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Show UiiiuiUUiuxiiiiiiuixiiiiiiiUUiiiiiixx I f MISS RUTfllE'S CHARGE. fl QO, YOU see, Miss Paul, 1 came fl jj) rouio. .0 And out how many you fl -would take," suidgood Mrs. Manly, the fl plump, matronly minister's wife, and fl sho smiled reassuringly at Miss Ruth's fl grim face. fl "Why, Mrs. Manly, I don't know any fl more about children than a cat does fl i "about Sunday 1" was her dry answer. fl' "Never mind that, Miss ltuthie; you m could learn. And this is just the place E for a poor, tired, hungry little child. B You have a big, empty house, a great, B cool, shady yard, plenty of f reali milk, K fruit, n big garden, chickens, ducks, m everything n child lovesl You might B tako three or four." B "And tliey would chase the ducks, m worry the chickens, pull the flowers, B ,H -waste the fruit, spill the milk and rack- H et and upset nil over thohouscl I would M ' f" J as" soon go loathe asylum and be done B " 'Innsmuch ns ye have done it unto H one of tlic least of these, ye have done B it unto me,' " murmured Mrs. Manly, softly. B Mrs. Manly rose to go, with a dis- B appointed nir. B "Then you will not take even one, fl Miss Ruth?" B ' "Not even one, Mrs. Manly," returned HB the grim spinster. HB , , "Well, I am sorry, but you are the HB "best judge, of course." fl "I'd like to oblige you, Mrs. Manly. HB Hut what to do with a young one I Hfl wouldn't kridw, Tin sure. I couldn't do B B "Then I Avill not urge it, Miss Ruth. BB Of course, if you change your mind be- BB tween now and the time the children BB come you can let the committee know. BB '' There is always room." B "All right. But 'tisn't at nil likely I BBj shall change my mind," said Miss Ruth, BB grim as ever. BBj Miss Ruth had plenty of menns, and B oiot a soul to fill that great oldhouse cx- B cepting herself, her stout maid, Betty, BBj t ' and the colored boy -who acted' ns gen- m crnl factotum. B'' She -went into the kitchen, nnd the BB first thing Betty had to say was that the BB neighbors on both sides were going to BB take one or two children for u month BB from the relief committee, nnd Betty BBJ thought it was so nice to have the dar- BB lln's running around to keep a body B from irnttinrr Inncsnmiv BB Then, worst of all, in the afternoon BBJ Betty required a certain muslin bag for BBJ straining jelly, nnd it could not be BBJI found, strange to say, in that method- BBt deal household. Miss Ruth had to go up BBr to the garret for a piece out of which BBS 1o make another bag. And so she BBJ chnnccd to open n certain trunk in tho H garret, by the side of which eho sat BBv down and sighed. B For there, preserved in camphor and BBb Invender, through so many years, were BBl the garments belonging to the being BBK Miss Ruth had most loved on earth, the BBl little sister who died when she was only BB ten years old, and wns buried down BBB there in the old graveyard, under the BBS willow trees. B It seemed ns if, while she sat on the BBB floor in tho garret, she could sec Tilly's B blue eyes looking up into her fnce, and BBB hear Tilly's tender voice saying: "Sis- fl "ter. remember the t ime when we plnyed BBB together, and do it for my snke." Miss B ltuthie got her muslin, shut the trunk fl A nd mnrched downstairs to the kitchen. B - "Bettj'," said she, "do you think B wb ought to take one of those chil- BBB B t "taw, yes, Miss Ruth! Why don't fl ye?" 6nia Betty her Plain face lbjht- BBB ing. B $ "But children are nuisances, Betty." fl .""' "Yes, Miss Ruth, but they're kind o.' BB comfortin' after "all." B "Well, make your jelly, Betty. Mind BBB wd don't let it burn." B Next morning Miss Ruth walked dp- BB liberate)- Into the ofllce of the Indies' BBB .. relief committee. H 4i .''I'll take one!" she said, sternly. H T r l "All right. Miss TInskins. put down B y, one for Miss Paul," said the lndy In BBBE charge. R "Ask her if Rhc wishes a boy or girl," B Anld MissITaskins, ns she wrote -the BBBt H "A 8',," rPue(1 Miss Ruth, promptly. BBt "Lord knows whnt I'll do with her, BBB though; I don't!" B . The Indies exchanged glances, which BTflTflVflH FiiiwwiMwrthUw wiwumwwwwm w iiiwi.hu ii. were not lost on Miss Ruth. "Be nt the depot Tuesday morning, next week, to receive your charge," said Miss Ilaskins. "Very well." Miss Ruth turned round nnd walked out, "They think I'll cat the child!" she muttered to herself. "But I won't!" On Tuesday morning the people who had promised to take children were nt the depot. So were a great many others, prompted by curiosity, and, when the train came in, Wellsville had never seen such n crowd. Names -were called nnd places assigned as-signed ns fast as the efficient committee 1 of Indies could do It. "Miss Ruth Paul one. girl here!" came at last. And Miss Ruth marched up to the platform to receivcher charge. A little thing of eight, with yellow curls and blue eyes nnd a white face, dressed in a blue calico dress, wenrlng a hat which had evidently been the property of some young lndy, was assigned to Miss Ruth, with ticket No. 44. "Come on!" said Miss Ruth, leading the wnyto her carriage. She had driven herself to the depot, simply because she would not bo seen in tho village with the child following her. Not yet, at least! "Climb