The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-01-08
A ROYAL LITTLE GIRL,
NOT OF A KINGLY RACE But ROYAL
FOR ALL THAT.
Choice Reading for Father Times Little
FoIks-A Few Mental Nuts for
Them TO Crack.


We have had the greatest excitement
In our neighborhood. regular romance
tust as though ii had all come out Of
book. And TO think that 1t was all about
Pofy-1ust plain. sunburned little old
Polly
III tell you how It was. You see, Mr.
Marchmont lives next door to us in the
big gray stone house with granite facings,
aver so much finer than our house. But
then. they Iever put on any airs with us
Aunt Kate said once that they did not
aare 70, because they are parvenues'
while our family IS one Of the Oldest III
the country, but l shouldn't think that
would amount to much A great many
old families that / have seen have not
done anything TO be proud OF, and when
ever hear a boy Boosting about his an
cestors ! always want TO ask nm IL ne
eupposes his ancestors would be proud OF
him If they saw him.
Now. / always liked Mr.. Marchmont, be-
cause he was a kind of ssd-looking man
and worked so hard at his office, just as
though he bad TO. TO make a living; and
/ always liked the three girls and Re-
kinald. the baby; but j did not like Mrs.
Marchmont. My! but didn't she carry
her head high, and go dressed up fine
every day, ard ring for servant II she
wanted something that wasn't three steps
away
And there were the girls, Marguerite,
Gladys and Ethel. and the boy, Reginald!
Think OF all those names. and then thlnk
of "PoIlyw The girls were pretty badly
spoiled by being so rich, but after all they
were not bad. / have had many ronlp
with them, and as for Reg, he was
regular brick. You could depend on Reg
pretty nearly every time. though he was
only five years old.
IL was one winter night when / hrst
heard about Polly. / was over at Mr..
Marchmont's in the sitting room. looking
over a new picture book with the girls,
when Mr. Marchmont came in from town,
and before taking time TO sit down he
handed his wife a telegram that he had
received during the day.
so Mary's III, is she?" said Mrs. March
mont. after she had read the telegram,
Thinks she's dying. Nonsense! She'll
outlive any of us by many long year.
Mrs. Marchmont had high. unpleasant
voice that / never liked. l liked 1T still
less then, when / saw something glisten-
ing on Mr.. Marchmonts cheeks, ana
knew that his feelings were hurt.
They're talking about my Aunt Mary,
whispered Gladys TO me. "She lives away
down IN the country, forty miles from
everywhere, and is poorer than Joo
turkey"
Mr.. Marchmont sat down and didn't say
ANYTHING for a long time. After awhile
he stood up and began buttoning his coat:
Bring my overcoat, Margie," he said
softly. land pack some things In my
vaiise Gladys. Mary has little glrl not
much older than you. II hurry perhaps
] can catch the train yet"
Something in his tone made the girls
fly TO obey him, but Mrs. Marchmont
was angry. She did not care for the tone.
Che said a great many bitter things.
did not wait TO hear all of them, for L
don't like rows, but / stayed outside until
Mr. Marchmont came out with his vaiise
and then / shook hands with him and told
him l was glad he was going we were
good friends, Mr.. Marchmont and l.
Well, let me see. 1t was three days
afterwards. believe, that we heard the
door~bell ring: il stopped me right In the
middle of an awful giant story that was
telling to Reg. and pretty soon in walked
Mr.. Marchmont leading Polly
I wish you could have seen that poor
girl as she stood in that fine room and
looked all around. almost frightened
enough TO die Her shoes were so ragged
that you could see her toes through the
holes, and her poor old faded dress was
patched until IL was sight. She had on
an old black straw hat that must have
been her mothers / am sure, IT was so
much too old for her. and her poor, thin
face was sunburned until IL was as brown
as a berry. Polly would have been a sight
almost anywhere, but taking her III that
room, by the side of three fair, rosy,
weii-dressed children. IL was positively
fearful.
Mrs. Marchmont dropped her hands
Into her lap, leaned back in her chair and
simply stared. The girls giggled, every
one OF them. Mr.. Marchmont cleared his
throat and tried to speak.
''My dearr' ne said, poor Mary IS
dead, and this IS Polly. her little girl.
have brought her home with me. She has
TO other home-no place to 60"
Take her away" Mrs. Marchmont
fairly screamed. ''1t's all i can do 70
itck after my own children. without being
burdened with other peoples. 1 won't
have her, tell you. I'm not going &c
have my house turned into an orphan asy-
lum to please anybody"
Oh. how / dld fell I could not help
going over TO Pollys side and taking heI
hand. If Mrs. Marchmont drove her out
was going to take her home with me
Ny mother never refused 20 help anybody
and l believe she never will. And when
little Reg saw me 40 he went. too.
"My dear" said MIR. Marchmont. 81
have taken the child as my own
and whatever home 1 have she shall
share. Marguerite. take your cousin w
stairs and give her a room"
And. of course, everybody could sec
that be meant what ne said. MIR. March
mont did not speak that way very often.
but when he did everybody minded.
SO Polly became q member OF the
family and Mrs. Marchmont could not
help herself. What Is more. she was COM
PEELED 10 treat her well while Mr.. March
mont was there, but didn't she make VI
for II when he was out OF sight. There
are ever 80 many ways OF making people
feel badly. and Mrs Marchmont knew
every one Of them. She made Polly wear
Marguerite's old clothes, but, bless you
Polly didn't mind that at all. Then she
tried 10 keep Polly out OF school. and when
Mr.. Marchmont said she should go. she
said 10 Polly the minute he was gone:
FAt least I hope that you VIII not let