Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1869-04-02
SELECTED STORY
A MOTHERS MANAGEMENT.

A MOTHERS MANAGEMENI.
The dismal December night was closing,
with starless gloom over the spires and Chin
ney 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 its moan.
cts an ugly kind ofnight," muttered
Mr.. Terryn to himself, as he huckled his
fur closer around his neck, land wind fit
to cut one in two. Halo! what's this p
He had very nearly stumbled over some
thing that looked like a bundle, crouching
at the foot Of flight Of steps, in the shadow
of a ruinous old brick archway but as he
checked himself abruptly, the bundle erected
itself into something human in shape and
looked at him through wild, human eyes.
"Who are your" he demanded, on the
Impulse of the moment.
"Only NE, sir-little Tess
"Please give me a penny. sir" cried the
child. suddenly subsiding into the regular
professional whine Of her trade. 'sOnly a
penny. ..
sW here DO you i've
II don't live nowhere, sir-I skulks
round in the alleys"
sOh, you do, Ell ? and who takes care Of
you 2"
NOld Tim Daley used to, but he's took
up"
s'Took up p
ssSent to the island, sir"
care you 10y, OF girl p
(For the creatures tangled locks and rag
gcd garb gave no clue to its sex.
"You ought to be ashamed Of yourself,
begging in the streets" said Mr.. Terryn Sc
verely. "Why don't you go to work ?"
AS he approached his own door bright
child's face peeped out between the curtains,
and as Mr. Terryn entered the CHEEKY sitting
room, he could not but think with remorse-
full pang of the shivering bundle Of rags un-
der the brick archway beyond.
But Mr.. Terryn's conscience was less ad-
amantine than he had given it credit for
being, It pricked him sorely as he sat
toasting his slippered feet before 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 song2 And she could
scarcely have been six years old, either.
"Where are you going, my dear Z" ques'
toned his wife, as he rose up suddenly,
"Out into the street. There was IA
child there-a little girl, crouching on some
steps"
"a child? Homeless And on such a
night as this ? Oh, Herbert, you should have
brought her here"
Five minutes afterward Mr.. Terryn was
out in the driving whirlwinds of snow bend
ing over the small stray child who was hud
died up, just where he had left her.
Here, child, where are you =
But there was no answer. Little TIES:
was benumbea and stupefed with the cold
He lifted her up, poor little skeleton
wrapped in miserably thin coating of rags
and feeling strangely light in his arms, ane
carried her home. Mrs. Terryn met hin
at the door.
'"Oh, Herbert what poor little stafvee
wretch! Her hands are like birds claws
Charley looked on in breathless interest a
the process Of feeding, warming and restor
ing some vitality to the torpid object.
When little Tess opened her eyes, it was
to the glow Of warm fire and the mellow
sparkle Of gaslights.
cam l dead? cried the child, 'and il
this Heaven p
Poor little creature p said Mrs. Terryn
bursting into tears.
"Tesora," her name proved to be--a swee
Italian synonym for the word s'treasure,
and treasure she was, in gentle Mrs. Ter
ryn's eyes, especially after her little bab
was dead and buried. VI
s-How Tesora grows" said Mr.. Terry
suddenly, one day, as the beautiful cir
came in, rosy and smiling from walk.
ssWhy, she is as tall as q grown woHan
''She IS grown woman, said Mrs. Ter
ryn, with smile.
"How old is she ~
Sixteen, day before yesterday"
"Is it possible" said Mr.. Terryn thought
fully ''How time slips way. Tesora six
teen! Why, then, Charley must be TWEEN
ty."
at is true, my DEAR" said his wife
1--WE are getting to be old people, now"
Il woneer what will become Of Tesora,
said MIR. Terryn, musingly ''She woule
make capital goyerness, her education ha
been SO thorough, Or"
Father" said Charles Terryn, resolutely
as he walked up in front of his father ane
stood with folded arms. Il can tell yol
what is to become of Tesora. She is to b.
my wife"
Nonsense !' calculated Mr.. Terryn
Charley said his mother, when the in
dignant father had jerked himself out of th'
room, 'sdon't waste your breath in arguing
with your father. Argument never con
quered yet, in such a case as this"
''But what am to do p H
'sHave you spoken to Tess YETI"
4 "No." i 3is T
4 'sWait then-let matters rest. 1 vii
manage it,"
So Mrs. Terryn gave little dinner partic
and select soirees, and brought OUT Tesor'
according to the regular programme. Sh'
made sensation Mrs. Terryn had know
that she would Tesora was BELLE
queen of fashion. Suitors congregatet
around her.