In!" she said, loosening the pony's straps. The little one was inside directly. "Oh, -what a pretty carriago!" sho said, patting the soft cushions. "Is it yours?" and she smiled up into Miss Ruth's face. "Yes. What's your name, child?" "Tilly." My goodness! Miss Ruth gave a start. "Tilly what?" "Tilly Truax." " "Is your ma in the city?" "I hain't got noma, nor no pa." "Who takes care- of you, then?" "I live with Aunt Lou." "She is poor, isn't she?" "Yes'm. She's got three children of her own. They wanted to come, but they was too big. Aunt Lou washes for folks." "Humph! No wonder you look half starved! Is that all tho dress you've crot?" "No'm. I've got a pink dress, that a lady gave me, in this bundle. AuntLou said it wouldn't do, but it's real pre-ttv, I tKink." "Undo your bundle and let me see." Tilly unrolled the paper, and showed the remains of a child's pink tarlatan party dress. "Humph! You can1 take that to dress dolls with!" said Miss Ruth, with a sniff of disdain. "This is tho place," she said, stopping the carriage. "Jump down, child!" She couldn't say Tilly j-et-but she would, after awhile! "Betty," said Miss Ruth, walking Into the big, clean kitchen with her visitor, "here's the child. Get her a bowl of bread and milk." "Law, Miss Ruth! Did you really take one?" And Betty's hands went up in Riiriirtsc "Yes, I did. Do you like milk, child ?" "I don't know," said the baby, shyly. "Don't know! Didn't you ever drink-milk?" drink-milk?" "No ma'am. I've seen it, but I never tasted it. Aunt Lou couldn't afford to buy it." "Betty, bo quick! Leave the cream on Come here, Tilly, nnd see if you like pure, country bread and milk." Tilly .proved that she did by eating the last drop in the bowl. Miss Ruth would have offered her more, but sho did not want to make the child sick the first tiling. "Are you tired?" she asked, when the bread and milk wns finished. "Oh, no, ma'am." "Then, here is a sunbonnet; you may go out in the yard and piny. Do you like to play on the grass?"- "I -guess I would like it!" said Tilly, sweetly. "I never tried it." "Good Lord! I there no grass in. New York?" asked Miss Ruth. "Yes'm. Lots of it in the parks. But the police don't 'low you to step on it." "Well, you can step on itherc. Goout now, and do do just whatever you're a mind to!" Miss Ruth gave Tilly a little bedroom next to her own and undressed her with her own hands. "Where's your gown, child?" she said. , "I hain't got no gown," replied Tilly. "What do you sleep iu?" "This." "This" was a thin underwalst, which, with a small petticoat, completed the child's underwear. "Well! " Miss Ruth didn't know whnt to do. "J'll get you some to-morrow," she snld. The next day Miss Ruth said! "Betty, that child' lms absolutely no clothes. I'll get her some, and you niutt help me make 'em." " 'Tnin't much use, for such a little while, Is it?" asked Betty. "She's got to be decent while she Mny,"jsaid Miss Ruth, resolute!-. So they bent to work. Andithe next Sunday, when Miss Ruth led- her little charge to Sunday school in a blue "Mother Hubbard" and big white hat and new shoes, people said: "Miss Paul must have visitors, else who Is the pretty child in, her pew?" And they never knew it for the little wnif who enmc out on the relief train last Tuesday. Tilly had been there two weeks, when one night there was a thunderstorm, thunder-storm, and Miss Ruth was awakened by a call at her bedside. "Aunt ltuthie! Aunt ltuthie!" Sho had taught Tilly to call her that, and the child's voice roused her. "Well, what is it?" sho asked. "I'm afraid of the thunder, Aunt PiUthie. May I come in your bed'?" "Yes." The little figure crept in nnd cuddled up close to Miss Ruth, the small arms wound round her, nnd she felt the warm breath on her cheek. And fioraehow Miss Ruth remembered Betty's words: "Children is kind o' comfortin' after all," and felt a strange sensation of warmth at her lonely heart. After nwhlle the month was up, and the Indies notified thoso who had children chil-dren to hnve them at the depot ready to return to the city. Mrs. Mnnly and Miss nasldns called on Miss Ruth. "Am I obliged to let her go?" asked Miss Ruth. "Unless you keep her nt your own expense. Our charge ends this month." "Well, I want to keep her." "now long, Miss Paul?" "Always. Shehas grown into my old heart, and I can't let her go. You know where sho came from. See her folks in New York; there's nobody but an. overworked aunt, anyhow; and let 'em know I'Jl adopt her and leave her all I'm worth." "Is that really your wish, Miss Ruth?" asked Mrs. Manly. "Yes, it Is. I want her for good." "We ean get her for you, no doubt. You will be rewarded for your kindness. kind-ness. MIsRTlntTi " "Tilly, is her own reward," said Ruth. And so the child .stayed to be the light of the home which was no longer lonely, and to make happier and better Miss Ruth's advancing days. And, ns to Betty, she never grew tired of singing Tilly's prnisos or of doing something for the pleasure of Jicr pet or favorite. Miss Ruth softened and sweetened greatly. The Abbott children, chil-dren, forgot to call her "sour old maid," but tensedi every day to go over to Miss Paul's and play with Tilly, becnuseMiss Paul always had somethlngnice to give them. Woman's Journal. |