Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-06-11
MRS. CLEVELAND's STORY.

MRS. CLEVELAND'S STORY.
The following synopsis Of the story
written by Mrs. Cleveland. then Miss
Folsom, while crossing the ocean, just
prior to her marriage, is taken from the
New York Herald:
Little Moil''-so the story went-waf
poor little news-girl who lived in dark
street in New York. She had sweet
honest face and clean heart. But, oh
how it ached! And how tired and hun.
CRY she was when she climbed the steep,
narrow stairs after weary days work
For weeks, months. and years she had
walked sorefooted over the hard pave
ments, selling her papers on the streets.
She had home, but there was no JOY IN
it. She had father, but he was cruel
and filled her life with sorrow. But in
the midst of her troubles there came q
little ray of sunshine, and she thought
that it was as bright as the great sun
itself. 1t was the face of good man.
He was reporter, who also worked hard
for living. He studied, was ambitious.
and hoped to become LEANED and useful
man. But one thing kept him down. He
found little time for reading good books
He was criminal reporter, and lived fal
away from the dark courts where he spent
many lonely hour. His home was in
Brooklyn, and it was only when he reach
ed his room late at night and began tc
read his ia vorite authors that he was
happy. Then it was that his pale, SAD
face was most beautiful. One day, when
he was eating hasty meal, at reporter s
restaurant, sweet voice at his elbow
sang out Second edition, two centsl'
"The sight of her face, the glance Of
her innocent blue eyes, melted the repor.
ter's heart. Something that he had heard
or seen long, long years before came to
him like faint whisper. He bought a
paper and hurried away to the court
where he had wicked crime to write up
1t was not pleasant to write Of the dark
sins of the great city, but he was a true
man, true to the paper he served, SO be
presented life's picture as he found it,
But the haunting eyes of the little news
girl were ever before him. He could not
forget them. He dreamed of them, and
once he saw her whole sweet face in a
dream, looking wistfully-oh! so wistfully
towards him. When he saw her ON the
streets next day he bought more newspa-
pers than he could read in an hour, and
asked her to take him to her howell.
II have no home, - she said. II live in
room with papa; but he beats me and
takes all earn. Mr.. Reporter, is it right
to take all little girls money and then
scold when she can earn no more? Oh,
Mr.. Reporter. I get so weary of this life
that 1 want to die.'
Then the journalist took the poor child
to restaurant and told the man to give
her nice warm dinner. She had never
eaten so good a dinner before, and yet the
man who lives on Fifth avenue could
never have swallowed a mouthful of the
poorly cooked food.
Well, to hasten on the story: The Jour-
nalist became true friend to the Waif.
He taught her to read; he told stories and
carried her little mind across seas and
continents to the great nations on the
other side of the world. He became her
hero. She had never heard of such q
wonderful man. And yet he was only a
criminal reporter on a small, ;hard- earned
salary. At last the girl came to love Linn
more than anything in the world. Then
it was that her miserable father hated her
with fendish hatred. But he hated the
criminal reporter even more wickedly.
He followed him, and one night, when
the ground was covered with snow, he
raised weapon to strike the reporter
dead. The young man fell to the pave
ment, but another sank with a cry beside
him. 1t was the news girl. She had sus-
pected her father intended some dreadful
crime, so she was there to save the life of
her lover. Had the weapon spent the full
force on his head he would have died. AS
it was, he lay stunned until the police
took him to the hospital. Who can picture
the sorrow that filed his heart when he
learned that woman saved his life at the
risk of her own? But still greater was
his pain when he was told that she was
the little neWs~girl.
The strong, brave man soon found her.
He took her from her home and married
her. The wicked old father soon died.
Tired of reporting crime, the journalist
bought cottage and bit of land in New
Jersey near the great roaring city. He is
sitting in the cottage with his books
around him. The lamp CLOVIS brightly. A
face with heaven 3 own smile is near his
own. He is happy. She is happy. Her
mind is filled with knowledge. He re-
joices because he has made and saved a