A LITTLE GIRL'S DREAM

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Feb 1, 1905

A LITTLE GIRL'S DREAM.

A TOUCHING story comes from San Francisco. In one of the stores in the city there is a bakery, grocery, and liquor business done. Into this store entered a poorly-clad child of ten years. "How's your mother?" asked the boy who came forward to wait on her. "Very ill, and ain't had anything to eat all day."

The boy was just then called to wait upon some men who entered the saloon, and the girl sat down. Wearied out, she fell asleep, holding her nickel in her hand. One of the men saw her as he came to the bar, and, after asking who she was, said: "I say, you drunkards, see here. Here we've been pouring down whisky when this poor child and her mother want bread. Here's a two-dollar bill that says I've got some feeling left." "And I can add a dollar," observed one. "And I'll give another." They made up a purse of five dollars and the spokesman carefully put the bill between two of the sleeper's fingers, drew the nickel away and whispered to his comrades: "Just look there—the child is dreaming!" So she was. A big tear had rolled out from her closed eyelid, but the face was covered with smiles. The men tiptoed out and the clerk walked over and touched the sleeping child.

She awoke with a laugh, and cried out: "What a beautiful dream! Ma wasn't ill any more, and we had plenty to eat and wear, and my hand burns yet where an angel touched it?" When she discovered that her nickel had been replaced by a bill,

a dollar of which loaded her down with all she could carry, she innocently said: "Well, now, but ma won't hardly believe me that you sent up to heaven and got an angel to come down and give me all this."—Selected.