The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-19
Mary Who Had the Little Lamb.

likely to ensue.
Mary Who Had the Little Lamb.
Mrs. Mary E. Tyler, who lives in Somer-
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-pan and
found two lambs there " hich had been born
in the night One of them had been for
saken by its mother, and through neglect
was about dead from the cold and for want
or food. got it into the house and worked
upon mothers sympathies 1t couldn't at
first swallow, and the catnip tea | had
mother to 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 be-
side the fireplace. All day long l nursed
the lamb, and at night it could swallow
just little. 0, 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 vas someone
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
lAihC ~ COuld WdIh dDOuJ IL WOuIl lOllOW
me anywhere, if l only Gale it. 1t was a
fast grower, as symmetrical a sheep as
ever walked and its fleece was of the finest
and whitest
"The day the lamb went to school
hadn't seen her previous to starting off
and not wanting to go without getting her
l called. She readily recognized my voice,
and soon heard faiat bleating away down
the field. More and more distinctly |
e I
coming TO greet me. My brother Nate
said, Let's take the lamb to school with u.s.
II thought it would be u good idea, and
| consented, and she followed along right
behind me- There was high stone wall to
climb, aad it was rather hard work to get
the lamb over We got her on top then
clambered over to take her down, and she
stood just a patiently as could be, waiting
for us to take her off the wall
when the school house was reached, the
teacher had not arrived, and but few
scholars were there Then began to think
what | should do with the lamb while
school was in session. l 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 as could
be. By and by had to go out to recite,
and left the lamb all right, but in a
IlOIueHJ JueIe was CiaGJeC, CldIIer, cldJUer
on the floor, and | knew it was the pat
tering of the hoofs of my lamp.
Oil 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
anything mirthful in the situation. | was
too embarrassed and ashamed to laugh or
of my sheep out on the floor. | took the
lamb out and put it in shed until was
ready to go home at noon, when 1t followed
me back. Usually did not go home until
night, as we carried our lunch with us, but
l thought | would go at noon that day.
Visiting the school that forenoon was a
young man named John Roulstone, who was
a nephew of the 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 it three verses, which are the orig
inal lines, but since then there have been
two verses added by Mrs. Townsend. The
verses were written together when l got
them:
MARY had little lamb,
Its fleece was white as snow:
And everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go.
TT followed her to school one day,
Which was against the rule;
1t made the children laugh and play
To see the lamb at school.
"And so the teacher turned it out
But still 1t fingered near,
And waited patiently about
Till Mary did appear.
From the fleece sheared from my eve
my mother knit two pairs of nice stockings,
which for years kept in memory of my
lamb.
"I 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- 1t ran
right in front of the cows fastened in the
stanchions, running along the feed-box
One of the creatures gave its head q toss,
then lowered its horns, and gored my lamb,
which gave a piercing, agonizing bleat, and
came toward me with the blood streaming
from its Sides took it in my arms, placed
It's head in my lap, and there it bled to
death"
Mrs. Tyler, after leaving Sterling, taught
school in Fitchburg, was married, aud went
to the Mclean retreat for the insane in
Somerville, where she held the position of
matron for thirty-ive years, and for five
years more than that was her husbands