The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1878-06-04
The Angel With Folded Wings.

I had been down town shopping, and
on my return, as it was Just time for
school to close, l thought | would 60
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 l 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 "return
ball." Others were chatting over the days
lessons; but all were looking very happy
that school was over, and that half
holiday was just ahead of them. ..
Close to the gate 1 found little group
collected; and as l drew near was
panied to hear voice that sounded very
like our little Mary's talking in loud and
excited tones. | joined the circle at
once, and sure enough there she was in
the center of it, standing before boy
who was twice her size, her eyes flashing,
her face all flushed with intense feeling,
while he looked both ashamed and sullen
Just as / stepped up unnoticcd by any,
she was saying:
"You ought to be ashamed of yourself,
Jim Flummer; 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 I live--so there.
now ~ And with stamp of her little
foot May pushed her way through the
group, and started 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 little 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 word back,
only when he got up to where jim was,
he said real softly: Il wish God had
made NE straight Ike you, Jimmie and
then he went right along home. But
want mad though; and didn't I give
it to him? l just wish that 10, or some
of the big boys had been there; wouldn't
they have given him fits for maxim fun
of poor dear sick boy like Archie!"
And here May burst into another fit of
crying.
"Come, come little girl" / said, az
don't blame you one bit for feeling
angry 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 comfort you a
little to have me tell you a perfectly
true story of a dear little deformed girl
whose aunty know well; and who told
me the story herself. Perhaps sometime
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 among the poorest and the
most forsaken, who could be so cruel as
Jim Plummer has been to-day.
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 shoulders
were sadly out Of shape, and she had
never grown any after she was eight
years old. A wee little dwarf she was
and must always be, who could never
| join with the children in their sports,
and who at times through her whole life
must long and wish for that which she
could never have.
But with her poor little body God had
given her the sweetest and happiest dis.
position. She would sit out of doors in
her easy chair, watching the children at
| play, and would laugh so merriiy at their
pranks. and say SO many funny things,
that all the little folks in the neighbor.
hood used to say that they never had a
really good time unless Fay was near by
In winter, well wrapped up in her little