Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-08-08
LITTLE JIM.

mid Ails. Boil, looking down upon a
mail creature that crouchod upon the
rug before the blazing nre uf her littlo
rarlor frnie-s boy nine years Old,
half naked. hnilcs-. barefoot and wet
70 tho skin. Tor tho rain was pouring
pltcously without and the suburban
cottage seemed about 10 float away
upon soa oi mud and wntcr u
think I must let tho child stay. and f1c
what ! can do for him.
You're your own mistress, Miss
Bell" snld Sally. but H. my boundcn
inty ~ demonstrate agin H. You're
nnglo lady. Miss BELL, aud I'm wild
icr We aint no mon folkscs abou,
aud we amt lc-t the kind 10 take In
tmngcu Of that class. soolns to me,
Such a baby. Sally I" said Mis-, licll
1T was ono jet ~ unall a. he i,
and gal TO boot TINT took my black
silk drcss--uue Ms Wddcr Croker
gimme wheu she went and married a
second time. snid Sally III was rs
good "a now aud ripped the crape oil
Il and trinmod II with rod velvet, and
cnn sny fur II, Il wus scrumptlousl
And n little gal oame begin, and up
and asked Mis- Croker fur 10 hire her,
aud she did and iust W. ncnt hor Tor a
narrand abe of with the dress and my
BACKBONE and two hankerch'cis, and
dunno what all. aln't never BEEN
charytRblo sense, nor I Amt never had
black silk guwnd tonso nuthcr. nor
don't expect TO- II let that boy 5tay
tlll he wns dried aud give him u dinner,
its all ia do. miss"
II know" said Miss Bell, ITS what
any one would say, sally; hut IN tell
you what IN do. IN give you now
black sllk drols-pattorn and lining and
buttons and any trimming you like.
aud you can choose Il for yourself ut
Mr.. pottcrs siore-if you'r Just tako
that child and bathe him and la hlm
up In some Of tho boys clothes si-tes
Martha sent mo for tho church poor.
Yes aud Miss Munilc shall make Il Tor
you. Sally, and III pay her, II you'll
only well, not-ny"-
Not Interfere, Miss Bolll said Sally.
"Well, won't | always have snil
that Miss Bell wus tho libcrclest lady
ever | lived with-and ever 40 much
obloegcd. mum" with that Sally
solzod upon tho urchin, who had been
found lying before tho door face down.
ward In the mud, and boro him 20 the
bathroom. while Miss He'll sat before
her nrc aud thought over a plan that
had formed itself In her brain some
timo before.
She was sixty, she was a tplnstor, tho
had n nieo littlo fortune OF her own,
and her married brothers and sistor,
had chosen 10 scatter themselves over
tho world, leaving her TO herself for thu
most part Of tho time. Thoy could
provide Tor their children. Why should
not she. standing on tho threshold ol
old age, take to herself an adopted som
Tho big black eyes that had looked up
at her had touched her heart. Once,
long before, such eyes In a inr 6ldcl
head had done that, for sho had n 10y,
story. this elderly woman who had
once been a prntty girl, and tho tai,
the child had told had touched Il also
Father lost at sea--manmy dead
No home --nothlng 10 eat"
Very evidently nothing TO wear. fron
another point Of Wow than Flora Nc
Flnsey'S
ut seems as II Providence had sen
him to me- said Miss Bell. "and
think | shall adopt hlm.H
When tho boy camo down, clean an,
bright Ia the wpll patched gray suit Il
which sally had arruycd him, Miss Bel
thought him very pretty. II did no
occur TO her, as it did TO Sally, that h
was rather rosy for child that la'
been starving for three days, aud tia
his appetite was no moro raycnous thai
that OF any healthy boy Of his age, Il
fact. Miss lioll was delighted, and ate
dinner, when she had had talk wild
him aud sat watching him a. ho pore
over great picture book-no one ha
taught him 10 rcud yet felt, ~ she "a
pressed II To herself, quito like mott
er" Yes after ,he had had the chill
about her Tor n week or 10, aud mad
sure that she was not mistaken, Mi'
Bell resolved that she would legal
adopt him and make her will In h
favor lie should go 10 school 81
would SEQ that lac was properly brougl
up and her friends might say Win
they pleased She should have 40
In her old agc, and would have accon
pl.hcd a good deal besides,
Even sally began TO look upon llttl
jim with less dsiavor boiorc three dag
were past, aud when she had rcall
bought her black ,ilk with all that ",
neediul, and had II fitted by Miss Bel
own drossmnker, she soitencd TO Il
unconscious cause Of this favor az
made himspcoial tunoyers, and oyt
allowed him 10 pop corn On her kitohC
range on Saturday evening after toac
Ing him how To do H.
"a child does liycn up house, mlss
she said ON Sunday evening, "and v
seemed quite family In tho churC
pew, somehow another"