The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-05-07
NeIIie's Mission.

Alice Morton was a pretty little girl,
with long, golden curls, lovely blue
eyes and rosy cheeks. She lived in a
great stone house, with flowers and
fruits growing about IL was always
beautifully dressed, and could ride
when she pleased in a great easy car
Tiage, drawn by two jet black horses.
Best Of all, she had kind, loving par
ents, who spared no pains to give her
every possible advantage and every
suitable pleasure and yet she was
very unhappy little girl, making her
sell and everybody about her as miser-
able as possible.
The fact was, she had so much TO
enjoy, so many delightful things about
her, she had an idea that the whole
world and everything in il was made
to contribute to her particular pleas
ure and if by chance anything
crossed her plans, or interfered with
her comfort, Miss Alice stormed and
screamed with passion, or fretted and
sulked, so there was no peace or quiet
in the house. Her parents were
troubled enough about il. They talk
ed and reasoned with her they pun
ished her severely they shut her up
alone by herself; still she was the
same unhappy discontented child.
One day her mother said: "Alice,
dear, want the washerwOmaD, Mrs.
Gray, who lives in the brown house,
on Clinton street, to come and help
about cleaning the house tomorrow.
There is no one else at leisure just
now, and 1 wish you to do this little
errand for me-"
Fortunately the idea pleased Alice,
and she went without q word of OBJ
lection. When she arrived at the
brown house she inquired for Mrs.
Gray, she was directed to "the third
story, left hand door," She climbed
the dingy staircase, half frightened at
the gloomy discomfort of the narrow
halls but once on the top, she raped
lightly on the left-hand door, and a
weak, childish voice said, "Come in.n
Alice opened the door and found her
self in a small garret room, which con-
tanned a bed, stove, a rough table,
covered with an old shawl for q
spread, and two or three wooden
chairs. But all she saw there was a
little deformed girl lying on the bed,
propped up by chair and some pill
lows, with a thin, pale face, great
wistful eyes, and little rings of soft
brown hair curling about her temples.
Alice stood gazing at her until the
weak little voice said, 'iDid you want
to see motherT
ayes, mamma--Mrs. Morton--wants
her tomorrow. Are you Mrs. Gray's
little girl ?"
"Yes, am Nelly Gray. Are you
Alice Morton ?'
ayes; hut how did you know ?"
80, mother has told me all about
you. am glad to see you. Won't
you sit and talk with me just a little
while ? get SO lonely sometimes"
"But what is the matter with your
back Can't you get upp
mo, 1 can not get up or walk a
step; but you see can turn, just
little, 10 rest my back, and 1 can use
my hands, and that's such blessing"
Alice's blue eyes opened wide with
surprise.
"But you don't stay here all day
alone, do you ?"
'rYes. mothers gone 'mOst every
day but Sunday. don't mind it now
I've got use to IL, you see. I've been
here three years, and I'm only ten
nOMs Ii l. VAIN NUN
rap hard on the floor with this long
stick, and Mrs. Reilly comes up"
"But how can you-what do you do
all day long ?p
HDO why, I have ever so much to
do. have a little pair of scissors,
and cut out lovely dolls and things
from old papers; and / have some
patchwork too, only cannot sew but
few stitches, 'cause it hurts my
shoulders. Pve got mothers Bible
and hymn book. Sometimes l can
read whole chapter, but most times
the lines all run together so I can't
make out the words but I've learned
ever so many hymns and verses from
the Bible, aud when 10y back aches
the hardest, 1 say them over and over,
and it helps me TO bear the pain Won
derfulIy. And look on the window
sill Did you ever see such lovely
flower ?"
1t was a poor stunted petunis, grow
ing in a cracked sugar bowl.
"Then see there is my dinner"
Nellie lifted a clean, coarse towel
from the chair by her bedside, dis
closing a mug of cold tea, a few crack
ers, and little dish of dried apple
sauce.
stBy and by, when the old bell
strikes twelve dollie and 1 will have a
great party, with hundreds of fine
ladies end gentlemen, and think We
have frosted cake. and ice-cream and
lemonade; and it's Just splendid fun"
Alice felt great lump in her throat,
and winked fast and hard to keep the
tears back.
"Have you got doll ?p
40, yes here it W drawing from
beneath the old bed-quilt large rag
doll, with red flannel cheeks, remark
able features drawn with q burnt stick,
and hair of raveled black yarn. Dol
ly had on a clean calico dress and q
ruff1ed white apron, and Nellie's eyes
beamed with fondness upon her pre-
cious' Matilda"
"You poor little thing!" exclaimed
Alice.
NeIIie's eyes opened wide. "What,
me poor little thing ?"
"Yes, you ? How can you be so
happy here all alone, with such back,
and nothing nice or pleasant about
you ?p
The pale little face grew grave, and
she answered softly, "I've got some
thing else here that you can not see
it's Jesus 1 did use to fret a good
deal, and think it very hard to lie
here all my life and the doctor says
I won't live very long. But Jesus
loves me, and love him dearly. He
comes every day to this poor little
room, and it makes it seem like heaY-
en-. 1 have only to shut my eyes, and
1 seem to see angels, and the great
white throne, all the beautiful man
sions, the River of Life and it seems
Just as real as if was there"
Alice buried her face in the old
quilt, and cried.
'tWhy, Alice, what makes you cry
You are not crying for me, hope ?'
mo, no." cried the child, "I'm cry
ing for myself. o, dear!" And a
fresh burst of sobs was smOthered in
the old quilt.
| Nellieis almost transparent hand
smoothed the long golden curls and
then, as her sobs grew lighter, the
sweet voice murmured, "Dear Jesus,
bless Alice help her to love thee |;
give her new heart let my light
Affections show how much she has to
be grateful for that she may truly love
and follow The. Amen"
Alice lifted her fearful face, kissed
Nellie, and went home. Mrs. Morton
had heard of the crippled child, SO had
not been uneasy at Alice's long alb
senee. When she came in, she threw
herself into her mothers arms, and
cried as if her heart would break.
"Why, my child! what is the mat
ter? Tell me dear"