The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1898-04-15
other occupant of the big house, the dis

other occupant Of the big house, the dis
advantages of the locality.
Meantime in the poorhouse, next door,
little child was sobbing her heart out
In an upper room.
"You hadn't oughter have taken her
away before her mother died, if she did
make fuss" said the daughter Of the
woman who looked after the poor-tarm,
I'm agoin' up to see her."
She went up two flights of stairs to the
garnet room where a child was seated on
an old box in the corner. The child stop
ped crying, half frightened as she enter
ed. The girl sat down on q trunk oppo-
site. She was big, strappingl creature,
with red arms and cheeks, and the little
being in the corner, with the thin pale
face, seemed a mere mite in comparison.
"Look here, Ruth, you mustn't cry
any longer" commanded the matron's
daughter. Then as Ruth seemed on the
point OF breaking out again, she added,
flercely, "You're wicked girl to cry SOL
81 want my mother" sobbed the child
with new courage.
The girl hesitated a second. "Well
you can't have your mother" she an
nounced at last, frankly; "she dead, and
gone to Heaven"
"Oh," said the child, slowly, "you
didn't tell me. Mamma said she thought
she was going to die, but they didn't tell
me; they just carried me away"
"Well, for gracious sakes " cried the
girl; "yOu took on so about her bein'
sick that we had to. You amt goin' to
cry any more now, are your" she added
coaxingly.
mo, l amt" answered the child,
gravely; and she rubbed the tears out
of her big, black eyes with the back OF
her thin hand.
"There, that's good girls" the ma
irons daughter rose and gave the dark
locks an affectionate rub. II knew you
wasn't going to be naughty"
The girl went down stairs and left
Ruth sitting very still upon the box in
the corner and thinking hard, with her
eyes fixed on a cobweb just across the
garnet.
my mamma has died and gone to
Heaven" the child meditated, solemnly.
81 told her if she went up co Heaven
first, the next thing she knew she'd look
round and see me there. [ amt going
to stay in this horrid place without her.
I'm going to die myself and go and see
her, right straight off. I'll put ON my
best nightgOwn, and I'll lie down in the
bed and put some flowers at my head
some kind person had placed a bouquet
by her mothers bed the last time Ruth
had seen her lying sick and sEill-''and
then I'll die and go to Heaven She
rose now and, stepping to the window,
peered between the dusty festoons at the
blue sky, as if she expected to see the
angels already descending to bear her
away.
At last she went quietly down the
stairs; she must find the flowers first,
and to go out-of-dools by the back way
she must pass through the kitchen. The
girl was at the stove frying doughnuts,
and looked up as Ruth entered.
"Hullo," she said; shave a dough
nutP"
These doughnuts were not for the in
mates of the farm, and it was rare hon
or to be offered one. For moment Ruth
forgot her errand, it was so warm and
sweet. While she was eating it, stand
ing close by the fire, the girls mother,
who was sitting in the kitchen, spoke:
ITO think to-morrer should be Eas-
ter"
~ know it; hope it'll be pleasant"
"What is EasterS" asked Ruth, timid.
ly.
LAW sakesI what heather she is"
cried the woman. "Don't you know
what Easter is?" she asked sharply, for
getting that child's memory is not al
ways year long.
Easter" said the girl, oracularly,
balancing doughnut on the end of her
fork, sis the day when Christ rose from
the dead, as all the dead shah rise.''
Ruth looked at her moment, with
her mouth half open and half filed with
doughnut, endeavoring to take in the
full meaning OF what she had heard.
She did not dare to ask any more ques-
tions; but Ruth, as she stood In the COR
ner, ate her doughnut and pondered over
the words.
II guesa to-morrow'll be the best day
to die in," she decided, watching with
hungry eyes 40 the girl bore the pan or