The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-04-07
JENNY.
" In the sweet by-and-by,
We shall meet on that b

In the sweet by-and-by,
Weshall meet on that beautiful shore"
Where did the voice come fromP
looked round from one cot to anoth-
er, for the tone was unearthly sweet.
AT last | saw the singer, such a bit of
girl, with wan face and hollow eyes,
nursing doll almost as big as herself.
"She's better, ma am said the nurse.
"Soon as she's better she begins 20
sing"
"What a bright little face she hast"
ooh yes, Jenny is pretty girl, and
happy as a lark when the pain is gone
''Is she dangerously illPn
"Well, it's something, miss, from
which she can't recover, though it is
thought she may live good many
years. She's a very dear child"
l asked permission to speak to the
little thing, who, whenever 1 looked
that way, smiled so winningly that she
was irresistible.
you love singing" 1 said, as the
wee hand crept into mine.
"Oh yes, dearly! Can you sing to
meP" she asked.
"You shall hear me by-and-by," I
said. Before | 90 will sing to all the
little ones. How long have you been
here, JennyP'
g." almost a year; ever since my moth
er died"
"What! have you no mother?'
81 haven't anybody-that is, of my
own" she replied, with a sad little
| smile.
"Were you always siclzP" my dear.
"Oh, no; it was trying to save little
Johnny and my mother that | got so
! burnt. We were very poor, you know,
and never remember my father, cause
he died when was a baby, the week
after Johnny was born. Mother had to
90 out by the day and lock us in the
| room, and l took care of Johnny.
When she came home she'd make a
fire and give us nice supper. One
night, she came in late, and brought
some oil for the lamp; but while she
was filling it, little Johnny lighted a
match so close that it took fire.
pushed little Johnny away, and it didn't
touch him; and then pulled at mother,
but she'd caught, and so had l, and we
both blazed up Oh, it was dreadful! ~
and the child shuddered l felt her
little fingers tremble. "But I'm all
right now" she added, quickly, looking
up at me with a bright smile
"But how was the fire put out, my
childP"
81 don't know; never did know, l
only woke up, here, and I've been here
ever since-but mother died" Her
lips quivered.
And johnny"
She frightened again.
johnny didn't live a great while
| "a -l7 y l. :
And you are happy here?"
eyes, indeed; they are all so good h
me, and think-it's just like Heaven. -
looked round upon the little white
cots with their pale-faced occupants
the monotony of white walls, the ever.
recurring visits of nurse and physician,
and wondered in what depths of socia
misery the child could have beer
reared, that such place could seem
like Heaven.
All this time the child was hugging
her doll with one arm, the other lying
stiff and helpless, and looking into it:
lifeless face with all the sweet affection
, of her little trusting heart. 1t made
} the tears come into my eyes to see hel
, so contented. But just then we wer,
interrupted
" There S gentleman, ma am, who
Z wants to see YOU, said an attendant
} coming up to the bed and speaking t.
the nurse. "He is in the small parlol
t below The nurse left US with a noe
= and smile, and after a little time haC
elapsed, she came back with a tall
5 gentlemanly-looking man, whom sh'
3 left at the door, gazing anXiOusly W
r and down the wards of this evidently
! new sight to him. / thought the WON
l an seemed Hurried when she came TO
wards us, and that she seated hersel
e with nervous kind of motion on the
: edge of the little cot-bed in which hel
a little patient lay.
I Jenny, my dear, she said, softly
: Jenny, my dear-I've got something
Q to tell YOU"
b The child put up her little hand witt
g a caressing movement,
: Did you ever know your mother t
5 speak of your Uncle Benz"
n ''No, ma am, - said the child
Never said she had brotherg"