The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1868-06-26
The Little Stranger.

he loved to chat familiarly and draw them !
out. AS he was one day passing into the |
house, he was accOsted by a very little boy,
who asked him if be wanted any sauce,
meaning vegetables. The Doctor inquired
if such tiny thing was market man.
"No, sir my fatAr is" was the prompt |
answer.
The Doctor said. Bring me some
squashes," and passed into the house send
ing out the change In few moments the !
child returned, bringing back part of the
change. The Doctor told him he was vel |
come to it /; but the child would not take it
back, saying his father would blame him. |
Such strange manners in a child attracted |
his attention, and he began to examine the
boy attentively. He WAS evidently poor /;
his jacket was pieced and patched with ev-
cry kind of cloth. and his trowsers darned !
with so many colors that it was difficult to
tell the original fabric, but scrupulously
neat and clean witbal The boy very qui-
city endured the scrutiny. Of the Doctor,
while holding him at arms length and ex-
aminiBg bis face At last be said
You seem a nice little boy. Won't you
come aud live with me and be doctor %
Eyes, sir" said the child.
"Spoke like man. said The Doctor,
patting his head as he dismissed him.
a few weeks passed on, when one day
Jim came to say there vas little boy with
bundle down stairs, waiting to see the )
Doctor, and would not tell his business to J
any one else.
"Send him up" was the answer and IN
few moments he recognized the boy Of
the squashes, but nc squash himself. as we
see be was dressed in q new though coarse
suit of clothes, and his hair very nicely
combed, his shoes brushed up, and little
bundle, tied in homespun checked hand
kerchief, on his arm. Deliberately taking
of his hat, and laying it down with his bun
die, he walked up to the Doctor saying:
81 have come, SIR"
| Cons for what, my child ?"
''TO live with you. and be DOCTOR" ne
| said, with the utmost naiVete.
The first impulse of the Doctor was TO
laugh immoderately ; but the imperlurbables
gravity of the little thing rather sObered
him, as he recalled, too. his former oonver-
sation, and he vowed he never felt so per-
plexed in his life. At the same time he
! felt that be did not need an addition to his
family.
''Did your father consent TO your COM
ing % he asked.
eyes, sir"
"What did he say %
81 told him you wanted me to come and
live with you and bea doctor and he said
you were very good man and I might
come as soon Bs my clothes were gotten
ready"
"And your motber-what said she ?"
''She said Dr. Byron would do just what
he said he would, and God has provided
for me-" "And,'' said he, 81 have a new
suit of clothes on, and here is another in the
bundle,'' undoing the handkerchief and
displaying them, with two shirts. white as
snow, and couple of neat checked aprons,
SO carefully folded, it was plain none but
mother would have done it.
The sensibilities of the Doctor we're ava
kened to see the fearless, the undoubting
trust with which the poor couple has be-
slowed their child upon him, and such
child.
His cogitations were not long; be thought
Of Moses in the bulrushes, abandoned to
Providence ;and, above all, be thought of
the child that was carried into Egypt, aud
that the Divine Savior had said. blessed
be little children - and he called for the
wife of his bosom and said
''Susan, dear, think we pray in church
that God will have mercy upon all young
Children
"TO be sure We do said the wondering
wife, "and what then %
"And the Savior said, 'Whosoever re-
ceivsth one such little child in my name
reeeiveth 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.
It did not occur to them that one of the
moat eminent physicians aud best men OF
the age stood before them in the person of
that child it did net occur to them that
this little creature, thus thrown upon their
charity, was destined to be their staff and
stay in declining age. protector and more
than son to themselves all this was then
unrsvsaled but they chssrfuily received
the child they believed Providence had
committed to their care and If ever bene6-
eence was re ewarded, it was 10 this instance.
-FanliIu Circle