The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1882-04-20
The Child on the Doorstep
did she leave any children ,"
Yes, this bit Of . child"
"And who'll take her n

~.'- ~" - -
"And who'll take her r.
Il don't know. We arc oil YER,
poor around hers, SIR, but must fiud
her . place somewhere. God helv
the little girl, for she's all slon,
now"
The sexton had calle I at the old
tenement house on Lsfyette stree,
east, TO take body to the psupsr =
fisld-the body Of Que whose life
had bseu worn out 10 the tread,uill
Of hunger aud dispair. Nobod,
knew that the mother was dead
hardly suspected that shs was i'll,
until the child appeared at th,
neighbor's door aud said
"Would you DO afraid 10 come ov.
or to my house, for ma ia dead 40
I'm keeping awful still, aud In
afraid 10 talk 10 her whom she won,
answer"
The mother had been dead fou,
hours. Long euough before day
came the flame of life had buruet
low and died out, aud that child
hardly seven years old, had beer
With the corpse through tho Ions
hours. kissing the face aud calling
for life to return. When they ask
cd IL she bad any friends sbe shool
her head. When they told her sb,
was alone in the great world. sh,
looked out OF the window on the
black November day and answer.
ed
81 can make three kinds OF dresse,
for doll babies, buili fires aud carr,
in wuod, and I'll work ever so hare
IL somebody will let ne live will
them.'
There was no funeral. The re va,
no need Of . sermon there. The
liues OF sorrow around the is, l
womsn's mouth counteI for IN IRE Ia
heaven than any eulogy man can de-
liver. There was no Grape. Ia
place OF il three or four honest
hearted woman let there tears droy
ON the white facs aud whispered
"Poor mother-poor child"
The child's big blue eyes wore ful
OF tears, bat there was hardly ,
tremor in her voice, a. she nestlet
her warm cheek against tue lip,
still forever. aud ssid
Goodbye ms-yoa'll come down
from heaven every night at dark.
won't you, aud you'll take me uI
there just ~ soon az you can. won
you I"
The laudlady locked mp the house
and the child went home with ont
OF the women. When night came
she stole out OF the house and away
from those who sought to comfort
her, and going back to the old house
she sat down ON the doorstep. bav-
ing no company but the darkness
40 officer passed that wsy,snd lean
iEg over the gate, be peered through
the darkness at something on the
step and called ont:
us an ybody there I"
Nobody but little girl" came
the snswer.
"Who is it ?"
"It's little girl whose ma was
buried to-day"
He opened the gate and wen'
closer. and % lie made ont the little
bare head and Innocent face. hs
said
"why, child, aren't you afraid 7"
~ was afraid . little while ago."
she said, but jnst ~ soon a. | asked
ws not TO Let anybody hurt me
got rieLt over it Would any one
dare TO hurt little girl whose una
is dead They could be tooksn up,
couldn't they ,"
lie offered TO 90 with her to the
house where she was to have hon. Q
for tew days aud taking his hand
with the utmost conf dsnce, she
walked beside him, and said
Il amt going to cry much till ga
to bed. where the folks cap't sss
me"
81 hope every one ~ill be good to
you," bere,nsrked. a. be put Lis
hand over her curly head
III they doo't they'll never go TO
heaven will they :"
"No"
Tuers was long pause and then
she said :.
"But I guess they will be. I Can