The Little Folks' Corner.

Evening Star, Issue 8772, 12 March 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

The Little Folks' Corner.

LirTLE HEPATIOA. little Hepatlca, in her soft bed, Smiled at the sunshine and lifted her head, Nodded to Mayflower over the way, Heard Robin singing, and said " It is day." Little Hepatlca rose from her bed, Bathed her sweet face ere the dewdrops had fkd, 'Neath her furred hood gleamed her beautiful hair, Never a princess of earth was so fair. Little Hepatica's toilet is o'er, Violet hued was the gown that Bbe wore. Calling her sisters, she bade them arise To greet the bright Bun as he gilded the skies. Put from the city with laughter and bong, Gaily the children came trooping along, Saw the sweet blossoms and shouted with glee, Said " We will pick them for mother to see." Back, treasure'laden, ere daylight had fled, Seeking the homo-neat the tired feet sped ; bwest were the offerings by little hands brought, Sweet the caresses by little Hps Bought. ►. Little Hepatica's mission be miDe— ; L'fring the human to meet the divine; "* Gladly to answer humanity's call; Freely to give, though the gift ba my all, —'Boston Transcript,' JENNY'S HAPPY YEAR. "I remember," said the doctor's wife, " the day that Jane Marshal first came to school. There were but ten of us, and we were like other girls. Our fathers paid our way through school, and we thought we never could endure it when it leaked out that Mrs Vance was going to take a charity scholar, a poor clergyman's orphan, to prepare for teaching. " Betty Kenneth declared she would never see her ; she ' would p&bs her as though she were the blank wall,' which we thought a fine revenge on the girl for being poor. We all resolved to do the same.

" But when the day oame Mrs Vance led in a thin little cripple, with an appealing face and a hump on her back. "' This is Jenny Marshal,' she said. There was a moment's pause, and then Betty marched straight up and kissed her, and we all followed her. Mrs Vance looked surprised and pleased ; but she Boon led the new scholar out, and then we stared at each other.

" ' I cannot make war on cripples,' said the roughest girl in the class. " Betty's face was red, and the spoke vehemently. 'I know what we will do! She thinks of her deformity all of the time ; I sec it in her face. We must make her forget it. Do you hear, girls ? It is a little thing for us to do—make her forget it!'

"If a teacher had told us to do this we should probably have disobeyed her, but Betty was the wildest among us. We were ready to follow her. "We all went to work. We took Jenny into all our clubs, we told her all our secrets. Not a word or a look ever touched on her deformity, or hinted that there was any difference between us.

" If she had been a whioing, priggish girl cur good intentions might have been thrown away, but she was an affectionate little soul, ready to laugh at all our jokes. I fancy she was little used to jokes or fun. People had kept that terrible hump in her mind always, as though that was to be the chief thing in life for her. " She waß not clever at her books, but Betty found out that she could embroider exquisitely. Then we asked Mrs Vance to offer a prize for needlework with the others, and Jenny of course took it.

" She had a voice find and tender as a lark's, and Betty always contrived that people who could understand it should fiear her sing. I have seen old men come to her with their eyes wet with tears and thank her for her songs. Even when we had tableaux we contrived that Jenny's lovely, sad face should be seen among the others.

" What was the end of it ? Oh, it was not like a story or a play, with some great blessing coming in at the close. It was a severe winter, and several of the girls had heavy colds, two of pneumonia. Jenny was one. She was not strong enough to fight against it. She was the only one who died. "Yes, her poor little story came to a sudden end. We all saw her on that last day. Betty even whispered to her a great secret. ' You can tell the other girls when you are well,' she said, noddiDg. " Jenny laughed, but she looked at each of us as we kissed her in a queer, steady way. «"I never was so happy in my life, girls,' she whispered, ' as here with you. Never. I wish I could stay ' " That was all; but when we looked at her dead face the next day there was a quiet smile on it. "Betty's little effort had made the last year of the tired child's life peaceful and bright, and I thought that she surely had carried some of its happiness up with her to the home where her deformity could not follow her."—Selected. A GOOD MEMORY. A certain schoolgirl declares that, do what she will, she can never remember dates. " Why, I have no idea when America was discovered !" she cried one night at a party. " Was it 1776 ? No; that must have been when Washington was born. Tell me, somebody." " 111 tell you how you can always remember, Mary," said a friend. "Learn this rhymein fourteen hundred ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue." Mary was delighted, and expressed her confidenoo that the prescription wonld never fail. Later in the evening, however, her friend mischievously resolved to test her memory. •• Well, Mary," said she, *' I don't believe

you can tell when Columbus discovered' America." "Of course I can," returned Mary promptly and with some indignation:— In fourteen tanndred ninety-three, Columbus sailed the dark blue sea. —Exchange. WHAT LITILE PEOPLE SAY. A child being reproved by her music teacher for not playing correctly, exclaimed: " Why, how can you insignifioate each a thh. " ? " a lit l t« K"" 1 WM tr yi n i3 *° ** ll her mother K „„ wnJ ''fully a certain lady could trill ; m .; nn i n ./ «"Mi said: " Oh, mamma! you Shedoesiteo "They Cere popping » a *** «**«• and popping %£n is w/ ,?"*£ *"*• •• Do look !" said Jessie. • The y g»J naked babies, aud they come «0> MWKUUI snow-white angels and fairies." ~ A bright little girl who had BooottNfu. lv spelled the word " that" was asked by Iter teacher what would remain after the "t" had been taken away. "The dirty enpt and saucers," was the prompt reply.