Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-04-27
PEGGY.
Ry CARRIE Il. SMITH.

by CARRIE Il. SMITH.
The wide caves of the Westfield Aims
House could just be seen from the brow
OF "BunkerHil!.
dou't mean Bunker Hill of Revolu-
tionary fame, only the hillside burying-
grounds for the Westfeld poor.
1t is called Bunker Hill from the fact
that the first person inferred therein
was named Bunker-Joel Bunker
The Westfeld Almshouse, as we'll as
many other almshouses, was not the
worst place in the world to live in; it
was wide, spacious building, per-
fectly fitted with heating and airing
apparatus, and we'll calculated to accom-
modate in a comfortable manner, the
many unfortunates from populous
county in one of our Western States
Almshouses are not all miserable,
dingy dens, filed with verminous
swarms of ragged people-far from it.
The most of our western homes for the
poor are tidily kept, and regulation as
perfect as it can be made among so
ill-assorted a set of humanity.
Young and old, large and small, deaf,
blind, crippled, all may be seen to-
gether, at regular hours of the day,
forming contrast that could not be
greater, and calling forth our finer
feelings in pity and commiseration.
Pity for all the young and lovely
children, orphaned or worse than
orphaned, who are without the kindly
parental love and guidance SO neces-
sary in their early training.
Little Peggy Fenton had her home
mere in Westfeld ever since before she
could remember; and sill she knew
about home or mother, was cut in crude
letters on the face of a rough white
tablet in coy corner of Bunker Hill.
It read:
MARGARET FItNToN
Aged "a years months and days.
Entered Westfeld Almshouse June 7, 1873.
Died. July 2. 1873.
This was all that Peggy ever knew
of her, only, that "Old Sal" had told her
that she, Peggy, was born upon the day
following her mothers arrival. That
she had attended her through her ill
ness,-was by her side at the last, and
had received the infant Margaret in her
own arms from the hands of its mother
had promised that SO long as it were
possible for her to do SO, she would
care for, and protect her little babe
to Sal precious Legacy.
"Old Sal, GROSS between maniac
and an imbecile, had faithfully per-
formed her part.
None but God could ever know the
depth of her love for Peggy. Peggy
herself stood in awe of her when she
lay quietly clasped in the skinny arms
of her protectress, and listened to the
vehement protestations of undying
love-
Or, again, as her mood changed, to the
mournful cadence of her shrill piping
voice, as she crooned snatches of little
baby lullabys, OR dragged her words
through the liues of some favorite and
oft-repeated hymn.
Little Peggy never knew of the sacri-
fees made by "Old Sal" for her sake
She did not know that her evening
SSrap" was made from the milk allowed
for Sally's tea; and the numerous little
things that came to Peggy so plentifully,
and made her so content with her home,
her companion. and herself, were made
by extracts from Sally's own dinners,
while she ate the crusts of dry bread,
too stale for table use at Westtield.
When Peggy was years old she ap-
peared to Sally very precocious lit
tie lady, and she began to cast about
her for some means of education; she
appealed to the matron-an easy, good
natured lady--who only laughed at her
earnestness, and said that there were
years of baby play before Peggy yet,
ere it was time to confine her to books.
Sally was indignant; and as the spring
was advancing, and the days getting SO
warm and pleasant, their daily walks to
Bunker Hill revealed to Sally whole
libraries of scholarly lore.
The rough, white slab at the head of
her mothers grave was Peggy's primer
and as the lessons repeated them
selves. it was not long until every tab
let with its suggestive inscription could
be read by her with alacrity, and when
the days began to lengthen, and all
hands gathered about the great kitchen
fires, little Peggy astonished all West
field with her little readings, given
from torn page picked up here and
there. :,:s...s.a H..
The old mon and women patted her