The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-25
TWO PRECIOUS CHILDREN.
Poet in Pinnfores and a Child with
Religious Ideas.
Washington Letter in Boste

Washington Letter in Boston Transcript.
Mrs. Ordway leading by the hand
her granddaughter, little Bettina Paddel-
ford, the child of Betty Girard The men
ton of Betty Girards name recalls a ca
reer checkered by anything but pious cpl
sodes, among which dearest to the hearts
OF Washington Johnnles is the recollection
of how this pyrotechnic daughter of Gen.
Ordway, soon after she became the wife
of Arthur Paddeford, the first of a long
line of more or less illustrious husbands
that have followed, electrified the conserV-
alive, ante-bellum ariStCcracy OF White
Sulphur Springs, by serving champagne
punch at IL banquet to an admirer from
one of her white satin slippers. This led
| Immediately TO her first divorce, and the
not unusual cOmplement-a stage career.
BY the light of ali this, story Mrs. Ord
way related at market of Betty Girard S
child, is not only amusing, but instructive,
as showing how little heredity enters into
religious influences
This child makes her home with her
grandmother, and during the recent hurri-
cane which terrified ali Washington and
way said that little bettina ran from her
room down into the basement, and drag
Come, NANNY, quick; come let US pray;
We don't pray enough-nobody does, and
that's why God is so mad and sending
such a storm" She and the old nanny
prayed together loud and long, and as the
storm began to abate at the end of an
hour and half, she consented to adjourn
her prayer meeting and return to the white
folks up stairs. Why didn't you stay here
and and let me- pray with you?" asked Mrs.
p
sWered the child solemnly, the prayers of
the unrighteous avail nothing, and it
wasn't any time to waste words"
The preeocity of this pales into utter in
Significance beside the attachments of an
other little girl l encountered, with her
mother. also at market, last Saturday
morning. This was Margaret Francis Maui
no, who made her first bow to the public
as a poet in the midsummer number of
ST. Nicholas and more of whose work has
subsequently appeared in the same periodi-
cal, attracting most fiattering notice from
the highest literary authorities. Introduce
Ing her to the public, st. Nicholas said
Margaret Frances Mauro is not yet four
teen and most of these verses were writ
year. They, are the thoughts that come to
her from her favorite flowers and birds,
and the everyday experiences of childhood.
AS such, the poems 24e truly remarkable
sion, and they seem to us an evident
promise of a genuine poetic gift
This poet in pinafores is the child Of
Philip Mauro, patent lawyer well known
in Boston legal circles. She possesses a
personality altogether as remarkable as
her productions: Considering, the age of
least among the little girls remarkable
characteristics is the reluctance with
which she appears in print. Previous to
her fathers determination to verify his
Judgment of her ability by Offering some
of her productions for publication, / asked
the child, who had shown a scrapbook
filled with her work, whether she would
not like to see herself in print. NO" she
papa thinks it is worth putting in his
scrapbook, paste it in and satisfied.
Different ones have said I ought to send
something. to be published, and I have
often looked over what l have written,
thinking that l would do So but every
Tina find that each bit is somehow sacred
to some particular thought or feeling and
It does not seem right that should drag
it into print