Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-12-22
Chr family Circle.
The Little White Star,


The Little White Star.
| don't believe in Ill his life Packv ever
had Il place of his own. Not even when
he was Il baby in his mothers arms was
that coy place richly his. He shared il
with :; younger and IN older baby, and
between them his turn to he lifted up sell
dom came. If on the oil. rough floor
Packy found Il bit of sunshine to dip his
hands and feet into, and sat there for u
moment to let the brightness creep up MS
little bare legs he was sure to have to
move ont of il directly in favor of another
And if. OF Il cold winters night. Packv
tired and sleepy, crcpt early TO bed, only :,
few hours after if would be. "Movr over.
P;4ckv. an make room for the baby; and
over into the freezing sheets beyond.
Packy's rolv poly little body would have
to 90, while another >nugglrd down int"
The warmth of the place that he had left
without even Il thank YOU. Not even ut
table. when P:,ckv grew older. was there
:, place ail his. If he got to dinner first.
he would move from side to side to accom-
MEDIATE the different members of the large
family. and by the time he reached the
last side, the seat there had generally been
grabbed by another. and he was usually
Obliged to wait.
Perhaps if P;,ckv had shown II little
more sp rit he might have Jared better
but am not sure. This much | know.
that from he very first momcn: Ptcky took
notice of anything in this world. it s, emcd
To be fully impressed upon him that there
WIS very Gttlc room for him anywhere
and sometimes his eye used to look s.,i
and tired. ~ if NE wished he had never
come. Bat Perhaps he diln'I wish any
thug Of the kind: il NAV have been only
+, fancy Of mine. for certainly h" had tn Il
lock- At times on his fee, before he W.
old cunugh To TUX. and. therefore. il nav
have been h. natural expression.
P.,e>y WAS u"t we. K and >ick!v: he Wa
!, stout li,tl,. chtp. though very likely he
rot his muscle III being constantly driven
from place to place. He WAS n VERY
thnu.httul bow though he didn't Siv much
Very few people. not even his mother.
tnrw I'll The strang' ideas that crowded
P;trhv'- brain. Aud | -ur>> no on. cf,r.,'
very III ;ch. ever one VIZ always :" busy.
Something's. though. p.ckv would come
home from TIN mission school. Sundays,
filI paste with Lis lit;lr WEI tin-, l.. :, hit
II cSl.n''! ltr'r ON Nh old b":um that l"'n
frr's~ their attic home: AM Il" think
jhtl sometimes i"ckN mother, when >h''
=; ! minutes tinr did wonder "l1r
IA ~ ME d"i> # l"l. yellow. aud blu
paper meant. n"; larger th'n I >n"Wilth'-
Ia -lIt. but >ltr HInr>t always i"lL"i I"
,sk P,ykv about it: AMI ttlclI when one i
Door r.'r. dnI!S his ru'l"-ItH- Often P1ckN
would come N from the street with =
fr""h on HI i'r'. and III dirty tl~t> each
in 4 big knot. a. If he VIZ" afraid hl- ann
would >IIp OF over his hands; but thu
nlom' M his Eye ctu"ht sight OF the c"l"rs.
! HE rough sea on his lace would calm, and
he would walk around the OLD beam and
| whisper to hlm,rIt. and hi yellow hail
would fairly CLEAN with the thought
which flashed through his brain under
Meath
Picky had not been TO the mission
Sch"o but two or three months. and 1t was
only by chance he got there ut all. Only
By chance. well. GodS chance for Packy
| mean. There We're 80 many comforting
hing, God wanted Packv To know. II,
/ threw him right in the WAY of one of the
teachers, and the rest, of course, was easy
enough
Packv used to wish that some time at
sunday School, he might be able to secure
:. seat by the teachers side; but he iii
not expect his wish to be fulfilled for the
| bio bows pushed him ON, on on clear ~
to the end of the class. or down to the 20 Il,
SO that he fairly had to stretch his little
ears to catch all the words that tell Fl ON
the teachers lips. The teacher used to
| think he took down some of her wisdom
with his mouth. for he generally kept il
open when ~he talked but she never said
50 to Packy. | don't think She cai ed
much that the boys pushed Packy away
from her. because he was generally So
dirty. and his clothes so ragged compared
t. the rest. She used 10 have Tom
| Thatcher sit the nearest,-hi> mother was
4 washerwoman and sent him abroad quite
clean on SUNDAYS. Tom, though. WAS Il
biz rough fellow. and used 10 steal and
swear, and I'm afraid ne used to drink
| while Packy had Il fair. white sonl III his
DO y, that might sit next the pure>t and
not suly its nrighbor. But we do not
always take such things mt account, AMI
the teacher forgot about il; only she was
very good to them all and tried to help
them all She cou d.
One Sunday. though. the teacher was
almost sorry she had bothered /" come 10
the school when she saw only Ptckv s
eyes shining ort at her rs she entered the
seat. 1t was a rainy Sunday. and the room
Vas close; and Packy coming through tie
mud OF a mile or two wa, dlrtitr than ever
She smiled at him though, and helped him
to find the place when the school read
and told HIM he was i good boy Tor com
inc: He never knew but she was quit.
glad to see him.
Its of bnt little use to 60 through the