The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1880-04-20
Selfrt Stuyu.
"oLD MARGARET"
Cincinnati Commercially

Cincinnati Commercial.
"Old Margaret" everybody called her.
They did not say "Old Margaret" be-
cause she was aged, for she was not 16,
nor as term of endsarment, as when We
give hug to child, and say sou dear
old girl" Margaret never knew the
pleasure of being called old in this sweet
sense. but "Old Margaret" was term of
derision, Of disgust, OF mockery. She
was dwarf, cripple, deformed, idiotic,
could only speak few Ineligible words.
Her body was very large, her arms and
legs very short, she ha0a bumped back,
and her feet were twisted so that she had
to unloop them, so to speak, at every
step. Her forehead was low, mouth
coarse, eyes mere sodden slits. When
she hobbled, by aid Of her stick, along
the streets, happy children mimicked
her, thougbtless ones laughed at her,
wicked ones threw stones, the tender
hearted turned their heads, but no one
ever said loving word.
No one knew where she came from
who were her parents,or whether she had
brothers and sisters. The fret notice
the good folk of the town bad of her
existence was when she limped into a
Methodist class-meeting one Sunday
morning and took her seat by the door.
She wore q sun-bonnet,a drabbled dress,
faded shawl and glass breast-pin.-
They were singing a lusty Methodist
hymn when she made her appearance :;
possibly the music attracted her. She
listened to the experience of the bre th-
ers and sisters, most OF whom, according
to their statement, were wading to glory
through seas of trouble. Well, hearty
men shouldered what they termed "t 'el
cross" women who.had never kno IN 8
real misfortune, groaned for grace to
bear the trials of this life, young "pro
bationers" having beauty, home, friends
and health, besought prayer that they
s.might hold out faithful" )" and she. the
forlorn, the forgotten, the afflicted, the
despised, sat in the corner and tried to
get their meaning through her dull brain.
After every one had given in their usual
experience, the class.leader, known on
week days as ''Uncle Johnny" asked the
stranger If she was child of God. She
looked at him vacantly moment and
then turned her face to the wall, and q
few seconds after wriggled, by help OF
her cane, out Of the room.
Next Sunday found her sgain on the
bench by the door. Sabbath after Sab
bath she took her humble seat, until
Christians, with sensitive nerves objected
to her coming into the house Of God.--
She was 30 ugly it made them sick to
look at her. Such wretched deformity
ought to be shut from the sight of man
kind. One of the sisters, poor and
gentle Samaritan, who went about bind
ing MP wounds and encouraging the
| weak, noticed how the creatures dull
eyes followed the speaker, how the heavy
lids dropped apart in eagerness as she
listened to the songs of Zion, how the
distorted shoulders dropped forward to
| get nearer the truth, how the red hands
clasped and twitched nervously on the
knob of her rough hickory cane. Sc
when the matter was brought up in 9
meeting of matrons, this good Samaritan
objected to the stranger being driver
away. She had spoken to the girl. Hel
name was Margaret. She worked at {
wretched place out by the rock bridge
she bore the marks of kicks on her mis-
shapen body. She walked three milel
] ON her poor twisted feet every Sabbatt