The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-12-30
LITTLE BETTY.

She had no othtr name that she could
remember, SO she said,-and believed
hcr, And she hardly had need Of that,
50 seldom was she called anything but
!" Brat" You Bet" and "Girlh Nc
home had sho either, or friend; nothing
on earth save one little, crippled broth
or, who was left to her when her neither
died. She didn't live anywhere. Does
that surprise youg She stayed in New
York that Is, she ran the streets and
alleys oil day, selling papers now and
then, begging most Of tho time, and
always dragging round with that lame
boy. t.stutl. - iY
She loved that ragged little brother
and she would care for him as an animal
would for It's young. But what did she
know about getting him nice home, OF
having him cared for by othere All on
earth she feared was that the night
watch would find her asleep some time
and look them up. So she hid in oat-of.
the-way pla. .es after dark; many times
down in the foundations Of unfinished
buildings, oftener in empty barrels but
they always slept together.
Perhaps little children who live Of
home with mamma, and have nice, warm
beds to sleep in, wonder how Betty could
have slept in o barrel. Very safely when
It was in some obscure place where she
was not likely to be seen. And there
through all the long, dark hours, she
would sit cramped and confined, folding
She little brother close to her, and loving
him as only so holy q nature as hers
could lsve. But when say Betty. hid
Q holy nature, / do not mean to say she
was a christian, or went to Sunday
school, or didn't steal occasionally, or lie
always whom She ran risk of having a
"Copn catch her. But / do say (fer we
must remember that no one ever taught
her right from wsong) that naturally she
was a brave, strong, true, little girl, do
ing her duty Just as well as she knew
how, and never forgetting for moment
to shield her helpless little charge.
How gladly she would run an GRAND
for o penny how quickly she would
answer when asked II she wanted any
thingto eat. And when she got the
penny or something TO eat twas not for
herself she wanted it,-oh, no. but for
hungry " Buddie."
She lived for another more than she
lived for herself, and that Is the way
know she was holy knew that slre was
q tender, loving girl, spite Of her sur.
roundings. And the other way that
knew she was good, was from her man
ner Of living alone. ff 1pH'I
No one told her that she must be care.
full and protect herself; for who cared
what happened to Bettyg But her owl
soul told her to gowhere there were th,
fewest bad people; to live to herself
even IL she did stay in the streets, and t
keep her own life pure as she would he
brothers. uf gV}y
She knew she must not sleep on thu
cellar doors or under the awnings, wherl
80 many children do; for II there wer,
girls aud sometimes even women huddlet
there together, Betty knewit was not th,
place for her.
One day last summer, as i was hurry
inr along my way thinking Of my owr
troubles, whu should / meet but this 1t
tle street child. She almost staggered
she was 50 very pale and weary and thi
time there was no brother with her
0How Is this, Bettyi" l said to her
awhere IA TedT. THE boy had NO 9th
ar name that he knew Of She burs
into tears, aud when she could speak,
learned that he was dead. n /,
Then wesat down on one OF the bench
esin the Park near City Hall, and shl
told mo ali about herself for often as ]
ma seem her, II had never occurred Il
ma 10 find out everything ] have beer
telling you, until then; and then-itwA
aTed got sick when we slept down I.
tho dock BY some cotton bags, one night
and ali / could do, he died. In th
morning, when was going away wit
MIN IN nv arms, q man took him fror
men bitterly sobbed the child; "bu
i went with him, and see them put hir
h a box, and, oh Miss, they took hit
rivht All and wouldn't letme go. Icrie
ayd rnn after the cart, but the man Cd
Al me with his whip, and ] fell dow
'foIe l could hang on, they were o.
gone. oh, its awful not 70 have an
brother" ,l..,,..
Poor, starved child; she had told ht
,tory, h was love that had kept ht
stfone and hopeful 70 long and Y We