Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-05-07


her parting from her mother, and
wondered what she meant BY saying
they would meet again. She had heard
something about heaven. Her other=
had lsaidshe was going to her home
in the sky. Mrs. Skegss had told her
that only good people went to heaven,
and if she didn't mend her ways she
would never get there; God could never
love such an ill-natured, ugly creature
as she. Still her ideas of heaven were
very vague. Shel ookedu up ct the broad
expanse of blue, where the stars were
just beginning to twinkle. for twilight
was just disappearing into the deeper
shades Of night. She thought the sky
very beautiful, but how did people get
there? The ache ia her heart seemed
the biggest part Of her now. It filled
her breast, and, choked her breath.
Someone opened her door and put a
plate Of bread and q mug Of water. on
the floor. She was not hungry now,
SO she sat still, watching the stars and
listening to the frogs croaking in the
meadow swale, and the crickets chirp.
ing under the window. Suddenly q
voice seemed to speak to her: "Why
don't you leave them?" She sprang to
her feet electrified. Why had she not
thought OF that before? Yes, she
would so. Eagerly she ate OF. the
bread and daank the water. Then she
sat down to wait for the family to re-
tire. How the stars sparkled and
laughed in her face; the very frogs
seemed croaking: 'sCome! Comet"
She clasped her hands together in &c.
stacy. She would go out into the
beautiful, unknown world. What
might she not find? Pernaps-aye,
perhaps she would find. heaven. She
listened-only an owl hooting mourn.
fully in the distance.
At 10 O'Clock the house was all
quiet. Jane got out OF her window
upon the roof OF the low porch, then
crept quietly to the corner furtherest
from the farmers sleeping room and
easily slipped down the post to the
ground. She hurried to the open high
way. Awe-stricken, shelooked around.
She had never been out at night alone
before, but she would not go back, not
the worst OF hobgoblins could equal
the horrors she was leaving behind.
So she walked on. After a time the
moon came up and looked smilingly
down upon the wanderer. ",What
a kind face it has" she thought; "may
be that's God" and she was no longer
afraid. The dark shadows of the trees,
with bright patches of moonlight be-
tween, charmed her. The scene re-
minded her, some way, OF the fairy
tales her mother used to tell her. On,
and on she went, but how tired she
was growing, and what a strange con-
fused feeling in her head. She wasnow
in the outskirts of a village. Creeping
under a vine-clad porch shelaid down.
"John, see, she is coming to. Why,
the poor little pale thing! What beau
tiful eyes she has, John"
"Oh," thought Jane, "this must be
heaven" She lookedzup; a sweet face
was bending over her,.
"What do you suppose ever brought
her to our porch, John? How pitiful
and sorrowful she looks. l wonder if
she lay there all night? Here, Maggie,
get the tub ready, we will give her
bath and put her right to bed-her
pulse seems feverish-make her some
Cruel"
Yes, it must be heaven, for had they
not spoken kindly to her, and called
he1 eyes beautiful. She felt she could
be good here. "It must not be so
hard to be good when people are kind
to you," she argued.
Jane lay in that soft bed sleeping
the most OF the time, out when awake
only about half conscious until the
afternoon OF, the next day, when q
voice from tie ad 10 81 1nga6 0lareached
her ears, startling her into the full pos
session Of her faculties. "It's my
boun' girl, sure. We've been lookin'
everywhere for her. She's an awful
piece, too. Why, the very day she
left the little wretch tried to kill my
boy Sammy"
Jane got right out of bed. Where
were her clothes? She could not find
them. No matter, she must 90 in her
night lothes-any thing to get away
from that woman. She tried to raise
the window, but she had no strength.
Everything seemed growing dark.
When q few minutes later the good
lady of the house came in to look
after her charge she found her on the
floor in a dead faint. They restored
her to consciousness, but she soon be-
came delirious. Don't let them take
me back" she raved. Ican't be good
there. want to stay here where they
love me-" 1 a few days the fever had
done it's work. The ''little wretch"
lay quiet and peaceable enough, with
her hands crossed on her bosom, and
eyelids closed over the black eyes for
ever She Was we'll out Of the reach
of the Skeggs family-the bound girl
was free.