The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1878-04-26

W dlhIti lllC itob vi NV "oN LHO
tollman said there wasn't any
Home, and told US to go back and
ask it we might stay till morning
at one of the houses over there
but we did't like to, so we sat down
here to rest"
That was the story, but the pa
thos quivering through the childish
voice cannot be written here.
"Poor little babies y exclaimed
the man when she had finished. "A
pretty pass for two tender infants
to be roaming the wide world alone.
There is a home, and you shall find
it ere the stars do set. Jump up,
birdlings, into this soft nest of hay,
and | will take you there as fast as
jess and Jean can travel"
Laying Violet down tenderly up.
on a bunch of fragrant hay behind
the wagon seat, he lifted Prissy up
beside her, covering them snugly
with a blanket. Then, climbing to
the seat himself, he chirrupped his
horses into Il brisk tr0t.
Neither Plissy nor Violet had
fairly seen his face in the uncertain
starlight, but they would as easily
have doubted the sincerity of a
guardian angel as Of this kind-spo-
ken man. They saw that they were
being born in direction opposite
to where they had expected to find
the home, but a delicious sense OF
warmth and rest lulled them to
sleep, almost before they had
ceased to hear the whirlpOols lap
ping round the wooden piers.
Locked in each others arms the
little waytarers slumbered sweetly
on, while they were carried far, far
out beyond the prairie fire that
lighted the horizon with its rosy
glow.
At length they awoke, to find
| themselves before cottage III
whose window a light was burning
brightly, and in whose doorway
appeared little woman with Il cap
Of Snowy white upon her head.
"Well, mother Marie, We have
COME" announced the man.
"And none so welcome" was the
little woman's answer. Why,
bless me, who have you there?" she
added, seeing two small faces peep
ing shyly from the wagon.
"Two sparrows, love, whom God
did not let fall Oh the ground with.
out his notice.
prissy and Violet were led into
the house, where the good man
told their story to his wife, who,
long ere he had flushed, WAS moist
ening the sparrows" heads with
tears. Selling Violet, she clasped
her iu her arms, eXclaiming:
son, my little lost Blanchette
my little lost Blauchette ~
Violet understood the sorrow OF
the tone, but scarcely the meaning
Of the words. Laying her head on
mother Marie's shoulder she III.
quired softly:
"Did Blanchette stray away and
lose herself, 50 tar that you could
never find herw
"No, petite, she died before the
cocoons were spun last year. She
had golden hair like yours, and
blue eyes, the. color of the summer
skies. Oh, my little lost Blanch-
ette ~
Sobbing and rocking Violet, mo.
ther Marie caSed her heart, and
then began to make brisk prepara-
tions for the childreu'S comfort.
Supper was placed before them,
which they ate with relish, sitting
on either side of the good man,
who helped them bountifully to
mugs of milk and slices of Won
drously white bread.
ave will take care of them, and
they can help the other children
pick the leaves aud feed the worms"
he said to mother Marie when they
had finished supper.
PriSsy ana Violet wondered much
what he could mean, but said DO,
thing till they were tucked away in
bed under the cottage caves. Then
Violet whispered:
"He talked about the 'other chill
dren,' do you suppose he brought
us to real Home, after all"
IL don't know" said Prissy, great
ly puzzled. "There are no more
children in this house | am sure.
'Tis such tiny one that we should
see them if there were"
"What does he mean by ferding
worms 7" still questioned Violet.
"rm sure / can't imagine. 1t
would be the funniest kind of work.
Worms can generally feed them.
selves and eat up all before them,"
responded Prissy. "Oh, Violet!
did YOU hear him talk about the
sparrows? One of them shall not
fall to the ground without your
Father Grandma told us that
when she said we'd be Fortunes
children, but if we trusted in God
we would be fed and taken care
Of"
Early in the morning Prissy and
Violet were awakened by a lively
chattering below their chamber
window. Jumping out of bed, they
saw troop of children with bas-
kets in their hands, coming from y
long, low building between the cot
tage and u group of houses whose
gabled roots gave them quaint
foreign aspect.
Scattering through the grove OF