The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-10-06

not forgive his m0tner, anu, Iuere-
fore, he would not return to New
York. Five years later he received
an appeal from his father. Your
mother is dead he wrote, 'and your
sisters are married and gone away
from me. am an old man now and
YOU are all have left. Come back
to me-
"He returned, but the old man
passed away within two years. AT
his death he left the bulk of his for
tune to his son.
"About seven years ago the Coll
onel started out West to look after
some mining interests. On his
way he stopped for day or two in
Chicago. One evening as he was
standidg on the steps of the Sher-
man house, uncertain whether to go
to theatre or club, he was accosted
by little girl who carried a small
tray of button-hole boquets. please
buy boquet, sir after he had once
refused, and the voice was so sweet
and pleading that he turned to look
at her. Something in her face and
manner attracted him, she was so
different from the brazen-f faced lit
tie wretches who usually monopo-
lize the flower business.
"What is your name," he asked.
"Mara, SIR" replied the little one.
"Mary, you meanT'
mo sir, Mara"
''That is a strange name, little
girl. Who gave it to you?"
"My mama, sir; it's Bible name.
Don't you know where it says 'call
me not Naomi, call me Mara, for
the Lord hath dealt bitterly with
me?"
"My child" said the Colonel,
kindly, "has the Lord dealt very
bitterly with you?'
eyes, sir, my mamma is very sick
and poor"
"Well, perhaps the Lord has
sent me to make up for his neg
lect," said the Colonel, smiling at
the idea. Suppose you take me to
your mother"
"Oh, thank you, slr," said the
child and taking his hand she led
him away to rickety old tenement
house and up three or four flights OF
stairs.
"This is our home" said she,
opening the door of room which
was almost entirely !bare Of furni-
ture, "and there is mama. Mama,
here is a gentleman come to see
you"
"The woman, who was lying pale
and emaciated upon bed in a cor,
ner of room raised herself upon
one elbow and looked with startled
eyes upon the visitor.
81 beg your pardon, madam, for
this intrusion" said the Colonel,
advancing to his bedside. "Your
little daughter told me you were i'll,
and l thought l might be of some
service. Will you-My God, what
a resemblance"
The Colonel was now staring at
the thin, worn face before him, and
trembling in every limb.
"Oh, George, is it really you?'
cried the woman with streaming
eyes and outstretcned hands.
"NaomiW
1t was the Colonel's wife living
but merely a wreck of the beauti-
full girl he had left at the breaking
out of the war. She had not com
mitted suicide, though she was sore
ly tempted to do so, but had come
to Chicago and sought employment.
Less than two months after her ar
rival, her child was born. 1t had
been hard stuggle for bread most
of the time, but they had never
known actual want until the moth
er's health failed. Then little Mara
in the bitterness of her spirit the
mother had called her Mara-went
out into the street, and by selling
flowers and papers had earned just
enough to buy food and pay rent for
the miserable room they called their
home, but there had been nothing
for medicine or for.delicacles which
the sufferer craved.
"Well, I have made a long story
of it," said the Herald's informant,
breaking off abruptly, "but l think
it was worth the telling"
"But you haven't told ALL" said
the writer"
"Haven'tI? Well, l thought you
could surmise the rest. There were
mutual explanations, and in a few
DAYS, father, mother and daughter
sailed for Europe. In the mild at
mosphere of the south of France
the mother recovered her health, and
under the best instructors money
could procure, their daughter re-
ceived a liberal education. A year
ago they returned to this city and
are now living on the North side,
and there is not happier family in
the United States"
"And now that beautiful girl is
little Mara, who once sold flowers in
front of the Sherman housep' said
the writer, as she passed again on
her fathers arm
"Yes; but remember thatls a Sc.
cret."
lshe Women of the South.