New-York tribune., 1880-06-13
4 WEEK IN THE COUNTRY.

4 VEEk IN THE COUAIhI.
Here is a little incident which has SpecIaI
significance just at this time. Last summer
Iadr in Il neighboring city became interested IN
tbe charity called the Childrens week. Oy
which the boys and girls who would never otler-
wife see the country are received as guests vi
boarders at farm houses for week OF
fortnight. There was lame girl VINO SAT
ot a corner Of a noisy street selling papers anu
peanuts. q wizened, stOlid little creature WIN
duu ewes and leathery skin. Her the Iady
chose. prompted by some passing treah' lS 'ho
subject of her charity, and sent her out 10 q
farmer among the hills in Berks county ~
hoard. The farmer and his wife had secre'y
a Door opinion of "town trampS' OF nu-
manitaran experiments. They gave the
children their meals for which they were palu,
ordered them out of the berry -patch, cOuhle"
tbe SPOONS when they were going, that hone
should be stolen, and felt that they had ols-
charged their full duty. This girl, unlike 'he
others. neither robbed the cherry trees nor
tramplcd the bcrry-bcds She sat all day on
tLe door.sieps looking out at hill and helu' OF
sometimes followed the housewife to barn OF
nonltrv-vard. or g1avcly watched the cows and
chickens rs f they had been new miracles IN
u crcoturc." WIS the good womlns verdict wnen
she went away. In April, the farmers wife
received an urgent message asking her to come
to this girl who was dying Of some slow
inherited disease. She found her with
drunken woman in squalid ROOM at the top
of q tencment-housc, ;hc one window or when
opcnel on dngy brick walls aud an asphalV
roof. where n lean eat prowlod among empty
tomato cans. The coua'ywoman was not
used 10 visits Of sympathy. She was appalled,
by the dirt, the surrounding misery the
chance of smallpox, the probable demand lor
money. "What do you want with me sho
asked. as 1t all there still = the child de-
manded, her eyes lindcd with fever.
The hills, the solemn sunsets, the green neiuS'
even the cattle and simple sights ana sounds
of the farm haunted her like wonde' tul
vision. In the sixteen ycns during when the
noor wretch had lived, that one week had been
/ her single glimpse of the beautiful world
obout her. I'm the rest, she had known moth
ing. absolutely nothing but the dirty street on
which stood her stand and her bare garret
! Now that death was at hand, she cried out Tor
| this lost chance, which never should come 10
her. with n mad bitter longing for which, un-
! Taught animal that she was, she had no words.
! ais it all there still Tell me about it J! she
! eoid Tho wnods. the COWS, the things | saw
- Won plant-any thing, haven't much time.
want to hear about them once before co.
! Tbc woman talked as she was bidden Pres
! scntIy the facts of the situation forced them
| ,ciyrs inlo her slow mind. "Why!' she said,
| starting I'D. her ewes full of mOtherly Kindness.
! u WHY shouldn't you come to it, cmldV She
toolk her home that night and nursed her
t,ndcrly. A. if she had once been her own baby.
| If wo would say that the sick, child recovered
| in the pure air and quiet of tn" hills our story
wonld have been pcasantcr to tell. Bnt She
| did not recover. She died there atter mohth
Of happiness. The farmhouse, the wOous
nuttino ont their tender leaves, the fields
inst uptuned by the plough, all became Ike
! home TO her. She had keen interest III the
nlanting. The farmer. q rough Pennsylvania
! Dutcl,man. took time to carry her frdfh place
IN place. made seats for her by the stream,
under the oaks in the pasture. AT last she
closed her eyes contentedly on it all, and her
tired body was laid to rest in the puro air and
warm friendly earth Of the hills. 1t seems to
ma that wherever her soul went it was the better
fnr that taste of life in the good, beautiful
| country.
There are appeals every day in all the cities
for help to send poor children to sanitariums
TO fa1m-houses, to excursions. IL every man
or woman who is good Christian would give
q t;i6e there is not n wrctched little child in
New-Yorl or Philadelphia who would not
have a glimpse of the country before the
Summer is over. DO you think they do not care
for it7 Putting the question of health aslde'
is It nothing to put into their black, bare lives
wonderful picture which they will never
forget. Tuke bunch of roses and go into an
asylum OF o squalid alleyway, and you will
read In the ptiful begging OF the childish faces
whether they care for these thugs. II rose
counts for so much what is the miracle Of q
whole week of country life to them9 And
tbis bit of enchantment in the lives Of these
forlorn babies will cost but two or three
dollarsl "Never neglect said George Hill,
to make a child happy. You may do your
best to give happiness to man or woman and
Gfail at last. But you never fail with child.
@When God puts the chance in your way, do
"nOt pass it by"
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AMERICANS ABROAD.
etrnst na1d in which n