Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1875-01-14
Dor.
A Christmas Story.

She never had any otker Christian
name, aud | cannot tell you if her sur
name was Smith or Jones. 1t is an un
solved mystery how, in a home vher,
love never entered, where fond titles
were never heard, a name so like low
ing abbreviation was ever given to the
child.
She was not one of the little ones
who, climbing upon q mothers lap In .
cosey nursery, have pet titles showered
upon them; who, kneeling beside 8
mothers knee, lisp baby prayers, and
are lifted into warm cribs, and folded
to sleep in softest of blankets who,
waking rosy and happy, find the choice
selections of toy shops awaiting their
destruction from baby fingers.
Dots nursery was cellar with stone
walls and an earthen floor, and If her
mother ever lifted her, it was to bestow
upon her shrinking body a blow her
CRIB was dirty blanket in O corner.
where she crept alone and if she ever
heard her Creators name, it was in q
curse, not prayer.
Her father and mother, tall and
strong, worked part of the week to OBJ
tain the means of being drunk the rest,
and had no other pleasure in common
but that OF kicking, cutting and abus-
ing Dot.
She was five years old, with the stat
ure OF child of two, and so thin that
it seemed a wonder her bones did not
fall apart, with no more flesh to bind
them together. Out of tangle of dull,
dust-colored hair peeped tiny white
face, with sunken cheeks, pinched lips,
and eyes that were like owls, they
looked SO unnaturally large and round.
In winter her fingers and toes were
covered with great red chilblains, and
all the var round she carried upon her
poor little back the marks of cruel
blo-Ss.
Her idea of home was that it was a
I horrible place, from which it was CON-
parative happiness to escape into the
streets-a place where a powerful vi
rago she called nanny twitched her
up whenever she found warm corner
behind the stove, and tossed her by her
poor little sticks of arms into far off
cold corners, or cuffed her and turned
her into the streets; where a Keeling,
swearing man lifted her on his great
foot to toss her poor little aching bones
across the floor, where she would lie in
a corner trying to suppress her sobs.
lest the noise should attract notice and
a consequent fresh abuse.
Her highest idea of comfort was GEN.
tered In a great brewery at the corner
of the wretched street where she lived,
and where she could sometimes creep
into q warm spot, or feel in the gut
ter outside the rush of the hot
refuse that swept by, and whose sweet
smelling steam enveloped her in
warmth.
She was lying upon the curb stone,
feeling and inhaling this steam, one
Christmas Eve, when Miss Mary Rus
sell, one of the teachers in large Mis-
sion Sunday School, hurrying past the
brewery, muffied in soft furs, nearly
stumbled over the PROSTATE little figure.
1t was clear, starlight evening, early
yet, though after lamplght, but very
cold; and the lady stopped, sickened
with the sight of this atom shivering In
scant calico dress, ragged cloak and
hood, barefooted, and with q thin
white face, which was all distorted by
crying.
"Cbild child :" she said, "what are
you doing here? p
81 ant doin' no HARM" Dot an
swered, scrambling TO her feet. =" 1t
feels good, and Tn cold"
"Cold 1 should think so. Where
is your homer
! Mammys mad cos pop he's on q
, spree and ant got no money. She's
walloped me twice, and l ant had a
!, bite to day, so sneaked ont to warm
. me here. 1 often comes, but 1 don't
do no HARM"
, "Will you come with me where yor
can have some food and clothes ?"
Dot was willing enough, aud put 6
, hand like birds claw into Miss Rus
Q sells. 1t was Christmas Eve, as l have
q said, and the teachers of the Sunda,
school were preparing tree and trea
! of nice things to eat for the little one
E under their charge. 1t was no novelt.
t to see any of them entering, with LITTLE
ragged children but Dots face was 81
utterly wan and white that several o
: the other ladies gathered around her q
she entered the long room.
"I found her shivering on q curb
stone," Miss Russell explained, can,
D she has evidently escaped from tn
cruelties of drunken parents. We mus
: clothe and feed her to- night, and to
morrow / will see if she is a case TO
e the Home"
e "What is your name, dear?" aske
one of the teachers, gently IemoviD
J. the tattered cloak.
s Dot Please ma'am, don't take tina
!. ere I'll freeze to death if you do.
: "We want to put some warmer clothe
S on You, Dot" was the reply and til
r little one was tenderly lifted in motherl
o arms, and carried by Mary's mothe
e into little room, where a great baskt
b of clothing stood ready for distribr
Il ton.
il The little waif was full of wonderin
b awe. Never in her short life had SD
e seen such rooms as these she was IL
II Never had her rags been taken from hs
poor little shivering body by such so
70 hands never had cool ointment touche
'e the great sores on her back, the chi
l. blains on her feet and hands never ha
!, tears fallen upon her tangled hair. {
se kisses on her wondering face.
I'd Gently, as If she were q king