The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-02-08

N~~~~--
Pile
He was very ignorant--he did not
even know who God was. He had
never heard about Jesus and his love
for little children. He did not know
why missionaries left their homes and
came away to his country to teach
poor little orphans like himself. He
was so dirty that you would have
thought he had never seen any water.
and his clothing was so ragged that
it could not keep out the cold. and
as it was winter he was almost frozen,
He was very hungry too. poor little
mite! but he did not cry or complain,
he only looked up pleadingly into
tho kind faces.
All this the missionary told. and
Rosalie's eyes grew very large and
she sat up straight, looking earnestly
at the missionary as she went on to
tell that the orphanage was full, be-
cause so many little homeless chill
dren had come to them that winter.
There was no money to pay for Mug
gerditch to be educated, but they
took him in and gave him a bath
and some clean clothes and something
to eat before sending him back. After
he was clean and warm and well fed
he was a bright. happy looking little
fellow. He begged, oh. so hard. 10
be allowed to stay He promised to
work and never make any noise and
to be as good boy as ever was
80" said the missionary, I'VE teach
ers all tried to think of some way
to raise enough money to keep Mug
gerditch for one year. and at last we
were able to get 1t, and now the year
will soon be ended ana poor little
Muggerditch will have to 70 back TO
the dreary mountain village ana
never have any more education un-
less we can raise enough money TO
keep him
Then she asked II any one would
like to give something to help edu-
cate Muggerditch. Rosalies hand
was the first to go up. and she said
II will give my chicken. His name Is
t8Dick, and I'm sure he'll sell for as
much as fifty cents." Rosalie did
not see why people smiled when she
said that: II was a solemn matter to
her to give up her dear little pet.
but it was all she had to give, and
she felt so sorry for the poor little
orphan boy who wanted to 20 to
school. Her example, however. was
quickly followed. for one hand after
another went up and some offered
more and some less. until large
enough sum was raised to keep Mug
gerditch in school.
Rosalie was very quiet all the way
home. There was great lump in
her throat because of Dick. and yet
she was not sorry for what she had
done, and she knew that Dick would
be glad to be so useful.
From this time Dick was fed more
generously than ever In order that
he might grow nice and plump. Aunt
Jennie had advanced the fifty cents
M,tnuoVSftch vyntIlA ut I'm
TO wait for his education. But some
how the lump would always rise in
Rosaiies throat when she tried to
tell Dick about the plan.
One day Bob said Resale. ! think
Dick is hen. and il she is. you will
have to change her name
why. Bob! I can't possibly
change Dicks name, he wouldn't
know when l was calling him." Then
! exclaimed, "Oh, Aunt Jennie. If Dick
should lay eggs, won't you take the
eggs and let me keep Dick?"
And Aunt Jennie agreed to take
all the eggs which Dick might lay
in year in return for the Atty cents.
Rosalie was very happy and she
ran off to find Dick and made a full
confession of the whole matter. Dick
| listened with one foot raised from
IA6 kTouHu anu uSd0 tApptu vi OIt
| side. When Rosalie wound up with,
Now, Dick If you will only be a
hen and lay eggs. you won't have to
be killed and you can support little
| orphan Muggerditch just the same"
| Dick looked meditative for a few
| seconds and them turning slowly about
she began to sing a little song, just
as hens do, and that settled it. Dick
was a missionary hen. Every day
~ {o ,v,I s,Y. H.
talks about the education OF Mug
gerditch. Dick always did the listen
ing and looked very wise and thought
full. The result was that no other
hen laid so many eggs as Dick.
At the end OF the first year Aunt
Jennie found that Dicks eggs had
brought q dollar and a half, so she
said that seeing she could not take
interest on missionary money the
offering.
| And so every year Dick laid so
many eggs that she was the marvel
| OF the neighborhood. and everybody
| wanted to know what Resale fed
her hen to make her lay SO we'll.
But Rosalie always replied. "Why, /
just talk to her about helping Mug
gerditch."
One day, after Dick had been in
dustriously laying eggs for FIVE years.
there came letter bearing a foreign
| poatmark 1t was addressed 70
Rosalie, and she could hardly wait to
get 1t open. 1t contained a note from
the sweet missionary lady which said
that Muggerditch had completed his
education and learned a trade, that
he was almost ready to return to his
mountain village where he could now
earn his living, and teach others what
he had learned, and that he would
read the Bible to those who were too
old to learn to read. She said that
he had written a letter to the little
girl who owned the chicken, and she
had translated 1t for him into Eng
lish so that Rosa1ie could understand
what he had said.
On another sheet Of paper was such
queer looking writing-Rosalie had