The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-08-19
Adopting an Orphan.


Deacon Flints widowhood, suggested
that he take a girl from the orphan
asylum to keep house and for COM
pany.
The deacon started for the city next
morning and returned in the evening
with the orphan. Her name was
Ruth. The deacon liked her at first
glance, and he kept liking her better
all day. Before going to bed that night
she was shown over the house and
through the pantry and told what to
get for breakfast and at what hour to
have It ready, and the deacon's heart
swelled up as she called TO him;
GOOD night, my own dear old papa.
Your little daughter is awfully glad
she has come to live with you"
Breakfast was to be ready at @.
The deacon oversight, and 1t was Z
before he got out Of bed and went
downstairs. There was no one about.
He knocked at the daughters door,
but got no answer. He went outside
to look for her, and, finding nothing, he
returned and opened the door of her
room. She was still asleep, but when
he called to her she woke up and de-
manded to know what was wanted.
"You should have had breakfast all
ready an hour ago"
"Not on your lifew she exclaimed.
"when you get 1t ready com and call
me-"
"But-but, what do you meant" de-
manded the astonished man.
"You sliiddoo and don't ask questions.
Say, pop, you might as well under
stand right now that I'm a lady and
must be treated as such. After this l
shall take my breakfast in bed"
The deacon got breakfast, and Miss
Ruth came down. She found fault
with everything and when reproved
gave him such back talk that he
reached over and boxed her ears. The
next minute everything on the table
she could reach was flying at his head.
After being hit by three plates, the
cruet, the coffeepot and the sugar
bowl he flew the coop and made his
way to the parsons Epuse.
"Ah," said the good man, II was
wondering IL you came home last night
and brought the orphan with you"
"I didp exclaimed the deacon with a
great deal of energy.
"And-and"-
"And you come over and see her
She was as humble as a kitten last
night, but this morning she seems tc
be limb of Satan"
When the house was reached the
adopted orphan was found In the yard
| throwing pieces of the broken crock
cry at the hens, and she had already
lamed an old rooster and knocked
speclSled hen gally west.
Morning. parson," she called out
81 suppose pops been telling what {
bad kid am? If he wasn't dub he't
have stayed and fought it out will
me-"
my dear child, / am sorry to heal
such reports of you," solemnly replied
the parson. "You seemed to me thu
other day to be such an innocent, hum
BILE young girl that
"That was in the game, parson.
was after papa and home. oh,
| can be an angel when ! want to. Set
me knock that black hens head OFF,"
| The parson and the deacon walked
aside to consult, and the latter asked
in anxious tones;
"Well, what shall | do about it?"
"Slt down with her and talk o
heaven and angels and appeal to he
better nature. | think you will hav,
her crying in FIVE minutes. 1t seem
that in some way l must have got
wrong impression of the child"
The good man returned home, ant
the deacon sat down to try moral sua
sion The village graveyard was il
sight, and he looked over at the stone
and asked the girl IL she knew wher
good folks went to when they died.
"Oh, come off!" she answered. Can
we go to a circus or something today
l knew you was an old poke, but Iv
come to stir you up. Come in an
shave. don't like your whiskers."
The deacon rose up and took her b
the ear and led her into the house an
locked her up In closet and sal
something about bread and water unit
she could behave herself. He the
went to the field to put in short for'
noon. At IL o'clock, when lie cam
back, the closet door lay on the foo
the table and chairs were on the
backs, and the girl was getting read
to smash windows. The deacon wer
out and cut and trimmed a peach tire
limb and wore 1t out around her shou
ders and locked her up in anotI {
closet. At O'clock in the afternOo
his barn was found to be on fire On
couldn't be saved. He went TO ii
house to find the prisoner gone, ever!
thing a wreck and the following net
pinned to a door:
Dear Papa-You are no gentleman, an
don't like your style. As you can
hustle. ! will.
And on top of that the good parse
came around to condOle with him an
to say:
~ guess we made mistake, deaco
Instead of trying the adoption pla
apnin WHY NOT take n wife 2?