The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-04-14
LITTLE JENNY.
" In the sweet by-and-by,
Weshall meet on that beautiful shore"

Wcbnau meet on InaC DeauCl1uI S1Or6.
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 bit of a
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 to
sing"
"What bright little face she hasr'
"Oh yes, Jenny is a pretty girl, and
happy as lark when the pain is gone"
is she dangerously ill?'
"Well, it's something, miss, from
which she can't recover, though it is
thought she may live good many
years. She's very dear child"
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
me?n she asked.
"You shall hear me by-and-by," 1
said. Before l 60 will sing to all the
little ones. How long have you been
here, jenny"
" 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 sad little
smile.
"Were you always sick?" my dear.
"Oh, no; it was trying to save little
johnny and my mother that 1 got so
burnt. We were very poor, you know,
and never remember my father, cause
he died when was baby, the week
after Johnny was born. Mother had to
go out by the day and lock us in the
When SIZE ns oam t9o6 Home ere sneefa maGRe
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. l
pushed little Johnny away, and it didn' t
touch him; and then pulled at mother,
but she'd caught, and so had 1, 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 bright smile.
"But how was the fire put out, my
childP"
81 don't know; / never did know. |
only woke up, here, and I've been here
ever since-but mother died" Her
lips quivered.
"And johnny"
She frightened again. ..r
Johnny didn't live great while
after mother died. And she's got him. "
"And you are happy here?"
"Yes, indeed; they are all so good to
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 social
misery the child could have been
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 its
lifeless face with all the sweet affection
of her little trusting heart. 1t made
the tears come into my eyes to see her
so contented. But just then we were
interrupted. r..
"There's a gentleman, ma'am, who
wants to see you," said an attendant,
coming up to the bed and speaking to
| the nurse. ''He is in the small parlor
below" The nurse left us with nod
and smile, and after little time had
elapsed, she came back with a tall,
gentlemanly-looking man, whom she
left at the door, gazing anxiously up
and down the wards of this evidently
new sight to him. / thought the wom-
an seemed Hurried when she came to-
wards us, and that she seated herself
with nervous kind of motion on the
edge of the little cot-bed in which her
little patient lay.
Jenny, my dear" she said, softly,
Jenny, my dear-Tve got something
to tell you"
The child put up her little hand with
a caressing movement.
"Did you ever know your mother to
speak of your Uncle BenP"
g No, ma am" said the child.
"Never said she had brother?"
"Oh yes, ma am said the girl, her
face lighting up, "she used to kiss a
picture she said was her brother"
Did she ever say he was deadP'
"No, | think not" was the reply;
"mother never talked, she was so tired
when she came home"
"Well, little Jenny, your mother did
have brother who went away years
ago, and was never heard from. / sup
pose she thought he was dead, but he
was not. He was away off in another
part of the world earning his living,
and he has just come back to America,
and after a great deal of patient search
ing, he finds that his poor sister is dead,