Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1873-12-17
Miscellany.
The Magic Power of Love.

Two or three years ago the superin-
tendent of the Little Wanderers Home
in Boston received one morning a re-
quest from the judge that he would
come up to the courtroom. He COM
piled directly, and found there group
Of seven little girls, ragged, dirty, and
forlorn, beyond even what he was accus-
toned to see. The judge pointed to
them, and said:
"Mr. r, can you take any Of
these ?"
Certainly; I'll take them all, was
the prompt reply.
"All What in the world can you do
with them all?"
"I1l make women of them"
The judge singled out one, even worse
in appearance than all the rest, and
asked again:
"What can you do with this one?"
"Tll make woman of her," Mr.
Z repeated, firmly and hopefully.
He took them all home. They were
washed and dressed, and provided with
q good supper and beds. The next
morning they went into the school
room with the rest of the children.
Mary was the name of the little girl
whose chance for better things the judge
thought was small.
During the afternoon the teacher said
to Mr.. T, in reference to her:
81 never saw O child like that. l
have tried for an hour to get single
smile, and failed"
Mr.. T said afterward to himself
that her face was the saddest he had
ever seen, sorrowfnl beyond expression;
yet she was a very little girl-only seven
or eight years old.
After school he called her into his
Office, and said pleasantly "Mary, I've
lost my little pet. L used to have n
little girl here that would wait on me,
and sit on my knee, and loved her
very much. A kind lady and gentle
man adopted her, and she went to live
with them. 1 miss her, and should
like you to take her place, and be my
little pet will you?"
A CLEAN of light fitted over the poor
child's face as she began to understand
him. He gave her ten cents, and told
her that she might go to a store near by
and buy some candy. While she was
gone he took two or three newspapers,
tore them in pieces, and scattered them
about the room. When she returned,
in a few minutes, he said to her:
''Mary, will You clean up my Office for
me? pick up them papers, and make it
look real nice"
She went to work with n will. A
little more of this sort of management
treating her Just like kind father
would-wrough the desired change.
She went into the school-room after
dinner with so changed look and bear
ing that the teacher was astonished.
The child's face was absolutely radiant;
and half fearful of some mental wan
dering, she went up to her and said ::
'Mary, what is it? What makes you
look so happy
"Oh I've got somebody to love mel'
the child answered earnestly, as if it
were heaven come down on earth.
That was all the secret. For want of
love that poor little ones life had been
so cold and desolate that she had lost
childhood's faith and hope. She could
not af first believe in the reality OF Joy
or kindness for her. 1t was this GER
tainty that some one loved her and de-
sired her affection that lighted the
child's soul and glorified her face
Mary has since peen adopted by
wealthy people, and lives in beautiful
home in New England but more than
all its comforts and beauty, running
like golden thread through it all, she
finds the love of her father and mother.
Shall We who have many to love, and
to love us, refuse to be comforted, to
see any value and use in life, any work
for our hands to do, because one of our
treasures may be removed from cur
sight-from our home and care to n
better?
And oh shall we let any of these
little ones so hungering for affection
go up even unto Gods land, before they
find ''some body to love them 2"