Connecticut western news., 1883-11-07
LITTLE FRECKLE FACE.

Nearly everybody in the neighborhood despised Little Freckle Face. She was vicious and dishonest. Whenever any depreciation was committed, or any tri- fling article left out of doors was missing, Little Freckle Face was at once sus- pected. No one knew her right name. She was found on the roadside after Q party of immigrants had passed along. When asked concerning her name, she made some childish reply which no one could understand. A poor blacksmith took her home with him, and partly ow- ing to his limited resoIrces-haYing been hard run in finding names sufficient for his own children-and partly on account of the innumerable freckles which the child wore like speckled mask, she was called Little Freckle Face. The black smiths wife, at whose instance the waif had found home, such as it was, soon died and her own children were taken by numerous relatives leaving Little Freckle Face with the ''son of the forge" He parted from his children without regret, and he would gladly have given up Little Freckle Face, but no one who was willing to take her could be found. Uncared for and never more than half clothed, the child grew to be eight or nine years old. She was sent to school, but she was soon driven away on account of the sad havoc she created among the dinner buckets. This was borne with until the teacher found his turnip greens hberally sprinkled with sand. He knew immediately who had committed the outrage, and declaring that he could stand great imposition, but that no one, male or female, could receive instruction from him after t'tampering" with his greens, dish of which he was particularly fond, com mauded 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 very small boy in short dresses, the son of the school master. She would stand for hours at the yard fence and amuse him, but she was not allowed to cross the fence, and even any communication whatever with the little fellow was forbidden.
 "I want you to go away from here and leave my child alone, said the school master, one day when he came home from school and found Little Freckle Face at the fence.
 ''Mister, I won't hurt him." she said,
 ''But don't want you to talk to him. You are too bad"
 ''I ain't bad to him. I love him."
 'sAnd another thing I want you to understand, I don't want you to steal any more fruit and bring it here to him. Go on away now, and if I catch you poking around my house again I shall be se- riously tempted to whip you"
 She turned away, weeping, and catch ing up stone she was about to throw it at the school master, but suddenly drop ping it she said:
 "H l wasn't afraid of hitting Willie I'd throw 1t at you. You are as mean as dog, that's what you are. How can I be good like everybody else, when I'm picked on all the time? I wish was dead"
 'sNever mind what you wish. Move on away"
 The next day Little Freckle Face. de. spite the threat of the school-master stood at the fence and began talking tc the boy who was playing inside the yard
 "What's that you've got" she asked and as the boy held up match sh, added:
 "Oh, throw that away. You nigh burn yourself up with it."
 The child laughed and playfully strucl the match on the bottom of his shoe In moment his little dress was on fire and with shriek and strange agility Little Freckle Face climbed the fence seized the boy and tore his clothes iron him, but her own clothing, miserabl cotton dress, took fire and in momen she Was enYeloped in a sheet of flame