Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1898-07-08

granny, she had sobbed. 'lou pray
for nasty old bad men and women, and
my china heu never did anything but
get lost. You are mean old granny,
and ! won't love you any more"
As il seemed well-nigh sacrilege to
Mrs Moneypeuny to even think Of
offering prayers for the recovery Of a
ehild's toy she tried her best to ex-
plaiu the same to Dorcen, who re-
fused to listen, refused to stop crying
and gave her view Of the case as fol-
lows:
lyon said, granny-you said was
TO tell God bout everything and ask
Him for eyerything-I think-I think
you are very unkind not to tie | Him
little girl has lost her dear china hen.
You can pray much better than 1 can,
eos you are so old. Why can't you
do what you told me TO do, granny"
The tears and the logic won the
day. With an unspoken prayer that
she might be forgiven, Mrs. Money
penny wrote down in her book: "My
granddaughter, Doreen, has lost toy
and frets over the loss. Mem. 80.
To pray that it may be found and re-
stored to her keeping"
Since then nothing more had been
seen or heard OF the china hen. Every
Sunday Doreen reminded Mrs. Money
penny that it had not come back, till
the supplemented old lady grew aux
ious lest the child's faith should suf-
fer and prayed as earnestly for the
restoration of the toy as she did for
the human woes that filled her book.
She need not have been anxious, how
ever, for Doreen was trusting little
soul She was quite content now that
Snowflake was being prayed about
properly and amused herself by imag-
lining what sort Of adventures the
china hen was enjoying.
When dismissed from her grand
mothers sitting room Doreen ran of
to shady corner of the garden over
looking the main road. The main
road was neither very broad nor very
important, for it merely led from the
village Of Hurst 10 the village Of
Finch. Mrs. Moneypenny's cottage
standing in rather an isolated position
between the two. Doreen's favorite
seat was on the top Of the low wall
that bounded the garden, and on the
afternoon in question, after scrambling
aloft, she deposited her disreputable
array Of dolls amidst the ivy with va
rious slaps and bumps.
Unconscious that tramp was
watching from the other side Of the
road, Doreen played with her dolls
for several minutes, until a harsh
voice close to her said abruptly,
you've got a big family up there, Ii
tie missy"
Doreen looked down into the road,
studied the mans villainous face and
tattered clothes minute in silence.
Then, with friendliness born from
the security of her position above
him, she answered; Eyes, beggar-
man, / have a very large family, aud
every one of my children is desperate
wicked"
Wicked. be they?" and the tramp
showed all his toothless gums in a
grin. 'I've little gal at 'ome what
has family same as You, missy; but
her fam'ly's powerful good, she allus
tells me. -
''0h, remarked Doreen; then, anx-
ious to be polite, she added, "P'raps
your little girl likes good childrens. /
don't. l like themto be wicked; then
] can punish them. They're all being
punished now" waving her hand tow
ard the forlorn group in front of her.
They've all got their legs where
there's most tickly things. earwigs and
spiders and snails and beetles, and
they are being tickled frightfully-
they are screaming like l scream when
granny combs my hair. It's dread
full anxious work having childrens to
bring up properly.
Seems as if I've got somethin' 'ere
as yer might like to play with, missy" "
said the tramp after moments pause,
fumbling in dilapidated pocket. 'It
is purity little thing wot picks up
in ditch this morning" aud he stood
close to the wall aud held something
up to Doreen, who took hold of it
rather gingerly.
The next moment she cried: "Why,
it's my Snowfakel My own dear lit
tie white hen that ran away from me
years and years agol Did God tell
YOU TO bring it back to me, beggarman?
love You inst enormously" and Do
reen beamed down on the tramp, cud-
ding her restored treasure close to
her clean white dress, regardless that
Snowflake was no longer white, but
black, and had lost wing during her
wanderings.
The tramp scowled. Zone good turn
serves another, missy. What time
do you and the servant girl go a-walkin'
on Sundays?"
1--WE 60 after dinner when it is fine,
as soon as Sophie has washed mp"
answered Doreen, still gazing in all
miration at the china hen. When she
looked down into the road again the
tramp had disappeared. aud the rector
Of Finch was turning in at the garden
gate.
The next afternoon about 3 o'clock
this same tramp stood listening ont
side half-opened door in the hall al
Holly Lodge, aud as he listened the
expression on his face changed strange
ly. Fear was transformed into won
der, wonder into into incredulity, in
credulity into belief, belief into some
emotion impossible to classify. With
hitch up Of his tatters, as if to maze
sure that they still clung together. he
suddenly pushed open the door, en-
tered the sitting room, set his arms
akimbo, scowled at the old lady who
gazed up at him in wonder from her
knees and said harshly: What's that
yer been a-saying bout Sam Blake?
Hurry up, missus
1t was not digniiied position, per
haps, in which to be caught by a bur