Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-11-10
sg1oNlha' Column,
LITTLE NAN


calls s'home" Out in an open mead
ow, with the hot sun beating from
morning until night, in little wood
en- house, not much bigger than a
playhouse, with one window and one
door in front, and one window and
one door In the back, is where little
Nau lives. There are no pictures on
the walls, except the pictures in some
old newspapers that are pasted over
the boards. There is no carpet on
the floor. But with all the poverty
and lack of comfort the house is
clean and neat, and so is little Nan,
in her faded calico dress, that just
reaches to her little tanned knees.
Little Nan has not doll or toy
of any kind, nor has she ever had,
except little battered tin rattle that
was hers when she was baby. Nan
was six years old the goth day of
May, as she will tell you. She ex-
poets to start for school this winter
in the little school-house down in the
hollow. | said Nan had no doll, but
that is a mistake. She has one made
out of pillow-case, rolled together
and sewed, with eyes and nose and
chin marked with charcoal. She has
to make new eyes every once in
while, as the old ones get rubbed out.
But Nan has one plaything that she
loves very dearly, and that is little
kitten. Its name is Polly Ann. 1t
is white kitten with black nose and
black ears and tail. Nan says she
can't tell when Polly AIMS nose is
clean, because it is black. She says
she can't tell when Polly Ann is sick
either, for her nose never gets pale.
Polly Ann has many cute tricks. Nan
thinks she is the dearest and sweet
eSG klGIell tIllG cFeI llNCQ.
Every morning, when the door is
opened, Polly Ann scampers in, and
runs straight to Mans little bed, and
crawls up and puts her cold nose
against Mans face, and pats her
cheek with her paws, till Nan wakes
up,- and then what romp they do
have. Nan is so happy with her pet
that she does not see how she could
live without her, and Polly Ann
seems to love her little mistress dear
ly.
Across the fields about mile away,
there lives in a tumble-down old
house, a family poorer than
little Nan herself. There are
five little children there, and one of
them, Annie, is just little Mans age.
They are great friends, and before
Annie got hurt they often visited
each other. Now Annie never comes
running and shouting across the
fields to visit Nan, but Nan often
goes to her, almost every day. In
the early spring, when ANNIE father
was cutting down some trees in the
wood back of the house, branch
broke unexpectedly, and falling
caught Annie beneath it, and ruined
her for life, for she never walked
again, and day by day her cheeks
grew thinner, her lips paler, and her
small hands weaker.
She did not cry and complain every
time the cruel pain racked her poor
body, but you could see the signs of
suffering in her eyes and around hel
pitiful mouth.
One day Nan carried Polly Ann
over to Annie's for her to see. Polly
Ann was frightened at sight of sc
many strange children, and chung tc
Nan and cried to be taken home
again. 30, how wish l had little
kittie," said Annie, as Nan was leav.
ing with Polly Ann cuddled up in hel
arms. Little Nan stopped minute
with her face turned toward Armies
pale one. Nan was having battle
with herself, a little battle between
her love for her pet, and her wish t.
make poor Annie's life brighter. Ii
minute more she had laid her dar
ling Polly Ann in Annie's arms, ant
was running home as fast as her fee
would carry her.
1t almost broke her heart, and cal
you wonder at the tears that ran in
little stream down her cheek. Sh
had given her one darling treasure
and the poor little thing was afraid
too, among so many strangers. Blu
Annie hadn't anything, and there wa
Lulu, her doll, she could play wit
her, she thought. The next day, ant
the next, and for many other days
little Nan ran across the fields to Sc
Annie, and to hold her darling pet il
her arms.
One morning, as she came near th
house, she heard strange noise, an,
as she came nearer she knew tina
something had happened, for sh
heard crying within. She quietly en-
tered the open door, and there, still
and smiling on her little bed, lay An
ME, dead Beside her, cuddled dow
close and warm, was Polly Ann, fas
asleep, with one of Annie's dea
hands resting on her head.
"TEat little thing was comfort t
her till the very last, said Annie
mother. ''and her last words were
Give Polly Ann back TO Nan, an
tell her thank y for me- and she pu
the sleepy kitten into its little mi:
tress' arms.