American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-10-23
History Of Sc Mary Had Little Lamb"


There are floating about in the great
ocean of literature stray chips of song or
story, which from their wit or wisdom, or
from some unaccountable reason, become
populariZed and cherished more carefully
than whole navies of world-renowned
authors. Their parentage unknown, they
come as literary foundlings to our doors,
and once admitted command their swn
place in our affections. Among such is
the poem, MARY had n little lamb"
There is hardly child in the broad land
who has not become familiar with the
verses; not a college student but has sung
them to a dozen different tunes. 1t has
been parodied, paraphrased and translated
into the dead languages. And yet scarce
anyone knows who is its author or
whether it is fictitious or founded on fact
1t is, perhaps, in the truth of the story that
the secret of its popularity lies. For it is
the true account of an incident that hap
pened sixty-one years ago, not fifty miles
from the Cradle of Liberty. And Mary"
= delightful old lady of three-score and
ten, still lives and cherishss the memory
of the event The writer, on recent
visit, craved from her own lips the true
story of the affair, and will reproduce it as
nearly as possible:
1t was when 1 was nine years old"
she said, " and we lived up on the farm.
I used to go out 10 the barn every morn
ing with father to see the cows and sheep.
They all knew me, and the cows, old
Broad and Short Horn and Brindle, would
low a good-morning when I came to :heir
stables One cold day we found that dur
ing the night twin lambs had been born.
You know that sheep will often disown
one of twins, and this morning one poor
little lamb was pushed out of the pen into
the yard. 1t was almost starved and al
most frozen, and father told me I might
have it if could make 1t live. So took
it into the house, wrapped it in blanket
and fed it peppermint and milk all day.
When night came l could not bear to
leave it for fear it would die, SO mother
made me I'D little bed on the settee, and
/ nursed the poor thing all night, feeding
it with spoon, and by morning it could
stand. After this we brought 1t up by
hand until it grew to love me very much,
and would stay with me wherever went
unless it was tied. 1 used before going
to school in the morning to see that the
lamb was all right and securely fastened
for the day. Well, one morning when my
brother Nat and / were all ready, the
lamb could not be found, and supposing
that it had gone out to pasture with the
cows we started on. l used to be great
singer, and the lamb would follow the
sound of my voice. This morning, after
we had gone some distance, l began to
sing, and the lamb hearing me followed
on and overlook us before we got 10 the
school-house. As it happened, we were
early, so went in very quietly, took the
lamb into my seat, where it went to sleep,
and covered it up with my shawl:
When the teacher came and the rest OF
the scholars, they did not notice anything
amiss and all was quiet until my spelling
class was called. had hardly taken my
place before the pattering Of little feet
was heard coming down the aisle, and
the lamb stood beside me ready
for its word. OF course the children
all laughed and the teacher laughed, too.
and the poor creature had to be turned
out-of- doors. But he kept coming back,
and at last had to be tied in the wOodshed
till night Now that day there was a
young man in school, John Roulston by
name, who was on q visit to one OF the
boys and came in as spectator. He was 9
Boston boy and son of the riding school
master, and was fitting for Harvard Col
lege. He was very much pleased over
what he saw in our school, and, few days
song How or when it got into print l
don't know"
Thus she went on, telling Of the care
she bestowed on her pet until it grew to
be sheep, and she would curl its long
wool over a stick; and it bore lambs until
there was flock of five, all her own; and
finally how it was killed by an angry cow.
Then she brought out q pair OF her little
girl stockings, knitted of yarn spun from
the lambs wool, the heels of which had
been raveled out and given away, piece
meal, as mementos. No one can doubt
that she, whose youth was rendered famous
by love for an unfortunate animal, has
lived . life of beneficence and charity.
With heart OVERLOOKING with love toward
all Gods creatures, she has indeed lived
to care for the needy and destitute, and be
q mother to the motherless. And now, in
q green old age, she is surrounded by
those whom her warm heart long since
taught to cling to her and follow, as the
lamb IN her youth. When at last she
shall cross the river, she will find an eter-
nal home in the green pastures and beside
the still waters, where the Good Shepherd
feeds his Lambs. John Roulston died be-
fore entering college. What the world
lost in him who wove into verse that. i'm
mortalized them both the story of Mary
and the lamb, no one may say.-WfUidm b.
Sapyer, tn Springfield (Aass.) Republican.