The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1871-12-16
Albany Rrgister.


~
ance of the city was cold and dismal.
Seated upon the steps of one of the
large dwellings upon Fifth Avenue.
was boy apparently thirteen years OF
are. he WAS literally clothed in rags,
and hi hands were blue. and his teeth
rilattIrcd with cold. Lying ut his
knees was newspaper he had picked
i,n in one of the streets, and he was
trying to read the words upon it. lie
lad thus occupied himself for some
time when two little girls. clad in
silks and filrs came towards him.
The eldest was about twelve years
oi are. an,l so beautiful that the poor
boy raised his eyes and fixed them up
on her in untiis1uised admiration.
The child of wealth stopped before
him and turned to her companion, eX-
claiming:
:. Mariam. Just see this fellow on
my steps. Boy. what are you doing
here :"
am trying to learn to read upon
this little strip of paper" answered
the boy.
The girl laughed derisively and
said.
= Well, truly, I have heard of in
tellect in rags, and here it is person
itied.''
Mariam's soft blue eyes filed with
tears as she replied
,.Oh. Louise, don't talk so; you
know that Miss Fannie teaches us at
school The rich and poor meet to-
gether, and the Lord is Maker OF them
all.
Louise laughed again, and said to
the boy: Get up from here; you
shall not sit OF my steps !; you are too
ragged and dirty
The boy arose, and n blush crimson
ed his face. lie was walking away
when Marian said j:
:. Don't go, little boy, you are so
cold; come TO my house and get warm.
Dli, do come. she continued, as he
hesitated; and he followed her into IL
large kitchen. where a bright warm
tire was shedding its genial warmth
around.
Well, Miss Marian. and who are
you bringing here now?" asked the
servant woman.
= \ poor boy who has almost per-
i.!ied; you viii let him warm, will
You not. Raciiel?:
: Oh, he shall be warmed-sit here
little boy" and she pushed Il chair iii
front Of the stove, and then gave him
i piece of bread and meat.
Marian watched these arrangements,
and then glided from the room when
sic Sic " itiI
tie first rudiments OF reading and
spelling. Going to the boy she
said
= Little boy here is a book that you
may learn to read from better than 4
piece of paper. Do you Know your
letters 30
:. Some of them. but not all. new
CT had anybody to teach me. L just
learned myself. But oh, l want to
read SO badly
Marian sat down beside him, and
began teaching him his letters. She
was SO busily engaged i'll this work
that she did not see her mother enter
the room, nor hear Rachel explain
about the boy, nor did she know that
her mother stood some time behind
her listening to her noble child teach
ing the beggar boy his letters.
-l1iere were but few that he had not
siready learned himself. and it was not
long before Marian had the satisfac-
lion of hearing him repeat the alpha
bet.
When he arose to go he thanked
Rachel for her kindness and offered
Marian her book.
No, / don't want it-I have given
i to you to learn toread from. Won't
you tell leme your name:'
= Jimmy" he replied.
II viii not forget you, .Jiinnly-yor
must always remember Marian Hayes
won't you!'' was the little girls fare
veil.
Louise Gardner and Marian Hayes
we're playmates and frieuds. Their
dwellings joined. and almost every
ilour OF, the day they were together.
for they attended the same school.
These two children were differently
dispositioned and brought up-Louise
was proud and naughty. Poverty i'll
:,er eyes was disgrace and crime, and
she thought nothing too severe for the
poor too suffer. These views she
learned from her mother. Mrs. Gard
Iier moved in one exclusive eircle-tlIe
.jog ton of New York. Without its
t,recinct5 she never ventured, except
10 visit her mothers friends, and WAS
growing up to believe herself even
better than they.
The teaching that Marian Hayes re-
eaiyed was totally different from this.
bfrs. Gardner was one OF Mrs. Hayes
.lost particular fT-iends-yet, though
s..c moved in that circle, she was far
from one Of them. Her doctrine was
the text her girl had used the rich
and the poor meet together, and the
Lord is Maker OF them all. - This she
taught Marian. There was no dis
tinction in wealth or position that
tie distinction was i'll worth alone.
She taught her to reverence age aud
pity the poor and destitute and that
peasant words were as SWct t as honey
comb, sweet to the soul--a little kind
aess>avAs better than money. Marian
learned the lesson well, ard was ever
ready to dispense her gentle words to
all, whether they We're wealthy and
..stiuential, or ragged and iildIgeiit.
:ad the boy she had that morning be-
tyiended.
X X
4 gay and brilliant throng was as-
seinbled in Washington. Congress
was in session and the hotels were