Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-01-19
True story Of "Mary's Little Lamb"

There is hardly child in the land who
has not become familiar with tbs verses.
And yet scarcely any one knows who is the
author, or whether it is fictitious or founded
on fact. Il Is, perhaps, In the truth OF
the story that the secret OF its popular
ity lies For it is the true account Of
an incident that happened sixty-one years
ago, not fifty miles from the Cradle OF Lib
erty. And Mary" delightful old lady Of
threesoore and ten, still lives and cherishes
the memory of the event. The writer, on a
recent visit, asked from her own lips the
true story of the affair." and will reproduce it
as nearly as possible
at was when was nine years old" she
said, 90 and we lived on the farm. ! used to
90 out TO the barn every morning with father
to see the cows and sheep. They all knew
me, aud the cows, old Broad and Shorthorn
and Brindle, would low a 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 tlis pen
into the yard. 1t was almost starved, and
almost frozen, and father told me might
have it il | could make it live. So took it
| into the house, wrapped it in a blanket, and
fed it on peppermint and milk all day. When
night came | could not bear to leave it, for
| fear il would die, so mother made me up
| little bed on the settle and | nursed the
poor thing all night, feeding it with spoon,
and by morning it could stand. After this
we brought it up by hand until 1t grew
10 love me very much, and would stay with
me wherever / went unless it was tied. |
used, before going to school in the morning,
to see that the lamb was all right and Sc
cursly fastened for the day.
well one morning, when my brother
Nat and | were all ready, the lamb could
rot be found and supposing that 1t had gone
out to pasture with the COWS, we started on.
used to be a great singer and the lamb
would follow the sound of my voice. This
morning, after we had gone seine distance |
began TO sing, and the lamb, hearing me, fol
lowed ON and overlook us before we got TO
the school-house. As it happened, we were
early, so | went in very quietly, took tho
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 sehol-
ars, they did not notice anything amiss, and
all was quiet until my spelling class was
called. | had hardly taken my place be-
fore the patting of little feet was heard com
ing down the aisle, and the lamb stood be-
side me, ready for its word. OF course the
children all laughed aud the teacher laughed,
too, and the poor creature had TO be turned
ont 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, whc
was Oh visit 10 one of the boys, and came
as a spectator. lie was Boston boy, and
son Of the riding-school master, and was iit
ting for Harvard College. lie was very
much pleased over what he saw in oul
school, and few days after gave us the first
three verses of the song. How or when II
got into print, don't know"
Thus she ran on, telling OF the care she
bestowed on her pet until it grew to bs .
sheep, and she would curl its long wool orel
a stick and it bore lambs until there was .
flock OF five, all her own and finally, how Il
was killed by an angry COW. Then she
brought out pair Of her little girls stock
ings, knitted OF yarn spun from the lambi
WOOL the heels Of which had been rayellec
: out and given away pecemeal as meinentoes
. No one can doubt that she, whose youth
was rendered famous by love for an unfor
4; tunate animal, had lived life of benefcenc'
, and charity. With aheart overilowing will
/ love towards all Gods creatures, she has IN
deed lived TO care for the needy and desti
. tute, and be a mother TO the motherless
7 And now, in green old age, she is surrounded
s by those whom her warm heart long sinc'
= taught to cling to her and follow as th'
lamb in her youth.-SPrinqfeh Republican