Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-04
White Thorn.
BY MINERVA SPENCER HANDY.

| great gift as they should nave been. for
| they were very poor Jean could scarcely
| get bread to fill the mouths of his hungry
| boys, and would scarcely look at the pretty
| little newcomer.
| Marie at first was as il-natured her
| husband. but no sooner had she felt the
| warm, loving clasp of her baby, than her
| heart was filled with love and happiness
i that daughter had at last been given to
| her. she tried to cheer her husband, tell
| ing him how fair the baby was. and what
| comfort she would be to them, when the
boys had all gone out into the world to win
| their fortunes.
What shall we name herr" asked Marie
| of Jean. Shall it be Vioette?"
| MOI growled Jean. Her name shall
| be Thorn"
So Thorn was the new baby's name. who
grew sweeter and fairer every day. When
| she was about three months old the fam
! lily was in great want. The winter had
been long and cold, and Jean could scercely
| get work at all Marie was sitting before
the fire. one bleak, cold morning her eight
| boys cuddled close to her and the tiny
| fire. Thorn was held close in her arms,
covered with her mothers thin shawl.
! Tap, tap, tap" came d knock at the
| door,
WHO can it be?" questioned Marie, 'in
| the woods and upon such day."
| Not waiting for an answer Marie called
| out Hospitality, Enter"
| The latch was lifted, and a woman en-
tered the room. which she filed with bright
| ness and splendor. She was clad in white
| from the top of her high peaked hat to the
| edge of her trailing gown. AS she moved
| hundreds of golden hearts seemed to shim-
mer and gllsten from every fold. APP
preaching Marie and her baby she said:
MY good woman, 1 have come long
| way and am very hungry. Can you give
me anything to eat?"
Il have nothing but the coarsest kind of
| food. madam, but you are welcome to
| eat some oat cakes continued Marie, go
| ing toward the cupboard. from which she
| brought plate of cakes.
| Il shall be glad indeed. of the oat cakes"
| SAID the visitor in voice so sweet that
| little Thorn waved her tiny hands and
| crowed delightedly.
! All partook of the oat cakes except Ma
| RE. The white lady noticed this, but said
nothing. She knew. without being told,
| that the mother had given her share that
| she might be fed.
Has your baby been christened yet?'
| she asked Marie. Have you chosen her
| godmother?'
| Mo- answered Marie. "Godmothers are
scarce in this wilderness, and it has al
ready required eight for my family. L
thought this one could get along without a
| godmother."
Every child should have some good
| woman to join with the mother in guard
be no exception. 1 shall be godmother to
little Thorn, but on condition that her
| name be changed to White Thorn"
Marie was delighted, and all the more
when the lady told her that she was a
fairy and would give White Thorn as a
dover the gift of goodness. She also told
her that the king and queen had had
| son the same day that White Thorn was
| born. They had refused this gift (the
| greatest one child can receive) and had
| chosen for their in it's stead, power.
Kissing White Thorn goodbye the white
lady left, but instead of sorrow in the
| house, a peace and happiness came upon
every member. AS the time went on, even
girl.
AS for White Thorn herself, she grew
| more beautiful every day. Her disposition
was so lovely that all the people who
knew her looked upon her as a saint Every
| animal, even the widest would crouch
| before her at the sound of her voice while
| the most timid of birds would hover around
her as If she belonged to their kind Be
cause OF this power over animals her
| mother never had any fear concerning
| White Thorn. She allowed her to roam at
| will through the forest making playmates
of the forest folk.
One day a great crashing of trumpets re-
sounded through the woods body of
! splendidly dressed horsemen next dashed by
| shouting, "The hunt. The hunt Make
| way for the king, who approachesn Be-
| hind the horsemen, packs of dogs raced
| and soon the king himself, surrounded by
mobiles and courtiers, dashed through the
| thickets.
| w nlte morn at UrSt was DeWildered by
| so much splendor. Her father, however
soon explained to her that hunting was a
| fashionable amusement, and one Of which
the king was very fond. He also told her
that it had been his only diversion since he
had lost his only son, year ago.
White Thorn listened eagerly, and felt
| great sorrow for the king, especially
| when her father told her that his son had
| been born the same day she had been. The
| young prince had grown into splendid
youth, when suddenly he disappeared, and
| although every corner of the kingdom had
been searched, no word of him had ever
| been learned.
White Thorn followed the path taken by
| the hunters, stopping in her joyous singing
| as she thought of what her father had just
| told her. Seating herself upon a fallen
| tree, she heard a faint cry. piteous and APP
pealing She did not wait a second. but fol-
| lowed the sound until she came to the hol-
| low of huge tree. The cry grew stronger
and soon two glazing eyes stold White
| Thorn that some creature was in distress
| and needed her.
Not a thought of fear. Not for second
did White Thorn think of running in any
direction save into the tree itself There
| she found huge wolf, who had undoubt-
| edly been wounded by the hunters who had
| just passed through the forest The wolf
| White Thorn spoke to him and gently lay
i her soft white hand on his head. he
crouched down again. and his piteous cries
| grew softer and softer.
White Thorn brought some water from
nearby brook. and bathed the wounds from
| which the blood was streaming rapidly.
She tore up her white apron, and with it
| staunched the flow, and then sat by the
| wolf, fearing some animal might hurt 1t in
its crippled condition.
| Night came on. White Thorn, tired from
her long watch. fell asleep, as did the wolf
and through the long night, the regular
breathing of this strange pair could be
| heard.
| When White Thorn was awakened by the
first rays of the sun, she could scarcely re-
member how she had gotten in the tree AS
| memory came back to her, she looked
| everywhere for the wolf she had befriended
| but not seeing him. was almost convinced
| that the whole affair was a dream. Her
missing apron, however, and some blood
stains on the grass outside soon convinced
j her that the incident was true. Before she
| could explain matters to herself she heard
| footsteps approaching, and looking up she
beheld a tall. handsome youth. dressed as
were the courtiers who were with the king
| yesterday.
The youth held out his hand to White
Thorn. and gently led her to a seat beside
the brook from which she yesterday had OBJ
tanned water for her deed Of mercy. He
told the gentle, bewildered girl that she
| had saved his life.
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