Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-06-12
The Self-sacriflcIng Love OF Little Child. that
Sought no Eequltal.
From the New York Tribune.

y little story was told to Us lately which
seems to be worth repeating. Some time
ago a child i'll with hip disease was brought
into a certain asylum in New York-a little
girl of five years old, who, from fright or
weakness, cried bitterly on her admission.
Another girl, little Swede of about nine,
heard her. SIS she crying because she has
left her mother?' she asked the matron.
"No. She has no mother; she Is an or
phan." - Her friends, then, maybe ? "
''She has no friends. She has nobody in the
world to take care OF her, unless she finds
one here" Jenny, the little Swede, stood
for minute or two soberly looking at the
stranger. She was not pretty child, nor
attractive in any way, being homely, dis
eased and ill-tempered. Il think | will
take care of her, D" said Jenny, gravely. "I'll
be friend to her. and she went over to
the stranger, then and there, and began to
soothe and humOr her. The matron, think
ing 1t only passing childish outburst, paid
no attention TO it, even when she found
that Jenny had secured a seat at the table
next to the child, and had managed to have
her placed in the bed next her own in the
dOrmitOry. But when the story was told 10
US, year afterwards, the little girl had ney-
er failed once in her self-impOSed trust. As
far as was practicable. she took the place Of
n mother or elder sister to the child, who,
still lame and suffering, needed a constant
attention and care which the matron and
nurses could not give. She cut and pre-
pared her food at meals. humored her peey-
ish fancies during the day, and at night
was in the habit of lying down half dressed,
to be ready to spring up at n moments
warning, and she passed many night, it
was discovered, holding the child's head in
her arms or soothing her. On any holiday
or when visitors came, Jenny's first anxiety
was to make her little charge p-esentable,
lust as fond mother would do; and when
the children were once given an excursion,
or an afternoon romp in the grounds. Jen-
ny had an excuse to account for her not 90
ing, and actually, although her tears choked
her, she being but a child, would have
stayed. patient and cheerful. beside the
lame child, who eould not go, if her decep-
ton had not been found ont. The singular
part Of the story was, too, that the child
was not u loyable nor grateful one; but
peeyish, Jealous and tyrannical towards her
poor little nurse. who apolosized for and
made the best Of her 10 Others, after the
habit of mothers. There were many other
children in the asylum prettier and more
winning; but Jenny was true to the one
whose only recommendation was that ''she
had no friends" When we pass through
the streets of tenement houses which alter
nate with some of the most luxurious in the
city. and catch glimpses of the thousands of
puny, helpless little wretches shut up in
their foul garrets and cellars, who have such
sure grounds for fear of the coming summer
months, which are almost certain 10 bring
death warrant to most of them. we wish
that Jenny was not poor little pauper in
an asylum, but one of the women with
means and influence and energy who live
Just over the way from these houses. If
she were. the fact that these wan-taced lit
tie beggars have no friends would place
them first in her care. Last summer, in
answer To our statement of the necessity
that the i'll and dying children of the poor
should have some means of escape offered to
them from the heat and poisonous air OF the
city. contributions were offered to Us for any
summer hospital which could be made avail
able for such purposes, and we were forced
to direct these contributors to an establish
ment sustained by Philadelphia, simply be
cause we had none of our own.