Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-08-11
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TRUE STORY OF MAGGIE MURPHY.

Maggie Murphy was little girl five years
old, who lived in the dirtiest quarter of New
York City, in a squalid tenement-house not
far from Five Points. Her father and
mother were not nice people; but they were
all the father and mother Maggie had ever
had for her own, and she did the best she
could to get along.
Dan Murphy was q day-laborer; and
though he was rather fond of whisky, it
seemed, for he spent almost all his money
on whisky, and little on his child. Her
mother, too, was fond of whisky, and she
was dirty and ragged; and besides Maggie,
she mad five other children, who were all as
dirty and ragged as possible.
Mrs. Murphy seldom occupied herself in
the welfare of her children during the day.
She turned them into the streets as soon as
they got out of their dirty bed in the morn
ing, each with crust in ner hand, and
never thought of such thing as combing
their hair or washing their faces. AS for
dressing them, they wore any rag they
happened to have on the night before, when
they went to bed on the floor; and as they
sleptin them all night and wore them all
day, they were not in nice condition.
Maggie was the ittlest, and the only
things about her that could be called pretty
were her eyes. Bright black eyes she had
which all the dirt in Five Points couldn't
rob of their charm; for God has arranged a
Washing machine in every little girls head
hat washes her eyes itself; and SO Maggie s
3yes were always washed.
Maggie was pretty well acquainted with
he immediate neighborhood of her misera-
lie home; and though she was out all day
very day, she never failed to get back to
ather aud mother when night came, in
opes of piece of bread but she didn't al
'ays get it.
One Fourth of July when Maggie was
lrned out rs usual, she got SO excited
yer the noise and tumult, the fire-crackers
nd torpedoes, and the procession that
ame down Broadway, with great blare of
runs and brass instruments, that she
andered away and when night came, she
,und out she didn't know the way home.
hen she began to cry, and the washing
achine in her head washed her eyes SO
ard that the water overfiowed and ran
lwn her cheeks; and if Maggie had had a
can towel, she might have wiped her face
can perhaps. But she had nothing but
II dirty little fists, and so, the more she
bbed the dirtier she grew.
A big policeman, with blue coat and
ass buttons, and silver shield on his
east came and asked Maggie where she
ed; but Maggie didn't know, and SO the
hceman took her in his arms, and car
d her off to the place where they carry
the lost children in New York. 1t was
rand place indeed compared with Mag
IS wretched home in Five Points, great
rble building in the fourth story of
ich Maggie found resting-place.
Don't cry any more" the woman said,
en- Maggie came in; 'tyour mother will
ne for you, I dare say
So Maggie stopped crying; and the wo-
N took her and began a performance so
ysterons, that Maggie cried again for she
int know what to make of it.
This mysterious performance was moth
more nor less than the washing of Mag
ss face and the combing her tousled
ir and you may imagine what the little
RI suffered. Such q thing had never hap
ned to her before in her life. that she
,uld remember When the performance
as over, it was enough to make one laugh
see what handsome little girl Maggie
as. Her face was almost white, and her
aeeks were brilliant red, and her black
air rurled in the loveliest manner possible.
Maggie felt so comfortable when she was
can, and a great slice of bread and cheese
wen her to eat, that she began to hope
er mother wouldn't miss her, nor come
"NAAN
0 bed and fell asleep along with more than
hundred other little children, who had
)een picked up like herself in the streets
hat day.
When Dan Murphy came home that
aight after his supper, he was not SO
trunk but that he missed his little girl
and asked his wife where Maggie was.
'sFaix, dom know, Dan, said she.
Chant she bin home ?"
ssNo Dan, I amt seen her the day"
esGo an find her then," swore Dan; san
q nice mother you are to lose your chilther
in the street.
So Mrs. Murphy went off to find her,
and Dan Murphy went over to the liquor
shop on the corner.
Mrs. Murphy asked the first policeman
she met, if he had seen Maggie, and the
policeman told her to go to the Central Of
fee, and no doubt her little girl would be
there.
The children were asleep when Mrs.
Murphy got to the place and told her story
and they let her into the room where Mag
gle was curled up with her head on her arm
and her eyes shut.
Mrs. Murphy looked among the children
carefully; and then turned away In
great distress saying that Maggie was not
there.
Size didn't know her own child with its
face washed and its hair eombed, and il
she had not come back the next morning
when Maggie was awake, she would never
have got her little girl back. Maggie acas
awake though, in the morning, and as
soon as she saw her mother; she cried out
Mann r and Mrs. Murphy elasped her to
her heart in mute amazement
In fact, Mrs. Murphy was so astonished
at the effect produced by little soap and
water, that she went home and washed the
other three children; and from that day. q
reform began in that household which con-
tinued until the Murphys became respecta-
bic people. WRIT SYKES.