Woman's chronicle. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1888-1???, 1890-10-04
LITTLE MARY.
From the Woman's Journal.l

where Jack and | boarded. do not know why
we called her ''little Mary" She was not petite.
1t must have been because she had such childish
face, and was so young and unprotected and ignor
ant; yes, ignorant to innocence She was an
honest, fair and rosy Irish beauty, and as uncon-
scious of her charm as she was good-ooking.
Some one had taught her to be tidy, and her print
gowns and white aprons fifty accompanied her fair
and spotless complexion.
"Mary is nothing but child" Jack and said
said of her when Mrs. Mead told us Mary was in
trouble. True enough; she was not well, and her
eyes wore hunted expression that went to your
very soul when you met their gaze.
"She will have to 60 away; | can't have her
here" said Mrs. Mead. "This morning found
her on her knees in her room with her rosary in her
hands, and crying to break her heart, and when
told her had no room to keep her, she sank in
such pitiful, helpless heap on the floor thought
my heart would break, too but can take her to
the Foundlings' Home and if l can only get her
in there, little Mary will do the rest, with her sweet
face and obliging ways. No one will abuse her;
l am not afraid of that She will get on
Good Mrs. Mead brushed some tears away with
her apron, and well, l went straight to the
bottom of an old trunk, long unopened, and took
from its depths some little garments, the sacredest
things have on EARTH the one real, tangible link
uniting me to little soul that once, long time
ago, carried my heart to heaven in its keeping;
and making neat bundle all perfumed as it was
with lavender, and yellow with stains Of time,
placed it among Marys clothes, never trusting
myself to see her, lest the fountains in my eyes
should burst forth. So together they started on
their journey.
The matron at the home was kindly woman,
and Mary was received after the necessary ques-
tions were put to her; with some misgivings, how
ever, on the matron's .part.
"You have come too soon, Mary; we never re-
ceive girls at this stage"
''Sure, ma am, where will go?'
1t must have been Mary's eyes that appealed to
the soul of the woman, accustomed as she
was to hearing tales of woe-hearng with one ear
and dsmissing with the other, steeing her heart
in measure, lest her sympathies be so keenly
alive to suffering as to incapacitate her to perform
the duties allotted to her, and to thwart her udg
ment All Mary said was, ''Please ma am, I've
no place to go.'
''lt wasn't so much what she said as it was the
manner In which she said it," explained Mrs.
Mead, 'and the matron warmed to her at once.
and she says, says she, We'll, Mary, we will try
to make you useful and then she asked her about
the man who had wronged her, and the poor thing
began to cry, and finally sobbed out: 1T won't be
no use, maam. He said he was going out West,
and then he would send for me; but he won't
and wouldn't go if he did, for l hate him. I
was glad to hear that little burst of SUNK. for
then she dried her eyes, and then shortly | came
away and left her,
Mrs Mead advanced the opinion that it was
nara lines for girl just starting in life, like little
Mary, and, with some vehemence, was in favor of
iynchlng for the young man in the rather uncer-
TAIN locality known as tout West" who had
brought such ruin into the beginning of Young
girls life. jung
Inc days passed very slowly for little Mary
Gays That should eventually bring into port fral
park bearing an unwelcome passenger to the arms
nn,,1l IL Hill