New-York tribune., 1903-07-30
HER SMALL HELPER.
How a Country Sojourner Took a
Tenement Child Under Her Wing.

A country sojourner who is living alone and in
more or less lonely place during the summer
lately applied TO philanthropc association in this
city for child or young girl as companion and
helper. One was rapidly forthcoming. a brown
eyed straight haired child Of fifteen or more, very
slender and III developed for her age. but bright
of countenance and gentle OF voice Her mother
II seemed. had held positions OF response
bility, and had been IN every way decidedly above
the average day worker" class. But lax habits
had led her to neglect her home and work and
Consequently her small daughter. until the latter
was now poorly nourished and clad.
In this state she arrived what was to be her
summer home. An errand two to some neigh
bors involving some small money transactions
we're accomplished with accuracy and judgment,
The mistress OF the house thought herself rarely
blessed. But when dish washing time arrived four
hours were consumed in getting some twenty or
thirty pieces put away in the china closet. To
begin with. Emmeline. the waif was called. was
discovered with the dishpan the floor, while
herself stood beside il, bending over from the
bips TO reach the dishes
Why Ernrneline' exclaimed her employer. why
do YOU work in that awkward way? Why don't
YOU put the pan the table,
The bottom Of it's dirty. maam, was the reply;
''tt's black of the and I wanted 70 keep the
table clean"
Another tine she vas found carrying cupfpI
after cupfuI of water from the well bucket outside
To the teakettle on the stove.
why don't you take the kettle out there she
was asked.
7 just thought it belonged on the stove" was
the reply
p-hen she dropped anything for which she did
not have immediate use, or overturned anything in
moving about ths noase. il never seemed to occur
n Etr TO pick il 1p until there was some special
cal for that ral tiuaIar displaced article. Yet she
could read well ana remember what she read, tell
good story ard ca ~ on 2 more than usually
Intelligent con1 ersation-
Did YOU never help your mother about the
house. Emmeline2" she was asked one day when
she had contrved particularly awkward way of
performing some simple work.
Nom vas the answer. she SAYS shed rather
Do A thing dozen times than tell me how"
And 50 the child had been allowed TO grow Up.
fsr from robust in health and almost wholly with
olt knowledge Of how TO keep herself from
starvation or want even with an abundance of
rsp materials about her She could rot take half
dozen consecutively even stitches Washing a
nandkercnlei meant. to her. getting il thoroughly
susthing and spreading it on the ground to dry
l'oeS 15 lhal look clean 70 you, Emmeiine?' she
~ once white linen
Vel, I surely did wash it was the mystifed
Wy WY }la. didn't you put the chimney on the
amp asked her employer one day. seeing the
1T isnt clean replied this trial Of patience in
farllate. such a thing a making il clean appar-
cntly never having occurred 10 Ter And 50 it
vent wen 2a from DAY 10 day and week TO week. Alert
-llo dllA5ous 10 please when any direct request
"aS made OF her, she was YET apparently in
-''5 VI 16nillS responsibility OF indie
p.HQert ORGANIZING or managing ability She re-
iIled IN negative OF utmost surprise when asked
Z she did not get her own meals while her mother
work.
II lust eat what she's left til she gets back. ''
explained this anomaly Of the tenernepts Vet she
had read number of Shakespeare plsys knew
well the principal Dickens and Thackerav charac-
iers, and could repeat extracts from several stand
ard poems. All Of this however. was tinctured
with 2 cheap glamour OF the street z" where an
pareatly, she had spent the greater part Of her
lime She semed IL enjoy the popular BIN Rsiley
equally with the Lay Of the Last Minstrel The
Dloits Of certain shows of she family circle ono
iTne' variety were reCounted with FULLY as r7,1rf,
pleasure as that Of The Merchant OF Venice =
Alert Of appreciation. but utterly without iude-
-uent. q keen observer. but apparently lacking an
power of mental assimilation. this almost helpless
g7r OF nearly sixteen Is thus learning SLOWLY and
with small JOY the simple lesson OF seif-depend-
ence which in the event Of her mothers de- ~
would inevitably be thrJs1 urou u ~ with limos,
oyerVbelminE force.