
"What did he say7"
81 told him you wanted me to come aud
you was very good man, and might come
as soon as my clothes were ready"
"And your mother, what did She say?''
'.She said Doctor Bryon would do lust
what he said he would, aud God had pro
vided for me-" And said he-"I have on
a new suit of Clothes" surveying himself,
''ahd here is another in the bundle" undoing
the kerchief to display them, with two shirts,
white as snow. and couple of neat check
aprons, SO carefully folded it was plain none
but mother would have done it. The sensi-
bilities Of the Doctor were awakened to see
the fearless, the uudoubting trust with which
that poor couple had bestowed their child
upon him, and such a child His cogitations
were not long? he thought of Moses in the
bulrushes, abandoned to Providence; and
above all, he thought of the child that was
carried into Egypt, and that the Divine
Saviour had said. blessed be little children;"
and he called for the wife OF his bosom.
saying--'Susan, dear. 1 think we pray in
church that God will have mercy upon all
young children"
ITO be sure we do" said the wondering
wife, ''and what them"
"And the Saviour said-'Whosoeyer re-
ceiveth one such little one in nv name. re-
ceiveth me;" take this child in His name
and take care of him and from that hour
this good couple received him to their hearts
and home. 1t did not then occur to them
that one of the most eminent physicians and
best men of the age stood before them in the
person of that child; it did not occur to theuf
that this little creature, thus thrown upon
their charity, was destined to be their staff
and stay in their declining age-a protector
and more than a son to themselves, all this
was then unrevealed; but they eheerfulIv
received the child they believed Providence
had committed to their care; and if ever ben.
ihcence was rewarded, it was in this instance.
The Bathometer.