The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-04-12

/ cant ind h1aInma. l can't find my
home. Where is mamma 2 Oh, mamma "
| Becky knelt down. A little white head
of crumpled curls and pair of blue eyes
swimming in tears she could just make
| out.
But the child could tell nothing. 1t was
| plainly lost. Becky took it in her arms
and made inquiries at the corner grocery,
where she bought slice of ham; but no
too, and Becky could not leave it 10 its
| fate.
cru take it home," said she, "and to-
morrow find its folks ,,sr,tl
So, when the cobbler and his ehila ren
saw the door open at last, there entered by
it not only their mother and basket, but
baby also.
A new baby came frequently to this esl
| Enlistment, and the children, in their
| juvenile view Of such matters, opined that
they had another little sister.
"It's poor lost child" said Becky
Sim going to keep it tonight. Its parents
are poorer than we are you can see that
by its bare feet and only one little frock,
poor thing Now hold her, Nick, while I
cook supper. didn't beg it, Nick, SO don't
fret" f.Rg5 III
And then keeping her ring finger out of
sight, Becky fried the ham, and made
gravy, and cut the bread, and sent for two
cents worth of milk. which, diluted, rnsde
q anartSo milk and water, and tried u be
cheerful.
The lost child cried, but Becky fed it,
and coaxed it to talk; then came story of
" bu dess auda "nassy woman
The youngest, who had chewed the red
kid, acted as interpreter. Soon it was dis
covered that some woman, described as
.snasty," had taken away the childs blue
dress and other garments, and had also
beaten her.
ssThat derss was blue, Nick" she cited.
81 knew it warn't hers tipsy ragged wo-
man; and folks Il 81 own them things don't
come to pown. l."
Here she paused; the secret was out.
Nick's danced to her wedding ring and
back to her face.
'sOh, Becky !" he cried ssBecky, We
didn't think"
Becky flushed scarlet
Il didn't mean to tell you," she said;
but now its out; I'm married all thesame,
thank God, II was at the pawnshop saw
the blue dressF And she told the story Of
the woman she had Matched, and of her
suspicious. "The child has been stole,
you see, Nick. It's genteel child; and if
we can but find its name out. we may save
some one trouble we've never had. Think
of one of ours being gone all night, Nick"
The babes name appeared to be Minnie
Smith. although an. s." might be any,
thing else; and putting the children sll I'd
bed, all in row, like the little orges in the
fairy tales, save that they had no crowns
on, Nick and his wife started off to the
pawnbroker's shop. The man looked at
the garments. They were marked M. S.
'Tm right, then" said Becky. They
are the child's. and they were stole. And
if we, can but find its poor mother, we'll
save more than any but a mother can
tell"
.'But think of all the Smiths" said the
pawnbroker. 'sThere's thousands of
them" y%s ts4'isA
Sand thousands" said Becky. .sBut
these men-the police-they may know"
And off went Nick and Becky to question
the guardians of the night. until. tat, last.
despairing Of an answer, they were turning
homeward, when blaze of light from an
open door fell upon them, and they saw
on the steps Q weeping woman tall hand
some man. H.
"Hush we will find her if she is alive
said the man.
Myprecious childl" cried the woman.
Then Nick and, Becky gave q sort of q
little cheer In unison.
It's them, said Becky; /" them, certain
sure. Oh. mum, If your name is Smith.
and you've losta little girl, we've found
her,"
And then the cobbler and his wife were
pounced upon and the story told.
In half an hour the six poor little ogres
without crowns were aroused from their
SAUNDERS by an arrival, and the odd baby
in their midst was taken out to their dis
tress and CONSERVATION, for they counted
on keeping her."
And Nick and Becky forgot their own
troubles in the par ents' joy. And Nick said
it was like poetry, and Becky said it was
like play.
And 50 it was, one withja happy ending,
for what should the lady do but beg and
pray Becky to tell her what she would like
best, and Becky confessed that to have her
wedding ring back was the hope, of her
life and this led to the cause Of its pawn
ing and all the story of poverty and sorrow.
Then the dark hours ended and day broke:
and there was food in the house and FIRE 4
and as It. happehed that baby Minniss
father needed just such work as poor Nick
could do, he gave the place to the cobbler
and from that day there was enough and to
spare in the little home, because of the
simple kindness shown to baby Minnie.
ssSoits never time thrown away to dol
kindness to any one, "Esays Becky, often,
"for somehow you are always rewarded for
it. If I'd left the little lost beggar's child,
as I thought it,Sin the street, and never
stopped to care forit, LAS I might have
done in such trouble-where would Nick
have been, and the children, and me, this
night? Not that did anything but what
Christian ought, but see how we were paid
for it.
One cent word for all kinds of un-
displayed advertisements--wa for sale.
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