Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-08-13

on the sidewalk of Baxter street, half
blocking the way with their boisterous
antics. HENRY CoLroN, young
physician attached to a charitable in
stitution in the neighborhood, found it
almost impossible to push his way
through the crowd of hoydens. I'm
couth faces and rough words greeted
him as, with no very gentle hand, he
made for himself passage through
their midst. One of the girls, bolder
even than her noisy companions, caught
al his coat and pulled him half around.
He looked at the girl, whose temerity
excited his surprise. She was about
thirteen years old, and dirty as any one
of the lot; yet her beauty shone
through the dirt and rags. Here
cheeks were round and dimpled, her
lips full and red, her eyes and hair as
black as midnight, and her form ap.
parently perfect: Dr. CoLroN passed on
few steps, but the girls beauty ex-
cited his interest, and he callod her.
AT first she was dispsbed to run away,
but finally she went up to him, taking
care to keep just out of arms reach.
"What is your name, my girl? ?" asked
the Young man.
''RosA GARDEN" she replied.
"Where do you lives"
with MAMMA GINGER, down there
in the rag cellar-she's my aunt, she is. :"
"Well, Rosa" said he, as he started
to 60, you are too pretty and bright
witted to live iii this place, and with
these hard people. Wouldn't you like
to go to school, and be lady when
you grow ups"
RosA's idea of lady was associated
With fine clothes, and so she replied
afirmatively, without the slightest
hesitations.
''Then I'll tell you what to do, RosA,'
added HENRY wash your face, comb
your hair and-do you know where the
Girls Refuge isl"
eyes, 1 guess so,'
''You 60 UP there, ring the bell, and
ask for Mrs. Brown. Tell her you
want to live there and be lady;" and
he went on about his business, leaving
the girl With her noisy companions.
But Rosa had no relish for romping.
What the young man had said to her
kept running in her head, and she soon
went to her squabbling home, thinking
it over and over.
Rosa received little but bad usage
and short rations from MAMMA GINGER,
who only kept the girl fol the work she
could squeeze out Of her. Her present
life was so miserable that no change
could well have been made for the
worse, and so she was inclined to follow
the strangers advice, That night she
dreamed of being fine lady. dressed
in silk, and with plenty to eat; and
upon waking in the morning she no
longer hesitated.
After exciting NANNY G1NGE's won
der by washing her face and combing
her hair as we'll as she could with her
fingers; Rosa slipped out and went to
the Girls Refuge, an Institution for the
care and education Of orphan and
pauper girls. Ringing the bell, she
inquired for Mrs. BKowN, as the stran-
ger had told her to do, and at last
reached the presence of the matron of
the institution.
"Well, little GIRL" said Mrs. Brown,
what do you want?"
81 want to be lady
The odd reply, coupled with the
striking beauty, won the attention of
the matron, and Rosa soon found her
self a regular inmate of the institution.
Eight years rolled by, bringing DR..
HENRY CoLToN to the age OF thirty
eight eventful years to the country and
to him, for they composed the bloody