Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-02-20
SELECTED STORY.
From the New York Ledger.
MOTHER BUNCH.
BIT ANNA SHIELDS.

as not that child crying?"
Meta listened intently for moment
after Aunt Fanny spoke. The wind
was bowling, the rain washing against
the window panes, and Nature rioting
with all the noise of November storm.
The little house where the two women
sat alone, sewing busily for daily bread,
fairly trembled when the fierce gales of
wind rushed past it. Yet, with all this
noise around them, the women fancied
they could hear faint cry not far from
the cottage door, !:
as it child, or is it a cat?" said
Aunt Fanny, listening again. Cats
she added theoretically, care the pests
of my life. If love of cats is absolute
ly essential to the qualifications for an
old maid, I ought to have been married
three times.
"Hush! Meta said as sudden lull
in the storm brought again the feeble
wail;ng cry to their ears. 'Aunt Fanny
that IS child. ~ H.:
AS she spoke Meta threw down her
work and went to the door. AS she
opened it the wind drove shower of
rain drops into her face and wrenched
the door from her, slamming it against
the wall with bang that made, Aunt
Fanny Jump about two feet from her
chair. Little Meta kept pressing for
ward, the heavy rain drenching her hair
and clothing, but unheeded now in the
certainty that it was child she heard
crying. :. .af;. -.
The night was dark, but, following
the sound, Meta. discovered a little
white figure crouched down close to the
fence, and bending over it, knew that
she had found what she had sought,.,..
It was no time to stand outside talk.
inc. She lifted the child in hers arms
and hurried back to the room where
Aunt Fanny waited. ,
Shivering, sobbing and clinging fast
to her, the light. revealed little girl
not more than two years old, ressed
up in little calico dress, and nothing
more. She was evidently nearly ex-
hausted; and as the warmth and light
reused her little, she raised from Met
ta's shoulder. such pititul little face
that the women found their eyes filing
with tears to look upon it., =,
Aunt Fanny wasted no time in sen
timent, however, but getting a blanket
and towels, isoon had the title one rub
bed dry and wrapped in the soft warm
wooden. p, :. /: .y.,is,> >.
"Warm little milk, Meta" she said.
s;She is too weak to eat, but she may
drink z.''' te<.,s.-:.!
Only few drops could be coaxed
down before heavy sleep fell upon the
little wanderer, and she lay in Aunt
Fanny's arms resting quietly. -:
They put her in their own bed, and
Law down on each side of her, touching
gently the fair little face, and softly
pressing kisses on the little rosebud
mouth. Z,
''She is very pretty, Auntie," Meta
said. H. .4k9 .y&...
"Wll be when she's clean. Look at
her feet, fairly .crusted with mud. Me
ia, she run away from some almshouse.
No mother, if ever sopoor, would
let a.child wear but one thin miserable
garment in November. Her hair is
cropped too, in regular poor-house
STYLE, as close as the scissors will come
to the head ~
s.Poor little thing Poor little child !
Meta said, very softly. "Auntie :,
Aunt Fanny looked up into the
sweet young face bending over the lit
tie wanderer, but she did not speak.
She knew well what Meta was ponder
ing upon, and her mind was full of the
same problem. 1t was not a new OF
uncommon perp exity it was simply try
ing to determine how the earnings that
were scanty and poor support for two
could be stretched to cover the expense
of one more.
Each wonanly, true heart was stirred
by the same impulse of compassion, the
same desire to keep the poor little wait
thrown upon their hands from further
exposure and suffering. TIE pitiful,
pale little face seemed pleading to each
+ for the care and protection the tender
wears demanded and yet, how could
they feedand sclothe the little one, whe's
they sometimes were hungry, and we e
always poorly dressed. themselves?
/ There had been time when Meta
wore embroidered dresses, broad silk
>sashes, and all the fnerY. rich mothers
love to see upon their little ones, but
her parents had died before she realized
the worth of money, and Aunt Fanny
took the child to her tiny cottage
and brought her up as well as her own
narrow means would allow. Two years
at good boarding school had taken
al of Aunt Fannys savings, land since
deta was sixteen the two had supper
ted themselves by sewing for the rich
e.. ladies down in the village, tw,s mi ef
away. The little 6 ,ttage!. and small
| gsrden Aunt Fanny owned, but ass sht