The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1869-01-29
A MOTHERS MANAGEMENF.

The dismal December night was clos
ing, with starless gloom, over the
spires and chimney tops of the city
the binding mist Of snow flakes was
wreathing its white pail over all, and
the wind, murmuring sadly through
the streets, seemed to have an almost
human wall in his moan.
"It's an ugly kind of a night" NUT
tered Mr.. Terryn to himself, as he
buckled his fur closer round his neck
"and a wind fit to cut one in two.-
Halo what's this?"
He had very nearly stumbled over
something that looked like a bundle,
erouching at the foot of a flight of
steps, in the shadow of a ruinous old
brick archway; but, as he checked
himself abruptly, the bundle erected
itself into somethig human in shape
and looked at him through wild,
human eyes.
'Who are you?" he demanded, on
the impulse of the moment.
"Only me, sir-little Tess"
''Please give me a penny, sir - cried
the child, suddenly subsiding into the
regular professional whine of her
trade.
Only penny"
"Where do you live?"
81 don't live nowhere, sir-I skuIks
round in the alleys"
~'Oh, you do, eh ? and who takes
care of you?"
"Took up ?''
'Sent to the Island, sir"
care you boy? or girl?
(For the creatures tangled locks and
ragged garb gave no clue to its SEX
"I'm girl, SIR"
"You ought to be ashamed of your
self, begging in the Streets" said Mr..
Terryn, serverely. "Why don't you
work ?'
As he approached his own door a
bright child's face peeped out between
the curtain, and as Mr.. Terryn entered
the CHEEKY sitting room, he could not
but think with a remorseful pang of
the shivering bundle of rags under the
brick archway beyond.
"It's none of my business" he
thought, 81 dare say the police will
pick the poor little elf up, and take
her where she'll be better off.
But Mr.. Terryn's conscience was less
adamantine than he had given it cred
it for being. Itpricked him sorely as
he sat toasting his slippered feet l'a-
fore the bright embers-it whispered
to him as he listened to the lullaby
wherewith his wife was lulling the
babe to sleep upon her breast. Had
little Tess ever known a mothers
care, or heard mothers cradle song?
And she could scarcely have been six
years old, either.
"Where are you going, my dear ?"
questioned his wife, as he rose up sud
denly.
"Out into the street. There was "a
child there-a little girl, crOuching on
some steps"
GA child? Homeless? And such a
night as this? Oh, Herbert, you
should have brought her here !"
Five minutes afterwards Mr.. Terryn
was out in the driving whirlwinds of
snow bending over the small stray
who was huddled up, just where he
had left her.
"Here- child where are you?"
But there was no answer. Little
Tess was benumbed and stupified by
the cold.
He lifted her up, a poor little skele-
ton wrapped in a miserable thin coat
ing of rags, and feeling strangely light
in his arms, and carried her home
Mrs. Terryn met him at the door.
"Oh, Herbert, what a poor little
starved wretch? Her hands are like
bird cIawsr ~
Charley looked on with breathless
interest, at the process of feeding,
warming and restoring some vitality
to the torpid object.
When little Tess opened her eyes, it
was to the glow of a warm fire and the
mellow sparkle of gasights.
cam I dead ?' cried the child, "and
is this Heaven?"
"Poor little creature !" said Mrs.
Terryn, bursting into tears.
"Tes0ra" her name proved to be-a
sweet Italian synonym for the word
treasure" and a treasure she was, in
gentle Mrs. Terryn's eyes, especially
after her little babe was dead and bur-
led.
GLOW Tesora grows?" said Mr..
Terryn suddenly, on one day as the
beautiful girl came in, rosy and smil-
ing, from walk.
"Why she is as tall as a grown wo-
man ?;
''She is a grown woman," said Mrs.
Terryn, with a smile.
GLOW old is she ?"
''Sixteen, day before yesterday ~
as it possible" said Mr.. Terryn,
thoughtfuIly. GLOW timesslips away!
Tesora sixteen? Why, then Charley
must be twenty!"
at is true, nv dear said his wife, we