Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-10-24
MARY'S LITTLE LAMB.
The owner of the Original Creature
Relates It's Story.
How Mrs. Mary e. Tyler Discovered the
Helpless waif and Saw It Develop
Into Good-Sized Shcep-Ths
Verse Written i'm its Honor.

1Aho .. 0AorI u. AyAOI, WnO lives III OOmoT-
vile, Mass, has given the, Boston Globe the
following story Of the original "little
lamb:
zone cold, bleak March morning went
out with father, and after the cows had been
fed we went to the sheep-pen and found two
lambs there which had been born in the
night. One Of them had been forsaken by
its mother, and through neglect was about
dead from the cold and for want Of food.
/ got it into the house and worked upon
mothers sympathies. 1t couldn't at first
swallow and the catnip tea / had mother
make for my sick friend it could not take
for long time got the lamb warm the
first thing, which was done by wrapping
her in an old garment and holding her in my
arms beside the fireplace. All day long
nursed the lamb, and at night it could
swallow just little. o, how pleased was.
But wasn't then satisfied it would live,
and sat up all night with it, fearing it
wouldn't be warm enough unless there was
some one there to look out for its
comfort. In the morning, much to
my gIrlish delight, it could stand; then
it improved rapidly, soon learned to drink
milk, and from the time it could walk about
it would follow me anywhere if only called
1t. 1t was fast grower, as symmetrical
sheep as ever walked, and its fleece was Of
the finest and whtest.
"The dav the lamb went to school hadn't
seen her previous to starting of, and not
wanting TO go owithout getting her, called.
She readily recognized my voice, and soon
heard faint bleating way down the field
More and more distinctly l could hear il,
and knew my pet was coming to greet me.
My brother Nate said Let's take the 1aml
TO school with U.S.
81 thought it would be good idea, and
consented, and she followed along right DO.
hind me. There was high stone wall to
climb, and it was rather hard work to get
the lamb over. We got her on top, then
clambered over to take her dow n, and she
stood just as patiently as could be, waiting
for US to take her of the wall
when the school-house was reached,
the teacher had not arrived, and but
few scholars were there. Then be-
gan to think what l should do with the
lamb when school was in session.
took her down to my seat-you know we
had old-fashioned, high, boarded-up seats
then. Well, put the lamb under the seat,
put on her blanket, and she lay down just as
quietly could be. BY and by had to go
out to recite and left the lamb all right,
but I'm a moment there was a clatter, clatter,
clatter on the floor, and knew it was the
pattering OF the hoofs of my lamb. Obi
how mortified felt. The teacher was Miss
Polly Kimball, who was the mother OF
Loring, the circulating library man, of
Boston. She laughed outright, and, of
course, all the children giggled. 1t was
rare sport for them, but couldn't find any
thing mirthful In the situation. was too
embarrassed and ashamed to laugh or even
smile at the unlocked for appearance of my
sheep out on the floor. / took the lamb out
and put 1t in shed until was readpto go
home at noon, when it followed me back.
Usually did not go home until night, as we
carried our lunch with US, but ] thought
would go at noon that day.
Visiting the school that forenoon was
young man named John Roulstone, who
was nephew of Rev. Lemuel Capin, who
was then settled in Sterling. He was fit
ting for college The young man was much
pleased at the school incident, and the next
day he rode across the fields on horseback.
came to the little old school-house, and
handed me a slip of paper which had writ
ten upon 1t three verses, which are the
original lines, but since then there have
been two verses added by a Mrs Town.
send. The verses were written together
when got them:
MARY had little lamb;
It's fleece was white az snow;
And everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to co.
1T followed her to school one day,
Which was against the rule.
II made the children laugh and play
To see the lamb at school.
"And SO the teacher turned 1t out,
But still II fingered near
And waited patiently about
Till Mary did appear
"From the fleece sheared from nv eve
my mother knit two pairs of nice stockings.
which for years / kept in memory of nv
lamb
a" have not told you about the death of
my little playmate 1t was THANKSGIVING
morning. We were all out in the barn,
where the lamb had followed me- II ran
right in front Of tho cows fastened in the
stanchions, running along the feed-box.
One of the creatures gave its head a toss.
then lowered its horns and gored my lamb,
which gave piercing, agonizing bleat, and
came toward me with the blood streaming
towards its side. l took it in nv arms.
placed its head in my lap, and there it bled
TO death.n
Mrs. Tyler, after leaving Sterling, taught
school III Fltchburg, was married and went
TO the MCLEAN Retreat for the Insane IN
Somerville, where she held the position Of
matron for thirty five years, and for Eve
years more than that was her husbands
rn,.l ~.