Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1896-02-17
A WONDERFUL PRODIGY.
,o.YrAR-oip coLoRrp GIRL rREAcH-
ING SERMONS.
poz,l,ns New York with rier logic and
orstory-tike other Coiorcd Children
Except Ihat Her Intellect Is
Marveiously Developed.


A rne coIored sirl. not more thar 70
ve,rs 6f arc. is just now furnis hins ths
st,es.-irg 80 ifi6n of brilliant. feVerisn New
York Beside the furoTe she y et t,ts
even the horse SHOW G"afiyI, G"a,Il,gs anu ~ tast
palIn4 INTO lnsisnncanc'. -,
This little girls name is lla.sty9 a. s, ,.i,. NG5I
Avery ana taken ay from tue eHNilNrE
much like the little piekduiuHl tIs9' 81.
the lire that divides ncr irom W. Gi s.,''i +,
members Of htr race involves cues ions IN
psycho Iogtcal research thdt t2t 20
sNered IS any OF he learned m.h WHO hdNo
since She has been 8 years oIl She has
been the marvel Of al ANA the I-tN'1'F
greitv e6tii She is. even thoueh her
skin be soft Egyrtldn in its hu# -. NEIr
are large and elJQucntly mellow 70 tAtiT
riow Eer hands are bong aul thiQ, and
shaped with more than ordinary -sli,5. y.
Her voice IS low and sweet. ana has
enough of rfa hneSs iu 10 20 make its ug.duoe
perfect FOR the lecture platform. H'r HiS
suggest the Aitiean; nut net MAJ n.1li M I, ..,l,t
The descendant of q Sraui3rt ia 'ts n.
FOR few generations, she miEhi W'u Ue
taken for But her rae" and ,o,2r gre 10y
the dominating thinss mat mahg nt 'a,
such accidcnts She would ba 50, vhsthar
of ;aucaSian or other descent. Tie looHs
and actions her words and manner, her
perfect calmucSs-3ll are the assurances C1
. chill who has never realized what rossl-
she preaches with the same freedom as
she plays. She apparently has not the
extraoriirary IN an hut her preaching
she b. Ike all the other girls OF her age,
euamored Of her dolls and curious to Visit
she Is very fond OF her dolls. and visitors
TO The house where she and her mother
are staying, No l5i sixth avenue, nearly
always find her seated ON the parl3r floor
with her favorite playthings abou. her;
These dolls she has dressed ianthsti'1iiN,
n
many g'Iors, and all called after her tlos-
est friends IN the Industrial school at
she iS now travelling. She was talking 10
the dolls ana paid not the slightest atten-
her mother ana learned from her the inter-
cstng story Of the little girl wonder.
Now anl then her childish instinct as
serted !tseif in q pctulancy that was Just
broad enough 20 be- noticed she complained
OF the cold weather and the. noises in the
sisted on her mother getting 1t for her
one caller at the house wanted picture
Of her and her pride was particularly no
tlcel Mt this time
she dll not want to be pictured in ths
midst of her dolls. She lid not think IL
mother 50. She Insisted on standing up and
holding a Testament IN her hand, at once
assuming a gravity ~ countenance that
was eNquisitcly charming FOR no face Is
so sweet as that OF child in thought.
York last week I'm Zion church. at Bleeck-
or and West Touth streets. The church
could not hold all who wished 10 hear her.
choir and aisle ana sanctuary we're packed
equally as the pews. The great majority
of the auditors were colorcd people from
the district. but there were many who had
come out OF kindly curiosity There were
some who were Just trin. skcptical. Th- rc
always VIII be few Of that class.
Claretta came IN with her mother. and
Immediately there was a Crauing uf ueCks
ana audible eomments She Is not large
ical development about her. only, from
outward appearance. mild-taced, inter.
esting child, with all the characteristics OF
she looked at the audience rs n she took
pleasure from the smiling faces that greet
ed her. Her legs were too short To ddmit
OF her feet reaching the floor. but she kept
trying to reach it with her toes, toying
ing the nonchalant air that is never pleas
ing except when taken on by child, and
She was not Interested when the pastor.
Rev. j. $. Caldwell. sang. Neither did shS
seem TO follow his address carefully. Nor
did she apparently listen at all 10 the iiat-
tering Introduction that was siycr-Ssr by
Professor Dart Of the Charleston Inir->
when the audience was on the verge OF
being stnmpcded into 9 convulsion peculiar
al, but went right on with her sermon.
Her prayer was orthodox but It was
phrased better than her sermon. Possibly
mon was her own product,whilc her prayer
was naturally an imitation. or largely q
repeuuon, OF what she had 50 fr"quent-
ly heard. But the sermon seemed natural.
II was certainly slmple--as simple as her
plain black dress and large, homely hat.
ana hands and throat that We're entirely
bare Of any Jewtlry or color.
She had just the faintest suggestion II
q lisp, and herr and there IN certain pnras-
peculiar TO her race. Her pose was natural.
her euunclation distinct her gestures
somewhat inappropriate hut freely made.
There Was no Ersitanoy about any words;
nor was there amy marked N.ulat' ons oc
the rules of pronunciation. She talked with
grace and tdrurstness and undoubtedly
preached a better sermon than could any
Some thought there was study, rather
than gift about her. That may be-, b.
cause the chIi Is not being given "A fair
opportunity. Even proaiglts cannot stand
preaching SO constantly are bound soon 10
wear ONT the frai. body ana leave their
lines ih grasses az work across me pl. A.
ant face, II viii take many years Of -usa-
places 90 make that face n sad one
Ciarett4 chose her text from the Second
verse o. and from IL took the phrase, so
they poured ont for the men 10 eat nut
the pot was the earth, and the parable was
that many good things. provided for man
were lost because IN bis heart there vas
sin that made him misuse thcm
she was NOT cSrgDtlcal 40 ALL, nor IN any
degree aoctriual. but made "a broad plea 10
the narrow path. She talked with the eS-
Perieuce Of one who knew the world, ami
yet, except when she D. er sascI iu deyu-
tioual exercises or In preaching. she H. 4
child, with an the characteristics. desires,
whims and foihies Of a girl OF lu. 10 whom
"a doll or a toy or "a ride out IN 4 carriage
is sufficient TO make time pass pleasantly.
There were times during the sermon
when IL seemed as if the audience would
become hysteriCdl. one woman dii, IN
fact, become 50. Others would have but
that interest IN hearing the voice OF the
little one restrained them.
ON Monday a iterAp1n al o'clock In the
Zicu church she VIII meet number OF
newspaper writers. and 10 them will make
an impromptu address on any Biblical sub
jeet they may suggest. This latter test
Will be given 10 satisfy all that the child
Is one gifted with eNtraoriinary power
and not merely "A rrCitcr OF "a series Of
sermons She may have learned by Tote.
There viii be a meeting OF the Travellers
Protective Association an the Coates House
on the evening OF the 2lst for business pur-
poses.