The Topeka state journal., 1921-11-19
ON SECOND THOUGHT
BY JAY E. HOUSE
CFrom Philadslphia Public Ledger9
GEMS FROM AfcGUFFEY's FIFTH
READER.

GEMS FROM McGUFFEY'S FIFTH
READER.
The Orphan.
On & dark cold night in the middle
of November, as Mr.. Lawrence was
travelling in a stage coach from Lon
don to Norwich, he was reused from
a, sound sleep, at the end of the stage.
by the coachman's opening the door OF
the carriage and begging leave to look
for a parcel which was in the oo@
under Mr.. Lawrence's seat.
The opening of the door admitteo
a violent gust of wind and rain, which
was very unpleasant to the feel1ng OF
the sleeping passengers, ana reused
them to a consciousness OF the sltua-
ton of those who were on the OAK
side of the vehicle. -
thick coat on to guard you against the
cold and wet" said Mr.. Lawrence. Il
have a. very good one, sir" replied the
man, "but have lent it to a poor
little girl we have on the top; for my
so little clothing to keep her warm.
IA child exposed on the outside OF
the coach on such night as this!
exclaimed Mr.. Lawrence. am sure
1t would be very wrong in US to let her
stay there. Do let us have her i'm
think of her being in such a sltua-
"oh, no. cried a gentleman ap-
posite, "we can do nothing with her.
1t is quite out of the question. Inc
coach is already full, and she Will be
so wet that we might as well be on
the outside ourselves as sit near her.
Beside, she is a poor child IN charge
of the master of a workRouse, and one
does not know what she may nave
about her"
coachman, ''I think she is as clean as
any child need be, tho she is rather
deiicate-looking, poor thing. But she
is a fine creature and deserves better
fare than she is likely to get where
she is going"
Let her come in, at any rate" said
Mr.. Lawrence, 'for poor or rich, she
is equally sensible to cold, and no one,
I am sure, who has a child OF his own
can bear the idea of keeping her SO
exposed And, as to her being wet. L
will wrap her in my plaid, and take
her on my knee, so that no one can
feel any inconvenience from It
This silenced the gentleman's obJec-
tions; and the rest of the company
agreeing to it, the .coachman was de-
sired to bring the child in, which he
gladly did, and the dry plaid being
rolled about her, Mr.. Lawrence took
her upon his knee, and putting his
arm around her, clasped her with
benevo1ence and satisfaction to his
breast. 81 am afraid you are very
cold, my poor little girl" said he.
''I was very cold, indeed. till the
coachman was so good as to let me
have his coat replied she in a very
sweet and cheerful voice, "but you
have made me warmer still" she
added, and, as she spoke. she laid her
head against the breast of her benevo-
ri aSlPRn a few
minutes.
1.-The ooachman showed a great deal
of concern for her" said one of the
passengers. 81 c~-Ild hardly have ex-
pected so much eeling in the driver
of stage coach" Il believe there is
much more feeling among the lower
classes of society than is generally
supposed" said Mr.. Lawrence.
His companion was teo sleepy to
dispute the point, and the whole party
soon sunk again into a state of torpor.
When Mr.. Lawrence awoko he found
that his little companion was still in
deep sleep, and he thought with satis-
faction of the sound resth he had pro-
cured for her with only a little in
convenience to himself. He was glad,
too, that he interested himself before
he saw her; for had he seen the pre-
possessing face which he then beheld,
he might have suspected his interfer-
ence' was prompted by her beauty as
much as by her distress.
She was of fair complexion and reg
ular features, but Mr.. Lawrence was
particularly interested in her sensible
and expressive countenance, which in
dicated extreme sweetness of DISPOSE
ton. ''What a. pity thought he, as
he looked at her, chat so promising a
little creature should be confined to a
poorhouse and there reared in vice
and ignorance"
AS these thoughts passed across his
mind the little girl awoke. 'Have you
had a good sleep, my dear?" asked
he kindly. Yes, sir. 1 have been
sleeping very soundly and thought 1
was at home"
where is your homer" asked Mr..
Lawrence. 'I call where Aunt Mary
the name of the placer mo. sir. I
! do not know what they call it, only
that it was Aunt Mary's house, and
it was near the large town they call
Essex, where my father lived.
Surprised at the easy and correct
manner in which this little girl, who
bore marks of nothing but the great
est poverty, expressed herself, Mr..
Lawrence's curiosity was greatly ex-
cited. and he asked her name.
my Aunt Mary used to call me
Fanny Edwards" replied she, "but my
new mother told me I must say my
name is Peggy Short, but do not
| like that name.
''Why did she tell you to call your
| self by that name?'' asked Mr.. Law
renee. 'I can not tell you, sir, for
she used to call me Fanny herself till
she took me to the large town we
came to yesterday; and then she
called me Peggy, and said I must call
myself So"
'Where is your Aunt Mary now,
| and your new mother, where is she
gomez"
my Aunt Mary went away a long
| time since. She said she was forced TO
go to a lady who was i'll, that had
been very kind to her, but she would
come back to me soon, and I would
! live with her again.
Where did you go when she left
you?" inquired Mr.. Lawrence. 'I went
to live with my father. for I had a
I 0avy ruofbor INV Aunt Mary said UbO