The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-10-17
NEWS OF CENTRAL CITY
THE GREAT DEPTH OF A MOTHERS LOVE.
Three Children Sent from Summer field orphanage to\ Home in
 Arkansas-Dr. Mitchell
 Celebrates Birthday.
Advertiser Bureau,


 Selma, Oct. IS.
 some five or six months ago there was funeral at the Summerfield Orphans Home. A little boy between and 6 years of age was placed in a little white coffin and the fresh, bright flowers of budding springtime were placed thereon.
 Four little boys, inmates of the home, acted as pall-bearers. and nearly 100 oth- CT little orphans formed a long procession and Followed the casket to the home of the dead.
 The outside world knew nothing of the death of that little one, but the other orphans in the Home sorrowed and wept with the three little brothers and sis ters, who were also beneath the shelter ing roof of the institution, over the death of their little brother.
 Springtime and summer passed and the month of October came. only to bring a sequel to the above incident, a sequel full of tenderness and pathos. story of mothers poverty. but with all of her pow erty mothers love rose above the priva- tions of life.
 The father. the head of the house, some years ago closed his eyes in death. The poor mother. sick, downhea-ted. dispirit- ed. unable to provide her four little ones with bread anu clothing, appealed to the Methodist Orphanage and the little ones were taken in and cared for. The moth CT. member of one of the proudest fam flies of Alabama, in order to be as close to her little ones as possible, came to Selma and took a position in a family and worked for her daily bread as ser want in order that she might be near those she loved so tenderly.
 She was present when the little boy was laid under the sod in the Summer field Orphanage and watered the flowers that were spread over the grave with her tears. After the funeral was over. she kissed the three remaining children in the home, dried her tears and returned to her duties as a servant. and none but she and her God know how many times that her thoughts have reverted to that little mound which covered her darling
 A few weeks ago a message came from a relative in Arkansas to send the three children to him and he would see to 1t that they were provided with food and clothing until they were able to take care of themselves. The poor mother was told of the offer of this relative to support her children and she gladly accepted the offer for them to go. but with a moth CTS love in her heart. to be near her little ones she determined to go with them. The officers of the Home coud not fur nish her a railroad ticket to Arkansas. but a mothers love Is hard to conquer, so she put on the bonnet and in her cheap wrap she went from house to house and told her story and many a dime and nickIe dropped into her outstretched hand, and yesterday when the children were put on the train and started for their new home in Arkansas, that sweet palefaced, devoted mother was close to them to see that no harm came near them as they sped along on the cars.
 Before she left, however, she went to a marble yard and ordered a monument for the baby boy that sleeps in the Summer field Orphans graveyard.
 It did not cost much. It was a little piece of scrap marble. some seven inches tall and four inches wide, but 1t con tained the name of her babe and the date of his birth and death. The stone that the poor mother erected to her baby boy cost g, the sum that many a man in this city pays for his cigars between sunrise and sunset.
 The poor mother looked at her money and saw that if she paid the g she would not have enough to purchase her ticket so she paid $1 down. with promise to send the balance as soon as she could make 1t. The kind hearted marble clttsr told her it was all right, and he will rot lose anything by the transaction, for gentleman who heard the pathetic story said he would see to 1t that the other dol lar was paid.
 When the mother and three little or phans arrived at the depot the officers of the Home had provided tickets for the children, but the poor mother was short $1, after paying the sum on the marble. Kind hearted strangers, railroad men, when they heard the story, made up the deficit and more, too. and the poor moth CT, with her three little ones beside her, boarded the train and were soon speeding on their way toward Arkansas.