Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-09-23
NO. 22:;7.,..
THE GIRL WHO .WAR THIRTEEN"
BY ROBERT BAKER, INSPECTOR OF FAC
TORIES, IN ''HoME WORDS" ~.

iOhiES, IN HUME WOhpS.
Halo, little woman!-dont be in snch
a hurry; you are not thirteen. Il think?"
Eyes, l am. sir" she replied, dropping
a curtsey. eflEaa
"Did your mother tell you to say soP"
No; my father says am thirteen, sir.
and he works here"
"Oh, does he? then we shall soon see
just fetch him to me-" Je 9hg
The man came, and the question was
put: s,s
well. John, this little daughter Of
yours can not be thirteen, / think. She
is very sprightly and timid, but cery lille
for her age"
$50 she is, sir; but she is thotteen, an
l noa w.t.
"Well, of course, you know, John; but
haven't you jumped over year? ?''
mo, sir, no; shoo's thotteen. an I've
good reason to noa w.t." j2
'Will you tell me your reason, John ?"
Certainly, sir if you wish it; but its
bit on story like; however, if you like
will tell all about it.
You see, Mr.. Baker, Betty and me
CHATS my missis sir) 'ad nivver a BARN:
an we were boath so fond O. barins we
didn't know what to dew wi wir 'sels;
an we thowt, an thowt, an turned it over
i'wir mind, what we wud do, an at last of
all, sed,-
IN tell thee what, lass--I ev it.
"' Why. John, what bes'toP'
IS About BARN thou knows; thee sis
ter Sally, 'es four lasses, an nice lasses
an all: doesen't t think we can beg one.'
80 Why, happen we mud
"' Then next Sunday We'll try Wen
60 an stay t day wi 'em, an if she'll gi'
US one, We'll bring it back wi US at meet
'' An so we went, an we lewked at
EN-, first one an then another; at last
thowt, an Betty thowt, t one at was three
years ovid, i'wir nice chubby little thing,
and so telld Sally i'wir mind"
'And what did she say, John?
"Why, her an her husband talked it
over bit, an we tel'd 'em we'd take
care ont an bring it up rightly. 1t was TO
call me father and Betty mother; an we'd
edicate her an give her what we 'ad when
we browt 'er whoam wi us that vary
neetn
"And how did you get on, John?"
''Why, sir, for three years we were the
happiest two alive. T. BARN grew an
gat on an war as good BARN as ivver
ony body 'ad; when one day t mother
came TO see it. She stopped all t. day wi
us, an then when she war going whoam
at meet, seed 'er lewking at t little lass
vary ard, an then shoe sed shoe couldn't
leave it, an she mud take it back wi, her,
an she tuck it..
well, John, and what did YOU and Bet
ty do9"
"Dew, sir why, we went to bed, an
neer cried wir cen out, both ON US,
An SO we went on for a week; an then
pluckt my art up, an said t her,-Illi
tell thee wat. Betty, wei beg a bairn out
O. some Union-a BARN that's noather
father nor mother nor sister nor brother,
nor uncle nor aunt, nor nowt; and then
there's no body can take it fro u.s. An
so to t next Monday morning axed for
a weeks leave, an went to every Union
at know'd on, but there is never bairn
just as l wanted, till gat tew Union i
> Lancashire, an there was one that 'ad
been born t meet afore OF beggar wo-
man at 'ad been tn in ill ON the road an
when t child was born, shoe deed
$50 when t master telld me this, sed
to i'm, Sir says l, that's t bairn for me
wad you be SO good as to gi' me t?'
Give it you, my good man? said he
no, can't do that who are you? and
what do you mean by asking such ques-
ton p
didn't stop to tell him my story, but
telf him wat my name wa an who
worked for an axed him to write t mas-
ter, an | said to i'm | sud come again in
a week an see wat they said then.
} 'And so in week I went again, and
after l telfd 'em what wanted it for, they
ga me t; an, Mr. Baker, that Z lass you
. see there; and rare good lass shoe is
and it war thirteen years last Wednesday
, sin fetched her fro't' Union--that t rea-
son why know her age so WELL"
Three years afterwards was at the mill,
and called for John; i said.-
"Well, John, and how goes the girl p
"Rarely, sir, rarely. No hetter on ony-
body's hearthstone, Use going to-day to
buy her a piano"
. Four years afterwards, and once more
asked the question.
/, "Well John, and how goes on the girl p
e why. sir, the BARN shoo's wed -
/, "Wed. John ?--wed and where does
E she live?''
, Live why wi us, for sure. Live -
! where mud she live? There's me and my
wife. an him an his wife; an we're as
: 'appy as kings and queens !"
Seven years afterwards, and saw John
for the last time; and once more put the
! same question, but in different fornn,-
"Well, John how goes on the young
woman and her husband? There's some
body else, suppose, by this time 9'
John looked very significantly at me,
and said,-
We've four O t finest grandchlder !
Yorkshire and now, when me and t old
woman want caring for i our old age,
there's plenty on 'em to do it. ! used to
think there was nowt so cherries as
cherries home; an man an his Wne
that 'es childer, and brings 'em up rect
need nivver be afraid that they wont DC
cared for, or won't be blessings ! their
they may want BARN not ha. what they ne may al'
j, I can saw is we can nivver be thankful
: enough hi ior all that God has given US; and
J YOU see sir, I'd a right to say she war