The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1874-04-22
MISCELLANY.
THE LITTLE HUxcHaAcK's MISSION

Alice Morton was pretty little girl with
long golden curls, lovely blde eyes, and rosy
cheeks She lived in a great stone house,
with flowers and fruit growing about it, was
always BEAUTIFULLY dressed, and toitld ride
when she pleased in q great. easy carriage,
drawn by two jet black horses Best of all,
she had kind, loving parents Who SPARED NO
pains to give her every possible advantage
and every suitable pleasure; and yet she was
a very unhappy little girl making herself and
everybody about her as miserable 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
it was made to contribute to her particular
pleasure and if by chance anything crossed
her plans, or interfercd with her comfort
Miss Alice st6rmed aud screamed with pas
sit;n, or fretted and sulked SO there was no
peace or quiet in the house. Her parefits
were troubled enougl, about it. They talked
aud reasoned with her; they shut her up ai6fie
by herself, they punished her severely still
SHE was the same unhappy, discontinued
child.
One day her mother said, "Alice, dear, l
yfaht the washetwoman, Mrs. Gray, who lives
II, the brown house on Clinton street, to come
and help about cleaning house tomorrow.
There is no ore else at leisure just now, and
wish YOU TO to this little erfafid for me-"
Fortunately the idea pleased Alice. and she
went without d word Of objection. When
she arrived at the brown house and inquired
for Mrs. Gray; she was directed to "tlIe third
story left hand door," She climbed the dingy
staircase, halffrightened at the gloomy dis
comfort of the narrow halls, but once at the
top, she raped lightly on "the left hand
door, and a weak childish voice said, "Come
in.'' Alice opened the door, and found her.
self in a small garnet room, which contained
a bed, stove, rough table covered with an
old shawl for spread, and two or three wood
en- chairs But all she saw there was little
deformed girl lying on the bed, propped up
by a chair and some pillows, with a thin,
pale face, great wistful eyes, and little rings
of soft brown haiti curling about her temples.
Alice stood gazing at her, until the weak little
voice said, did you want to see my moth
err"
eyes, mamma--Mrs. Morton--wants her
tomorrow. Are you Mrs. Gray's little girl ?"
.Yes am Nellie Gray. Are you Alice
Morton?"
eyes; but how did you KNOW
"Ohl mother has told me all about you.
am glad to see you. Won't you sit down and
talk with me Just little while? get SO
lonely sometimes
"But what is the matter with your back
Can't you get up?"
"No, cannot get up, norwalk step; but
YOU see can turn over, just little, to rest
NV back. and can use my hands, and that's
such blessing"
Alice's blue eyes opened wide with sur
prise.
"But you don't stay here all day alone, do
you ?"
eyes, mothers gone most every day but
Sundays. don't mind it much now I've
rot used to it, you see. I've been here three
wears. and I'm only ten now. If want any
thing very much, 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,"
aDo! why have ever so much to do. !
have little pair Of scissors, and l cut out
lovely dolls and things from old papers, and
| have some patchwork, too, only ! cannot
sew but few stitches, cause it hurts my
4 shoulder so. I've got mothers Bible and
hymn-book. Sometimes can read a whole
chapter, but most times the lines all run to-
rether so can't make out the words, but
1--we learned ever SO MANY hymns and verses
from the Bible, and when my back aches tho
/ hardest, say them ovet and over, and 4
bIips tbs to bear the pain wonderfully. And
look oh the window sill did yod ever SCI
such lovely flowera"
Il was a poof stunted pstunia, growing il
a cracked sugar-bowE
"Then see here is MY dinner"
Nellie lifted clean coarse towel from tn
chair BY her bedside. disclosing a mug Of COLI
lea . fsw araskerk sad lttla dob q esia1