The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-07-06
THE ANGEL WITH FOLDED WINGS.

THE ANGEL WITH FOLDED WINGS,
l had been downtown shopping, and
on my return, as it was Just time for
school to close, thought | would 90
home that way, and SO, perhaps, have
the company of one or more of our lit
tie folks for the remainder of my walk.
AS | arrived in sight of the school
house the children were trooping out,
and were lining the sidewalks in all
directions. Some of the boys were
stopping to spin their tops; the girls,
many of them, were showing their
skill in throwing and catching the ere
turn ball. others were chatting over
the days lessons, but all were looking
very happy that school was over, and
that a half holiday was just ahead of
them.
Close to the gate I found q little
group collected; and as | drew near l
was panied to hear a voice that sound
ed very like our little Mays talking
in loud and excited tones. | Joined
the circle at once, and sure enough
there she was in the center of it, stand
ing before boy who was twice her
size, her eyes flashing, her face flushed
with intense feeling, while he looked
both ashamed and sullen. Just as
stepped up, unnoticed by any, she was
saying:
"YOu ought to be ashamed of your
self, Jim Plummer You are bad,
wicked boy. You will never 90 to
heaven, never, and | hate you; I'll
never speak to you again as long as |
live-so there, now p And with a
stamp of her little foot May pushed
her way through the group, and start
ed on run for home.
"May," l called; "stop, May, and
wait for me-" She turned, and seeing
me ran to my side and burst into tears.
Amt it too bad, Aunt Katy" she
sobbed out, "that bad Jim Plummer
has been maxim fun of poor little
Archie Howard, what's got the little
sick back, you know? An jest when
Archie was a comm out of school, jim.
hollered out jest as loud as anythin':
Hulloa, here comes Hunchie, with his
pack on his back Want it awful,
aunty? and poor Archie, the tears came
right into his eyes; but he never said a
word back, only when he got up to
where Jim was, he said real softly: Il
wish God had made me straight like
you, Jimmie and then he went right
along home. But want mad, though;
and didn't l give it to him? l just wish
10 or some Of the big boys had been
there; wouldn't they have given him
fits for maxim fun of a poor dear sick
boy like Archie?" And here May burst
into another fit of crying.
Come, come, little girl" said, 81
don't blame you one bit for feeling an
cry at so cruel boy, but he has hurt
himself far more than he has Archie,
for no one will ever love or care for one
who would speak unkindly to one of
Gods little, weak and sickly lambs.
But this is Wednesday, you know, and
the day for our story, and it may COM
fort you little to have me tell you a
perfectly true story of a dear little de-
formed girl whose aunty know well,
and who told me the story herself.
Perhaps some time you can tell it to
Archie when it will be a real help to
him, and will show him that there are
but very few boys in the world, even
amcng the poorest and the most for
saken, who could be so cruel us jim
Plummer has been.
Fay Hooper was at the time of my
story about thirteen years of age. Her
face was one of the most beautiful |
ever looked upon. She was very fair
and white, with the most delicate pink
in her cheeks, which, when she smiled,
were dented with two deep dimples
and her lips when parted showed two
even rows of such lovely white teeth
that they looked exactly like two strings
of little, tiny pearls, while her beautiful
golden-colored hair fell in long ringlets
to her waist. But alas! her poor shoul
ders were sadly out of shape, and shC
had never grown any after she was
eight years old. A wee little dwarf she
was and must always be, who coulC
never join with the children in theil
sports, and who at times thought hel
whole life must long and wish for tina
which she could never have.
but with her poor little body Goo
had given her the sweetest and happies
disposition. She would sit out of door
in her easy-chair, watching the children
at play, and would laugh so merrily a
their pranks, and say so many funn.
things that all the little folks in tn
neighborhood used to say that the,
never had a really good time unless Fla.
was near by. In winter, well wrapped
up in her little sleigh, with two of he
girl friends for u pair of ponies, the
would take her to the hill to watch tn
merry coasters, while at the pond
where the skaters were, there was man
a good-natured quarrel among the boy
TO know who should be the one to pus
Fay's sleigh over the ice.