Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1873-09-27
cHILDREN's COLUMN.
No Friends.
By SARAH WILLIAMS.

-
By SARAH WILLIAMS.
Azss@
,XK3HO CARES said Martha Hutch
sL ings, setting down one dirty
f@&< dish and taking up another.
.&S ssNobody ever did for me.
was bundled off to service before was
ten years old, because mother was dead
and aunt wanted me out of the way.
Then L was knocked about from pillar
to post-out of one place and into anoth-
er; might have broken my leg any day
what almost always say-Who cares 2"
ssGod cares,'' said the grave, weak
voice of little Tom the errand bOy-a
sickly, frail little fellow, who somehow
contrived to make will and skill supply
the place Of strength, and so succeeded
in the great object of his ambition, and
sskept his place.
ssGod?'' said Martha; show do you
mean, Tom?" ee '.f
II tsWhy, He must care, you know.
Don't you care about things when you've
made them yourself?'
s'Sometimes l do, and sometimes
DON'T" said Martha. depends upon
what they are" .sq5-
H'ssBut suppose you could make some-
thing alive, you would get fond OF that,
wouldn't your" '-'s' -'.i
~ssI suppose so. But what rubbish you
can talk, Tom, when you once give your
mind to it!''
ssWas it trubbish-all of it p" said Tom,
not resenting the assertion. He was
rather accustomed to finding himself
out of his own depth, as well as other
peoples.
"Rubbish? / should think sot'' said
Martha. "But have you done masters
boots e,.nu.sca baa .a. 3
"Oh, no forgot. I'll do them now,
/ suppose master would care about me
if 1 didn't" said Tom running off with
a roguish laugh. s,. 80
Scare! Yes; just as they would
about the clock if it stopped. just about
as much feeling for one as the other"
Martha was in dismal mood, there
was no doubt about that. She was tired,
and it was very hot, and Martha's kitch-
en- was not exactly the place one would
have chosen to cool ones self In. An
uncomfortable soreish feeling over her
eyes made her glad to sit down and rest
them by a five minutes nap. Her head
resting against the wall rubbed off the
coloring, so she got up again, saying
'sHowevcr them fOotmen stand being
powdered 1 can't think. Bother it my
head feels like a sand-martin." '.' fils
Martha had no very definite notion as
to whether sand-martin was fish, flesh,
or fowl; but She had picked up the
word with Londoner's relish for rural
phrases, and supposed it must mean
something sandy. Perhaps it was as
not tantalized with the thought of the
cool, breezy life of the bird she had
named. jsg.sf +ris455l..ss} s.tf -tib
ssOh, dear! I wish was dead!' she
said presently; but a sudden, sharp pain
through her temples reminded her oi
the near possibility of death; and with q
shiver, she turned her wishes into, ~
wish was a better girl; wish had
learnt in my Bible, or something;
wish-oh, / wish-there was ANYBODY in
all the world to care if / was dead OF
aliven Then she stopped suddenly
her throat seemed to dry up, and, with
terrified sense of falling down un.
known depths, she sank upon the floor
Poor Martha had a fever. I'll. 7al ie 2
l. Many days and nights Martha lay un'
conscious. When she awoke she was in
a white bed, cool and soft, with an unac
countable fragrance of Strawberries in
| the air.
-'sI suppose it's heaven" she though
cor else dream. Anyhow, I'n keeI
still, lest missus's bell should ring"
| But some one said, "Won't you wax,
up, dear?'' The voice was gentle
motherly voice, such voice as hal
never addressed Martha since she coul(
remember. II .ue srf5
i"Yes" she thought again, "that's jus
the way should fancy they would TALL
i'm heaven; it's very nice. wonder
was afraid to-day"
She spoke the last sentence aloud; ant
the motherly voice, this time with /.
shade of trouble in it, said "Ah she'
a little light-headed still, poor dear
But she'll soon .come round. See." sh,
continued to Martha, s'only just lool
what your friends have brought you!';
~ 'Tisn't me, said Martha; ssI haven
got any friends" 81 ='ti'
= "well, that's pretty!' said anothe
/ voice-so CHEEKY and so thin, it remind
| ed her of TOMS, grown older. "No
got any friends " when they've beer
1 and sent you this :" ff9
s'This" being put close to her, was s.
Exceedingly fragrant that Martha open
ell her. eyes, and found out where th
strawberry odor had come from. 1t wa
a round, deep basket of British Queens
which a slight, pale woman, in a wild
L
aDon't you know what TO do witt
them, dearie? said the motherly body
4 whose clean precision OF dress somehow
told Martha that she was a hospita
nurse. 'gie5ei -lt l4l4 f..
ssOh, yes," said Martha, with sigl
of delight as the first one melted in he
mouth; shut l / never saw such mon
sters." iss.si .-. -
eyes," said the widow, looking yer,
much pleased, ''they wanted them to b
first-rate, and there's been plenty o
time to get them. To-day is the frs
the doctor said you might have them.''
"Rut such beauties!" said Marth
again. "They must be rich people VIII
cent them" eah
"Rich enough" said the widow wit
curious smile. And Martha feasted Il
silence; only now and then begging he
two companions to take one, F'to max
them seem real" s.T
When she had finished, the widow
said, "You don't know me, do you? I'm
Toms mother. You remember littl
Tom ?" -F fs,i l0 s.sssi. .s.l-s-.ae
"Oh, yes," said Martha, with a glanc
of conpunction at the empty basket, I"
wish I'D saved him a strawberry '
"He has had his share, fancy, - sal
the widow, smiling. 3Eai
sHow ?'' said Martha. 3i'
tIn giving them to you. He bnugh
them, his brother and he, on purpos
for you. They've been saving mp eve
since you've been ill.,"
-ever-did-they.-get til
money ?' said Martha. .sIaai p :
sob, went messages and held horses
and things, In their meal times" sal
the widow. ito i es
''How good of them? oh! how goo
of them" said Martha, crying iittl
between weakness and pleasure. -tf
"Yes, they are good children, especial
|, ly Tom. 1t was his Thought" .
II A little dew of mothers pride and 10
moistened the widows eyes. The goo
nurse objected to tears on principle /; but
+ as she afterward said, 'sshe had not tn
heart to interfere" when Martha, hal
raising herself, drew the widow towar
her and said, "Will you be my frien
! indeed! I've never had one IN all m
life. Nobody cared for me since mothe
died. 1F sfaI
"Somebody cares now, them" said tn
widow, with ner voice stall as clear am
CHEEKY as a little birds; s'you shall
, to me instead of my daughter that died
if yov like. She would have been jus
about your age. 1t used to remind IN
, of her when Tom was telling me abou
you,o aas -sif