Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1893-03-10
HETTY's VENTURE.


An Illustration of How "a Little Chlld
shall Lead Them"
The Youths Companion tells pret-
tilY pretty incident occurring IN an
Eastern city
The city was putting water-plpes
through the street in front OF a 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 dishgured the trim
fence. The gang on duty were
hard working, harder talking 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
/ little before noon the next day she
approached her mother timldly.
s'What do you wish, my dear?"
"Please, do you thing may make
some coffee for the men, mother? !
think they would like it."
Then the thought flashed through
the lady's mind: There are many
to sell them oer, and none to sell
them ce ~
-, there are nearly thirty Of
nl, said aloud. s1Is GtaRni
t1airas eau fssS =
y ! fs;i. IS, 1s,y yp,9Ietiherl" ], ~ ~ e.s'p
! "Wel, if you are disappointed, you
| have enough money in your bank,
said the mother 'You can go to
the grocery store and buy coffee, and
sell it to the men at two cents a cup.
If they want coffee at all, they would
rather pay for it."
To the grocers thed tine child flew.
sit isn't any use," SAID the grocery
man, promptly "The men will have
their beer. They wouldn't take
coffee Il you gave it to them.
Il sha'n't give it, said Hetta
I'm going to sell it. .
And sell it she did. At first the
rough men were greatly surprised at
the girls steaming pail and her
pretty, business-l1ke manner; but
soo2 they bought and drank,
ana smacked their lips. Some of them
declared that hot coffee like this was
"better than beer"
The irl-peddler soon had all she
could do, She took another girl as al
partner the next day, and was suc-
cessful beyond her most sanguine
hopes, The neighborhood was all
alive with interest in the new ven
ture; but the most surprising thing
Of all was that the oaths and rude
language were now seldom heard upon
that street. A new gentleness seemed
to have been born in the spirit of
these rough men. Their foreman de-
clared that from the time the little
hioS NnlhC AS hSNti Iidu IL DeUbeF
gang of laborers under him. He,
too, had found it possible not to
swear at his men.
But too soon, the men passed on
up the street, and Hetta could no
longer serve them; but the incident,
which took place in a Western town,
recalls the fact that we all of US, by
thoughtfulness and attention, can
lind little ways of serving and bene.
fitting Others that will make both
them and US happier and better. 1t
is because Of our indifference that it is
not done.