The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1875-10-10
MARV AND HER LAMB.
The TTne story OF the Immortal AnIm-
al, as Related BY AaTy Herself
From Tho sprIuaold RopuOllcan,I

From the Spriuhold Republican,
There are floating about in the great
ocean OF literature stray chips of sony
or story, which from their Wit or wis.
dom, or nom some unacc0uutnble rea-
sou become popularlZed or cherished
more carefully than whole navles of
world-renowned authors. Their parent
age unknown they come as literary
ioundlings To our doors aud, once adj
mltled, command their own place In
our affections. Among such is the
poem " Mary had little iamb.n
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 dozen different
tunes. IL has been parodied, para.
phNsed and translated into the dead
languages. And yet scarce any one
knows who Is the author or whether IL
Is fictitious or founded on fact. 1t is,
perhaps, in the truth OF the story that
Tie secret of It's popularity lies, for it is
the true account of an incident that
happened 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 cherishes
the memory Of the event. The writer,
on recent visit, craved from her own
lips the true story of the affair and
Will reproduce il us nearly MS possible.
" " waS when / was nine years old, y
she said, "and we lived up ON the
farm. | used to go out to the barn
every morning with father to see the
COWS and sheep. They all knew me,
and the cows, old Broad and Short.
horn and Brndle, would low II good
morning when | came to their stables.
One cold day we found that during 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
ana almost frozen, and father told me
| might have it if could make it live.
So took it into the house. wrapped it
in a blanket and fed il on peppermint
and milk all day. When night came
| could not bear to leave it for fear it
would die, so mother made me up a
little bed on the settle, and | nursed
the poor thing all night, feeding il
with spoon, and by morning it could
stand. After this we brought it up by
hand, until ii grew to love me very
much, and would stay with me where
yer ! went unless it was tied. used,
before going to school in the morning,
to zee that the lamb was all right and
securely fastened for the day. Wen,
one morning when my brother Nat
and | were all ready, the lamb could
not be found, and, surprising that it
had gone out TO pasture with the cows,
we started on. | used to he great
singer, and the lamb would follow the
sound of my voice. This merning,
after we had gone some distance, |
began to sing, and the lamb hearing
me, followed on and overlook US be-
fore we got to the school house. As it
happened we Were early, 50 went in
very quietly, took the lamb into my
seat, where it went TO sleep, aud COW
cred it up with my shawl. When the
teacher came and the rest of the schol.
ars, they did not notice anything
amiss, and all was quiet until my spell
ling class was called. | had hardly
taken my place before the patting Of
little feet was heard coming down the
aisle, and the lamb stood beside nue.
ready for its word. OF course the chill
dren all laughed and the teacher
laughed too, and the poor creature had
to be turntd out of doors. But it kept
coming back, and at last had to be tied
in the woOdshed till night. Now, that
day there was young man in school,
John ROulston by name, who was on
u visit to one of the boys, and came
as spectator. He was Boston hoy
and son of riding-master, and was
fitting for Harvard College, He was
very much pleased over what he saw in
our school, and in Il few days after
he gave us the first three yeraes of
the song. How or when it got into
print don't know Thus she ran on,
telling of the care she bestowed on her
pet until it grew to he n sheep, aud she
would curl its long wool over u stick
and it bore lambs until there was n
flock of five all her own; and finally
how it was killed by an angry cow.
lnen sue brought OUT PAIR Oh llltle-
girl stockings, knitted of yarn spun
from the lambs wool, the heels of
which had been raveled out and given
away picemeal as mementos. No one
can doubt that she, whose youth was
rendered famous by love for an unfor-
tunate animal, has lived u life of be-
nifcence and charity. With heart
overlooking with love toward all Gods
creatures, she has indeed lived to care
for the needy and destitute, and be a
mother to the motherless. And now,
in a 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 eternal home in the green pas
lures and beside the still waters, where
the Good Shepherd feeds his lambs.
John Roulston died before entering
college. What the world lost in him
who wove into verse that immortal
lied them 10th the story of Mary and
the lamb no one may say.
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