Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1893-03-10
HErrYs VENTURE.
An Illustration OF How "a Little child
shall Lead Them.

shall Lead Them.
The Youths Companion tells pref
tily pretty incident occurring IN an
Eastern city.
The city was putting watertpiPes
through the street in front of mod
est suburban home, and the little
daughter of the house became very
much interested in the process. The
ground was torn up, and muddy coats
and grimy shirts disfigured the trim
fence. The gang on duty were
Woodworking, undertaking and an
exceedingly thirsty lot of men.
A little girl, Hetta by name,
watched them from the house with
absorbing attention. 1t was cold
autumn weather, and their voices
were sharp upon the still air. One
noon the child came to her mother in
great distress.
"They are passing black bottle
around, and one man IS talking very
loud and saying wicked things.
"Perhaps they are drinking; you
had better keep away" replied the
cautious mother.
Hetta's face grew quite sad, and
that night her mother noticed that
she prayed for the 'poor men who
drank while laying the water" A
1 little before noon the next day she
approached her mother timidly-
''What do you wish, my dear?"
"Please, do you thing / may make
some coffee for the men, mother? l
think they would like it, :"
Then the thought flashed through
the lady's mind: There are many
y sell them beer, and none to sell
them coffee.
''Why, there are nearly. thirty OF
Them she said aloud. 81 don't
think can afford to give all Of them
per --srt..l. : .
c wei, if You are disappointed, W
:, have enough money in your bank,
f said the mother. ''You can 90 +
r. the grocery store and buy coffee, an,
sell it TO the men at two cents cur
If they want coffee at all, they woul,
: rather pay for it.
To the grocers thea the child flew
4 sit isn't any use," SAID the grocer
= man, promptly "The men will hav
their beer. They wouldn't TAX
Il coffee Il you gave it to them"
i II sha'n't give it," said Hetta
/, Pm going to sell it,
And sell it she did. At first tn
rough men were greatly surprised a
the girls steaming pail and he
: pretty, business-like manner; bu
: soo2 they bought and drank
and smacked their lips Some of Their
= declared that hot coffee like this wa
"better than beer"
: The girl-peddler soon had all sh
4 could do She took another girl as
c partner the next day, and was sur
i cessful beyond her most sanguin
, hopes, The neighborhood was al
alive with interest in the new ven
c ture; but the most surprising thin
j.. of all was that the oaths and rud
language were now seldom heard uno
that street A new gentleness SCENE,
to have been born in the spirit q
these rough men. Their foreman dc
: ciared that from the time the littl
i miss came he never had a bette
! gang of laborers under him. He
too, had found it possible not t
Il swear at his men.
But, too soon, the men passed O.
@ up the street, and Hetta could n
longer serve them: but the incident
which took place in a Western town
: recalls the fact that we all Of us, h
thoughtfulness and attention. ca
lind little ways of serving and bene
fitting Others that will make hot
them and Us happier and better. I
is because of our Indifference that II ;
not done