Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-25
AN ADOPTED CHILD.

"She's such little thing, Simpson-and 50
thin and scrawuY!"
'.She'n grow, mem"
"And her eyes are so big and-child, don't
stare :. me like thatl She Is very dirty,
Simpson,
''SheW wash, mem"
sWeil, take her away and do the best You
can with her. I'm afraid she won't turn out
to be as pretty as thought she would when
] looked at Der in the home. One can never
tell about that kind of children"
Mrs. Lee turned away with a sigh as the
hou.ekeeper left the room
81 don't know but / shall be sorry took
her, she thought. off my own little Elsie
had only been spared to me what beautiful,
good little child she would have been by
this tirne"
Two long years had passed since that cruel
day when the new nursemaid burst into the
room. where sat the startled mother, crying,
"Shes gonel I've lost herp' and ending with
q burst of historical tears. Oh, what hours
Of vain and aconized search followed The
little baby daughter, left alone in her car
rinps for a. moment while the careless maid
entered O. store to asl, 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 her as lost and incurred for
her as one dead.
Another rear passed, and then fell the Sec
ond Overwhelming blow Of the death OF her
husband, and after e year Of loneliness, being
comparatively wealthy, Mrs. Leo decided to
adOpt into her home some little friendless
wait. instead Of the daughter who would
have been O comfort to her declining years.
"She's como, mother" she said, as the door
oponed and an elderly lady entered the
room
Il don't believe she viii be pretty after all
and do so dislike honnely children of that
class Her eyes arc too hrge-out of all pro-
portion-and her nose Is 80 much too small"
my dear" said her mother, smiling,
sewhen you werc 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 presensable.n She smiled with
motherly pride at the fair face opposite her.
"And, my dear" she continued, moro
gravely, remember you have adopted her
now for your own, and have, perhaps, the
making or narring Of her life in your hands.
You must be patient with her and allow for
the difference in blood"
Atthis moment Mrs Simpson entered, hold
ing tho 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
crrls, and the uniform OF the homo ex-
changed for a dainty dress Of white, made
the child almost unrecogniEable She slipped
her hand from Simpsons and crossed the
room with little, stately tread. us 90 my
mamma z" she asked with sweet shyness,
looking up at Mrs. Lee from under her long
lashes. ''S'all me love oo7'
mo, no, childr exclaimed Mrs. Lee, draw
ing back involuntarily; then, seeing the
hurt. disappointed look On the little ones
face. she added, az win love you, yes, if you
are a good child, but you must not call mo
mamma call me 'auntie.' l can't help it,
mother" she said excitedly, answering the
look of disapproval, II can't give her Elsie's
place-nor Elsies name, as you suggested.
We can call her Mabel after you, if you
like. You know we werc sorry NC had not
named Elsie after you," she added, apoioset-
icslly.
During this speech the child had been look
ing piteously from one to tho other. Den
where is my nlothsrT' she asked
Come in here, dear" said the elderly
lady. BE good little girl and You viii
find a mamma, sometime" and She gathered
the little waif close in her r1otherly ar3S.
aDen me wait" murmurcd the little one,
and In few minutes was fast asleep in her
new home.
"Nhstcver am to do with her. mother7
OF all things Idetest m uutruthful ehild"
'sYou arc 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 deacon in the church and
one Of the most rious men l know"
But she deceives me, mother, and the
other day missed that little coral pin OF
nine and when [ asked her for It she denied
all knowledge of it with che utmost inno-
osnce, and then found it shut close In her
little hand. One can't teach 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 limo Of noble ancestry" Mrs. Lee
raises her head proudly, conscious Of that
kaIne noble line Of ancestors for herself.
"You can't help plum trees bearing
plurls, mother; neither can you help the
natural vices OF tho lower classes from ap-
pearing in one Of their own, however much
Of an exception sne may be in the matter Of
looks she finished
Her mother smiled, then looked grave.
AZ do not by any means hold that the cir
curlstauce of birth is responsible for our
little ones fcuks. Augusta she said. I'm
tact, Your greet grandfather was notorious
--swlaGier, NY desr, though, to be sure. he
setcr4,c5 sEi lived Christian life for many
years before he oied. Because n man is
noble L. n.rle bc is not necessarily noble In
naturo CS well. There are lords in novels
and louis ii palaces. Remember the child's
CONSTR. associations, my dear, and do not
expect three r2cnths-or, possibly. even three
years-to entirely eradicate the training in
vice she has already received"
We'll, E2otGer, / will give her another
trial" replied the daughter reluctantly,
''th oush / had almost made up my mind 10
send her back ant let her take her chances
with tho rest. II she gives ne any proof
thai is, that she viii improve in time"
Little fest battered through the hsii; Httla
hands funlbied ct the coJr.
..aIs,s tu.u," SIC aIs need, stopping On
the threshold. With IT, woader:nI INTUITION
Of childhood, she scsntj Ganse- Ct soms
I,i,:d aud retrsatsi to Ms. Tsurtcn's chair.
..Tsu Grandma whs. lakes Mabel sucs Q
naughty girlf' said the h-.sr, taking her
terderly in her Errs.
.M.peI dood now" 2: SISTED tie little one,
.,st;irg Ler cheek On Nh. Tsunton's hand