The Washington times., 1904-07-31
Mites of Children
Rescued Family

we left at one point on the ONO
p,ver well-iettered cross-board, Lit
lie six Red Cross Landing probably
there to this day. The story of The
Little Six might be given In their own
little letter:
WATERFORD, Pa, March "a. 1854.
Dear Miss Barton: -, .sro,.
nateh' and we would like very much 10
see that house called The Little six,
and we little six are so gao thas "
helped six other little cnhdreh; III ,e,S
IN putting our money just wnere We
would have TO put II ourselves. some
time again when you want money 70
help you in your good work call on ne
J0E FARRAR. y years old.
FfORENCE HOWE. II years old
MARY BARTON, IL years Old
REED WHITE. II years oid-
RFRTIE AINSWORTH,i0 years old.
LLOYD BARTON, Z years old.
Those children had given a public en-
tertain1nent for the benefit OF the hooo
sufferers. They themselves suggesteo
n MANNED and carried II out. and raised
s51. p, which they sent 70 the editor Oh
The Erie Dispatch" asking him to send
Il where IL would do the most GOOD
The Dispatch" forwarded II TO the
president Of the Red Cross. with an ac-
coupt of the entertainment given Dy
THE Little Six
,rhe entire matter was too beautiful
and withal unique, 10 meet only a com
mon fate in it's results. could not Tor
A moment. think 10 mingle the GIT OF
the little dramatists with the common
fund for general distribution. and sought
through all these weeks for lifting
disposition TO make OF IT. where II would
all go in some special manner to relieve
some special necessity. I wanted IT 10
benefit some children VINO rad 'Wept
on the banks" OF the river. which in It's
madness had devoured their nome
Victims of the Flood.
As we neared that picturesque spot on
the Illinois side of the Ohio known as
~Cave-in Rock" we were hailed by
woman and her young daughter The
boat rounded to- and made the landing
and they came on board a tall, thin.
worn woman in tattered clothes, and
a good but inexpressibly sad face,
who wished TO tell as that a
package which we had left for her at
the town on our way down had never
reached her. She was a widow-Mrs.
Plew-whose husband. a good river pilot.
had died from oyerwork on hard trip
10 New Orleans in the floods Of the Mis-
sissippi two years before. leaving her
with six children dependent upon her.
the eldest a lad in his teens" the
youngest a little baby girl They owned
their home. just on the brink OF the
river. a little farm" Of two or three
acres. two horses. three cows, thirty
hogs. and a half hundred fowls. and in
spite OF the bereavement. they had gone
on braveIy. winning the esteem and
commentator OF ali who knew them
for thrift and honest endeavor. Last
year the floods came heavily upon them,
driving them from their home. and the
two horses were lost Next the cholera
came among the hogs. and all bat three
died Still they worked on and held
the home This spring came the third
food. The water climbed up the bank,
crept in at the door. and filed the
lower story or the mouse. Iney nad
nowhere 20 remove their household
goods. and stored them in the garnet
carefully packed. and went out 70 ind
a shelter IN an old log house near By.
used fer a corn crib. Day by day they
watched the house. hailed passing boats
FOR news OF the rise and fall OF the
water above. always trusting the house
would Standard Il would" the moth
house, but for the storm" The winds
came. and the terrible yale that swept
the valley like a tornado. with the water
at its height. leveling whole towns, de-
scended and beat upon that house, and
It fell. In the morning there was no
house there. and the waves in their
fury rushed madiy on. Then these lit
tie children stood and wept on the