River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-12-25


precincts of the village. These young
savages were no respecters of persons.
They whooped and shouted under the
very windows of Judge Jones, whose
name usually inspired fear in the breast
of large or small HilIporters. Nor did
they stand in awe of ministers of the
Gospel or show any regard for church.
In truth, they did not know the uses of
church, beyond the fact that it was
lot of fun to throw stones at it while
people were within on Sunday morn
ings. And as for a preacher, wasn't he
a creature whose long-tailed coat af
forded glorious opportunities for deco
ration which made laughter for the dee
orators? These were the base uses to
which the Hunter children put sacred
beings and buildings. They did dozens
of other things equally hateful in the
eyes of the respectable portion OF the
community; but with all their mischiev-
Gus instincts their depredatiOns were
never absolutely fragrant and unendur-
able.
BY and by some Of the more charit-
!. able of the townfolk began to pity the
forlorn condition of the young savages,
particularly when it became known
that their father was a shiftless soul.
who loafed three days for every one he
worked, and that their mother had lost
whatever spirit or energy she had once
possessed and was now merely enduring
existence until it ended. And as for
poverty. Hillporters had never really
known what il was until the Hunters
enlightened them.
One of tho few persons who felt sorry
to see the little Hunters grow up so
neglected was Mrs. Raynor, whose
pretty home was not far from their
dreary dwelling. She made the ac-
quaintance of all of them, but had
taken a particular fancy to six-year-old
Ruth. a pretty child, with much sweet
ness and gentleness in her face and
voice. Indeed, to look at Ruth one
could not realize that she had been
born to neglect, poverty and all the I'M
happy results these two evils breed.
Mrs Raynor helped the poor little
untaught soul TO m any an innocent
pleasure and some substan tial comforts.
One raw autumn day she met Ruth on
the street in tears
whats the matter, Ruthie?" asked
the kind lady.
I'LL want to go to school and h-have
warm clothes like o-o-other little girls.
sobbed Ruth, shivering in her thin and
ragged gown. ''I-Iim so tired of being
hungry and cold"
This blunt oonfoOsion smnto Mrs
RaynOr TO the heart.
Don't cry. child, don't cry, I'll see if
you can't have some warm clothes and
go to school," and she took Ruth by the
hand and led her home.
That evening Mrs. Raynor said to her
husband: George, want to bring little
Ruth Hunter here, put some decent
clothes on her and send her to school
this winter with our children. My heart
aches for the poor neglected little
thing"
Mr.. Raynor arched his eyebrows re-
provingly. you'll be sure to rue phi
lanthropy of that kind, my dear. It's a
risky thing to bring a barbarian like
her among civilized beings. You dom t
know how she might iniure our own
children"
"I'll look closely after all of them"
said Mrs. Raynor. ''Why, the poor lit
tie thing has had no chance to be any
thing but a barbarian. ] believe there's
plenty Of good in her if some one would
take the trouble to develop it. Besides,
] believe we all commit sin when we