American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-10-04
Somebody Loves Me.

Two or three years ago, the Superinten-
dent of the Little Wanderers Home in
| Boston received one morning I request
| from the Judge that he would come up
| to the courtroom. He complied directly,
| and found there group of seven little
girls, ragged, dirty and forlorn, beyond
even what he was accustomed to see. The
Judge pointed to them, and said: MIR.
T, can you take any of these?"
Certainly; I'll take them all, was the
prompt reply.
cali. What in the world can you do
| with them all?"
'I'll 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 Ones'
''I'lI make woman of her." Mr.. T
repeated, firmly and hopefully. He took
them all home. They were washed and
dressed, and provided with a good sup
per 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 forenoon the teacher said to
Mr. +, in reference to her, II never
saw child like that; | have tried for an
hour to get a single smile, and failed"
Mr. T said afterward himself that
her face was the saddest he had ever seen,
sorrowful beyond expression; yet she was
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 | used to have little girl here
that would wait on me and sit on my knee,
and loved her very much. A kind lady
and gentleman adopted her, and she went
to live with them. | miss her, and l.
should like you to take her place and be
my little pet; will your"
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
get 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 few min
utes, he said to her: MARY, will you
clean up my office for me? pick up these
papers, and make it look real nice"
She went to work with will. little
more of this sort of management-treat-
ing her just like a kind father would
wrought the desired change. She went
into the schoolroom after dinner with SO
changed Il look and bearing that the
| teacher was astonished The child's face
was absolutely radiant; and half fearful
of some mental wandering, she went up to
her and said, MARY, what is it? What
makes you look so happy"
on! I've got SOHe6odY 10 t0ce me! INC
child answered earnestly, as if it were
heaven come down on earth.
That was all the secret. For want of
love that little ones life had been SO cold
and desolate that she had lost childhOod's
beautiful faith and hope. She could not
at first believe in the reality of joy or
kindness for her 1t was this certainty
that some one loved her and desired her
affection that lighted the childs soul and
glOrified her facet
Mary has since been adopted by wealthy
people, and lives in a beautiful home in
New England; and more than all its COM
fort 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 our sight-from
our home and care to IA better?
And oh, shall we let any of these little
ones go hungerng for affection-go up
even unto Gods land, before they find
somebody to love them ?''-BritOR (Pd)
IiffLf TTinnS