Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1908-01-02

4 ~ 1aLner that she was NO
N9B longer able to care for
her baby and q few
months later she went to Join the ia
Their and baby Jeffrey was left all
alone IN the world
Then friendly nefghhors who had
too macy babies of their own to find
room far this little fatherless and
m0therfess boy had him taken to IN
orphan asylum and he grew UP with
so other boys and girls who had no
mother or father
Little Jeffrey remembered nothing
Of his parents, hut some of the older
children who came to the home had
memories of dear mothers and ia.
Tiers and they had told jeffrey of
them
When Alice Lane came to the
home she was eight years old Her
mother and father had died within
few weeks of one another and it
was a sadeyed little girl who crept
about the big rooms of the home.
Little jeffrey had a big heart and he
felt very sorry for Alice
On the third day after her ar
rival he walked up to her and plant
ing himself in front of her he said:
Alice Lane, why do you cry SO
much? Why don't you pIayw
He was such a funny, freckIefaced
little fellow that Alice smiled a faint
little smile. It was the first one since
her mothers death Then the tears
came again and she sobbed:
I want mamma, jeffrey. I want
papa, too. and my own home This is
big and lonesome and they don't love
you like mamma and papa"
From that time on Alice and jeffrey
were the best of friends He was
such cheerful little fellow and often
so dron that many times Alice
laughed in spite of herself.
But when Alice began to talk much
or her home and her mamma and papa
he began to wish for one, too. The
wish grew and grew until at last he
felt that there was nothing in the
world that he wanted except a moth
er and father and a home. When
Christmas time came and the chill
dren wrote their wishes on a piece of
paper one of the house mothers read
In Jeffrey's: "Ples, don't want
nothing but a father and a mother
and home with flowers in the win
dow"
From time to time children were
taken from the orphans home by peo-
pie who had no children of their own.
The house mother hoped SO much
that little Jeffrey would be chosen
and his wish granted. But the people
who came passed by the eager little
fellow who eyed each newcomer
hopefully. One had to know little
Jeffery to love him and his homely
freckled little face did not attract Wis
itors.
They chose the prettier children and
seemed not to notice that Jeffery's
gray eyes were very honest and his
mouth very firm and his walk very
manly. They seemed only to see the
freckles, the pug nose and the sandy
hair.
Sc Christmas day passed and JEFF
rey received sweetmeats and warm
the father and mother and home.
/, He cried himself to sleep that night
and Alice had to turn comforter for
the next few days
Mamma always said New Years
was the lucky day and maybe you'll
get them then. And if you don't, then
you will some other time, cause Moth
er Burns said she'd try"
On New Years morning Jeffrey
was awake early, and his first thought
was:
Maybe the mother'll come to-day
A few hours later a very pretty
woman dressed in velvet and furs fol.
lowed by tall man came to the home
Little jeffrey looked up hopefully. But
the woman seemed not to see the boys
Tor her eyes were scanning the faces
OF the little girls. When she same to
Alice she started:
That's the one, Jerome" she said
eagerly. 'The same gentle face and
blue eyes and golden hair. We must
nave her. 1t will seem like having our
little Alice back again.
When she learned the name of the
little girl she had chosen she was
still more interested.
You would like to go home with me,
dear, wouldn't your" she asked
Alice
Yes, ma'am,' answered Alice, "but
l couldn't go without jeffrey, cause
he's been my friend and he wants. a
father and a mother so bad
"Oh, but 1 don't want a little boy.
dear. 1 just want one little girl to
make it seem as though my own Alice
were living" answered the lady.
Then can't come" said Alice, ''un-
less they make me co.
For few moments the man and
woman talked together and the man
seemed to see in little Jeffrey all the
things that other people had missed.
He saw the honest. blue eyes, the firm
mouth and the manly walk, and he
saw years ahead when the same little
BOY might be his partner in business
Then he said to jeffrey:
1--WE want son, as well as a daugh-
tetr. So we will take you home Ind
give you happy New Year"
New Years is the lucky day. isn't
it?" answered jeffrey, beaming into
the faces of his new parents. And
the smile won the lady's heart and
she took him as gladly as she did
Alice.
So Jeffrey found his father and
mother and home and sister all on
a happy New Years day.-Farmers'
Review.
Some Dark Chapters.
Father (impressivelyl = Consider