The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-10-27
LITTLE FREcKLE:FAcE.

sing, Littic fFeCkie r ace was N once suspected. No one knew her right name. She was found by the roadside after a party of immigrants had passed along. When asked concerning her name, she made some childish reply which no one could understand. A poor black smith took her home with him, and partly ewing to his limited resources having been hard run in finding names sufficient for his own children-and partly on account of the innumerable freckles which the child wore like a speckled mask, she was called Little l Freckle Face. The blacksmiths wife, al whose instance the waif had found home, such as IL was, soon died, and her own children were taken by numerous relatives, leaving Little Freekle Face with the son Of the forge" He parted from his children without regret, and he would have gladly given up Little Freckle Face. but no one who was willing to take her could be found. Cncared for and never more than half clothed, the child grew to ! be eight or nine years old. She was sent 10 school, but she was soon driven away on aocoun, of the sad havoc she created among the dinner buckets. This was borne with. until the teacher found his turnip greens liberally sp,inkled with sand He knew immediately who had committed the outrage, and declaring that he could stand great imposition, bu, that no one, male or female, could receive in- struction from him alter tampering" with his greens, dish of which he was particularly fond, commanded Little Freckle Face to go away and never to come back again.
 There was but one human being for whom Little Freckle Face had any love, and that was d very small boy in short dresses, the son of the school-master. She would stand for hours al the yard fence and amuse him, but she was no, allowed to oioss the fence, and even any com munioation whatever with the little fellow was forbidden.
 ." wan; you to go away from here and leave my ehlld alone." said the school master one day when he came home from school and found Little Freckle Face al the fence.
 Mister. I won't hurt him" she sad.
 But don't want you to talk to hlm. You are too bad"
 ." amt bad 10 him. love him."
 And another thing l want you to understand, don't want you to steal any more fruit and bring it here to him. Go on away now, and if l catch you polk ing around my house again shall be seriously tempted 10 whip you. She turned away. weeping, and catch ing up stone she was abou, to throw it at the school-master, but suddenly drop ping il she said:
 If wasn't afraid of hitting Willie I'd throw II al you. You are as mean as dog, that's what you are. How can be good like everybody else, when I'm picked on all the time: wish l was dead.'
 Never mind wha, you wish. Move on away"
 The next day Little Freckle Face, de spite the threat ofthe eschool-master, stood a, the fence and began talking to the boy who was playing inside the yard.
 Whats that you've got?' she asked, and as the boy held up match she added: Oh. throw tha, away. You nigh, burn yourself up with n.' The child laughed and playfully struck the match on the bottom of his shoe. In oment his little dress was on fire, and with shriek and strange agility, Little Freokle Face climbed the fence. seized the boy and tore his clothes from him. but her own clothing, a miserable cotton dress, took fire and in a moment she was enveloped in sheet of flame. Several men and the school-master, who happened to be near, ran to her assistance, but too late. They took her into the house and laid her on a bed. Her eyes were so badly burned that she could not see, but when she heard the school-mas,er speak, she raised her hands and exclaimed:
 "Oh, you won't whip me. will you ?''
 No. my God." was all the school master could utter.
 The doctor came but he said ,ha, he could not be of any service. .She canno, live but few hours" he said. Send for her people"
 "She has no people" said some one She was found on the roadside after an immigrant wagon had passed"
 Where P asked the school-master.
 A few miles from here. She was too vouno in tell her oaue we afferwardS