San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-08-13
AN ADOPTED CHILD.


ashes such a little thing, Simpson-and SO
| thin and ssra~ny<
Shell grow, men,"
"Aad her eyes are so big and-child, dorAs
stare at me like thati She is very dirty,
siRP s'.s 49,, ,,,ou,..
"Well, take her away and do the best yqp
can with her. Pm afraid she won't turn out
to be as pretty as1 thought she would when
looked at heAin the homo One can never
tell about that kind Of children"
Mrs Lee turned away With a sigh as the
housekeeper left the room
81 don't know but shall be sorry took
her." she thought. "If my own little Elsie
had only been spared to me what beautiful,
good little child she would have been by
this timel"
Two long years had passed since that cruel
day when the new nursemaid burst into the
room where sat the startled mother, crying,
shes gopel I've lost keri" and ending with
burst of hysterical tears. Oh, what hours
Of vain and agonized searcf>followed The
little baby daughter, 1eft alone in her car
rage for moment while the careless maid
entered store to ask the price Of some
coveted article, had disappeared, nor could
one clew to her whereabouts be discovered
from that time
Gradually the belief that their darling had
in some way met an early death became fixed
in the minds Of the parents, and they finally
ceased to regard herds lost and mourned for
her as one dead.
Another year passed, and then fell the Sec
ono overwhelming blosv of the death of her
husband, and after a year Of loneliness; being
comparatively wealthy, Mrs. Lee decided to
adopt into her home some little friendless
wall, instead of the daughter who would
have been comfort to her declining years.
"Shes come, mother" she sfid, as the door
oponed and an elderly lady entered the
room
81 don't believe she will be pretty after all
and do so dislike homely children of that
class Her eyes are too large-out Of all pro-
portion-and her nose is so much too small"
NV dear" said her mother, smiling,
"when you were her age you were nearly all
eyes, and you had scarcely any nose at all to
speak Of was sometimes afraid you would
never be presentable" She smiled with
motherly pride at thefair face opposite her.
And, my dear" she continued, more
gravely, remember you have adopted her
now for your own, and have, perhaps the
making or marring of her life in your hands.
You must be patient with her and allow for
the difference in blood"
At this moment Mrs Simpson entered, hold
ing the child by the hand. Both ladies ut
tered an exclamation. The rosy face fresh
from the bath, the straying locks caught
with a blue ribbon and twined into golden
curls, and the uniform of the home ex-
changed for a dainty dress of white, made
the child almost unrecogniZable. She slipped
her hand from Simpsons and crossed the
room with little, stately tread us 90 my
mamma r. she asked with sweet shyness,
looking up at Mrs. Lee from under her long
lashes Sail me love ooF'
"No, no, child ~ exclaimed Mrs. Lee, draw
ing back involuntarily; then, seeing the
hurt, disappointed look on the little ones
face, she added, II will love you, yes, if you
are a good child, but you must not call me
mamma call me 'auntie.' l can't help it,
mother" she said excitedly, answering the
look of disapproval, 81 can't give her Elsie's
place-nor Elsie's name, as you suggested.
We can call her Mabel after you, If you
like. You know we were sorry we had not
named Elsie after you," she added, apologet-
ically.
During this speech the child had been look
ing piteously from one to the other. "Den
where is my motherT she asked.
Come in here, DEAR" said the elderly
lady. "Be a good little girl and you will
find a mamma, sometime" and she gathered
the little waif close in her motherly arms
Den me wait" murmured the little one,
and in few minutes was fast asleep in her
new home
whatever am l to do with her, motherl
Of all things detest an untruthful child"
You are too harsh with her, my dear. A
frightened child will tell lie nine cases out
of ten, where the truth would have done bet
ter. | used to think should never be able
to break your brother of that very habit,
though he is now a deacon in the church and
one of the most pious men | know"
''But she deceives me, mother, and the
other day missed that little coral pin of
mine, and when 1 asked her for it she denied
all knowledge Of it with the utmost inno-
cence, and then found it shut close in her
little hand. One can't teach a child honor
and honesty when they have common blood
in their veins. | believe thoroughly in hered-
itary virtue and the refinement of an I'M
broken line of noble ancestry" Mrs. Lee
raises her head proudly, conscious of that
same noble line of ancestors for herself.
"You can't help plum trees bearing
plums, mother; neither can you help the
natural vices of the lower classes from APP
pearing in one of their own, however much
of an exception she may be in the matter of
looks" she finished.
Her mother smiled, then looked grave.
81 do not by any means hold that the cir