Adopted children -- Juvenile fiction; Girls -- Juvenile fiction
"Well, I know one sure thing," declared the Little Pilgrim as she
raised her head from Mrs. Moore's shoulder and brushed away the tears.
"I know that same mother will come and get me some time and take me
home and then you will come and live with me--and won't it be lovely!
Let's have some dinner, I'm hungry!"
Mrs. Moore smiled and sighed at the same time, but she ordered a
luncheon for two served in the nursery and Marian's troubles vanished:
also the luncheon.
The next time the superintendent saw the child, she was sitting on the
nursery floor singing to the babies. He was surprised and pleased when
he heard the sweet, clear voice and straightway sought Mrs. Moore.
"Let me take her Sunday," he suggested. "I didn't know our Marian was a
singer."
"Are you going into the country?" asked the nurse.
"No, Mrs. Moore, not this time. We expect to have services in one of
the largest churches right here in the city. We have made special
arrangements and I shall take twenty-five of the best singers in the
Home with me. Marian will have plenty of company."
"She is young," objected Mrs. Moore.
The superintendent laughed. "Petey Ross," said he, "was two years old
when he made his first public appearance on the platform; Marian is
nearly six."
"Yes," agreed Mrs. Moore, "that is true and I remember that Petey
Ross was adopted and in less than a week after that first appearance.
Marian," she continued, "come here, darling. Do you want to go to a big
church with the children next Sunday and sing one of the songs you and
I sing to the babies?"
"Yes, Nanna, what for?"
"Because the superintendent wishes you to. Every Sunday he takes some
of our little boys and girls away to sing in the different churches,
where he tells the people all about the Home for Little Pilgrims."
"Oh, yes, now I know," declared Marian. "Janey Clark used to go and
sing. She said that was the way to get yourself adopted. I'd like to go
if I don't have to get adopted and if Nanna may go too."
"All right, Marian, I will go," assented Mrs. Moore, "and nobody shall
adopt you unless you wish it. Now run back to the babies. Little Ned
and Jakey are quarreling over the elephant. Hurry, Marian, or its ears
will be gone."
"She'll demand a salary in another year," remarked the superintendent,
watching the little girl's successful management of the babies.
"I shouldn't know how to get along without her," said Mrs. Moore, "and
yet it isn't right to let her grow up here."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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