The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-04-01
A MESSENGER OF GOOD.
HOW A CHILD SAVED A STARV-
ING FAMILY.
The Arrest of a Little Girl Who Stole
Food for Her Sick Parents Led to the
Discovery of Il Beautiful Hcroinc-A
Pathetic Story.


An unfortunate poor man, the father
IF a family, was deprived of work by
the depressed state of his trade. 1t was
with great difficulty that he could get
a morsel of food now and then for his
famished wife and children. Things
grew worse and worse with him. and
at length, on attempting to rise one
morning for the purpose of going out
as usual in quest Of employment he
fell back in fainting condition be-
side his wife, who had already been
confined to her bed by illness for two
months. The poor man felt himself i'll,
and his strength utterly gone. He had
two boys, yet in mere childhood, and
one girl about twelve or thirteen years
old. For some time the whole charge
Of the household had fallen on this,
girl. She had tended the sickbed Of
her mother and had watched over her
little brothers with more than paternal
care. Now, when the father, too, was
taken i'll, there seemed to be not YES
tige Of hope for the family, excepting
in the eXertions which might be made
by her, young as she was. The first
thought of the poor little girl was to
seek for work proportional to her
strength. But that the family might
not starve in the meantime, she re-
solved to go to a house Of charity,
where food was given out, she had
heard, to the poor and needy. The
person to whom she addressed herself
accordingly inscribed her name in the
list of applicants, and told her to come
back again in a day or two, when the
case would have been deliberated upon.
Alas, during this deliberation, her pa
rents and brothers would starve! The
girl stated this, but was informed that
the formalities mentioned were indis-
pensable. She came again to the
streets, and, almost agoniZed by the
knowledge Of how anXiously she was
expected, with bread, at home, she re-
solved to ask charity from the passen-
gers in the public ways. No one heed
ed the modest, unobtrusive appeal of
her outstretched hand. Her heart was
too full to permit her to speak. Could
anyone have seen the torturing anxiety
that filled her breast, she must have
been pitied and relieved. AS the case
stood, it is not surprising that the po-
lice threatened her with arrest, and she
was obliged to move on. She was
frightened. Shiverng with cold, and
crying bitterly, she fed homeward.
When she mounted the stairs and
opened the door the first words that
she heard were the cries of her broth
ers for something to bread |!
bread" She saw her father soothing
and supporting her weak mother, and
heard him say: "Bread!-she must
have bread"
II have no bread!' cried the poor
girl, with anguish in her tones.
The cry of disappointment and de-
spair which came at these words from
her father and brothers caused her to
recall what she had said. 81 have not
got it yet" she exclaimed, but l will
have it Immediately"
After these words, without waiting
for reply, she left the house again.
A thought had entered her head. and
maddened by the distress of those she
loved so dearly, she had instantaneous
ly resolved to put it in execution She
ran from one street to another, till she
saw bakers shop in which there ap-
peared to be no person, and then, sum-
moning all her determination, she en-.
tered, lifted a loaf, and fled! The
shopkeeper saw her from behind. He
cried loudly, and ran out after her. The
girl ran on. She was pursued, and
finally the man seized the loaf which
taken away, she had no motive to pro-
coed, and was seized at once. They
conveyed her to the police station, a
crowd, as usual, having gathered in at.
tendance. The poor girl threw around
her despairing glances which seemed
to seek some favorable pe.son from
whom to ask mercy. At last, when she
had been brought to the poli~> station
and was about to enter, she saw be.
fore her little girl Of her own age
who appeared to look on her with &
glance full Of kindness and comps.
sion. Under the impulse of the mo
ment, still thinking of the condition oil
her family, she whispered to the stran
ger the cause of her act of theft.
Father and mother and my two
brothers are dying for want Of bread!"
said she.
"Where?" asked the strange CIR
anxiously.
"No. =, - street" She had on.
ly time to add the name of her parents