The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-03-16


Three little children and the kindes
husband l have seen lying 30" she whis
pered, and l know what heavy sOr
row you are bearing
And the gray hair was tenderly smooth
ed, while the old woman, comforted al
ready, wept quietly.
When the funeral was over Mrs. Byrne
greatly 10 her surprise, was altered q
place in Mrs. Van Ritter's household
She did not suspect that it had been
made for her out of that lsdy's compass.
sion for her age and loneliness but il
added one more item to the debt Of graf
itude that stirred her heart to the most
passionate devotion towards her kind
friend.
1t is little to say that Margaret Byrne
would have died for Mrs. Van Ritter
She worshipped her as something too
pure and good for this world, and could
see no fault TO cloud what seemed to her
perfection.
1t was not the money that Mrs. Van
Ritter had spent upon Mary that moved
her most profoundly. II wss the fact
that Mrs. Van Ritter's own white hands
had helped 10 nurse the girl that Mary's
aching head had been pillowed upon
Mrs Van Ritter's own breast while that
lady stroked her hair, bathed her face
and soothed her while more than once
her lips we're pressed uyon the pretty
wasting face, as she spoke tender words
of pity.
Three years had Mary lain in her
grave three years had Margaret Byrne
given Mrs. Van Ritter her service of love
when a slow: wasting fever attacked the
little lady, and for many days her life
was in danger. All the passionate graft
tude Of Margaret's heart was poured out
in her devoted nursing, her unwearied
care during that illness, and when con-
valescent days followed there was 3
friendship between the ignorant old wo-
man and the lady that was farcloser and
more confidential than It had ever been
before. And this was how If happened
that one day Mrs. Van Ritter said i:
You often wonder, Margaret, at my
sympathy for the poo- children at the
aimshouse or in the asylums. It is be-
cause know how the poor little things,
no matter how kindly they are treated,
miss the love Of their mothers and faith
ers, the precious family ties that moth
ing else can replace was twelve years
in an orphan asylum, the "St. Mary
Home" Ny mother made a runaway
match, and died a widow in great power
ty, and I was taken by the woman in
whose house she died to the Home
with letter she wrote, only few lines
telling my name and her own"
Margaret's face was turned away
Margaret's voice had q strange, husky
sound, as she said
"What was your name ?"
Ny name was Agnes wafdron, and
my mothers maiden name was Agnes
Field. And this was how I came to bt
taken by my uncle out of the Home
The matron let my grandfather know
when frst went there but he would moi
forgive my mother, and never came neal
me. After he died, my uncle found the
uiatron's letter and came TO claim me
He was widower without any children
and my life has been one Of wealth and
ease since he took me to his home.
have had many sOrrows by death, anc
With all my money, have few to love
So you understand now why my hear
is so tender for the little ones who arr
left as was left for twelve long years
/ Are you asleep. Margaret Why, you arr
crying"
And who would not cry % asked th'
old woman. To think of you, 50 gOOC
TO everybody, having such sore griefs Il
bear yourself"
You soft-hearted Margaret You wan
TO fan me, I know, and am sleepy
The fan moved 10 and fro, with the reg
ularity Of machine, and presently th'
invalid slept quietly, Not until then di'
Margaret Byrne steal out Of the room
walk slowly to her own, and boiling th'
door, sit down to think. Memory brough
up one picture from the past, vivid as j
it had been but yesterday since she saw
it.
She was an under-nurse at st. Mary
Home and the matron brsught in twI
babes to be fed, washed, undressed, ans
put to bed.
Poor little girls" she had said, n
body to look at them could see much dii
ference between them, but this one IS
street child, picked up on a bench in th'
park, little nameless waif, while thi
one is the grandehild ofold Joshua Fiel'
whose daughter ran away three year
ago. am going to write to him now
and maybe he will take her"
It was none Of Margaret's business 4
make any further inquiry, and for thre'
wears the children were under her care
The street waif was called Sallie, the 9th
er child by her own name-Agnes. Th'
street waif was a little beauty, and tn
nurse grew fond Of her. The child o
gentle birth was peevish, sickly child
demanding constant care, but not "a win
ming babe. On the third night AgRe
Waldron, the true Agnes, died in convul
sions. When the matron came to maxi
her morning rounds Margaret was in tn,
kitchen preparing food, and by some er
ror the dead child had been moved t,
Sallie's bed, while Sally, the boany, crow
ing baby, lay in Agnes WaldrOn's crii
and bore her name, and old Margare
kept the secret The old nurse now rock
ed herself in her chair, whispering soft
Iy, 50 softly none could overhear.
Oh, Mary, darling are you not glac
it was your old granny gave the deal
lady all the money, all the good things
Oh. nv dear heaven be praised it wa.
you. And nobody viii ever know, no
body viii ever guess. but old Margaret
that you're not Agnes Waldron at all
| but Sallie Nobody !"
And she kept her secret Nobody eve
knew or suspected that Mrs Van Rite
was Sally Nobody, and an impostor.
How a Mother Saved Her Boy
Little Robert Frey lives at Silver Lake