Olive was walking in the yard, when she heard a voice calling her to
come in. She at once obeyed, and was told that a lady wished to see her
in the parlor. This lady spoke to Olive very kindly, asking her if she
would like to go to live with her. Olive, liking the lady’s face and
manner, said she would.
Olive had lived in this Orphan Asylum several years. She was a very
sad-looking child, and no one had wished before to adopt her. This lady
wished to make some poor child happy, and chose Olive because she seemed
so forlorn. Promising to come for her in a few days, she kissed Olive
good-bye.
[Illustration]
Martin was Olive’s brother, and lived in the Asylum too. Their mother
died when they were very young. Irene, the eldest child, tried to help
her father take care of the children and the house, but she was never
very well. She grew weaker and weaker. She used to go off by herself to
cry. She longed for her mother, and wished she could go to her. Her wish
was granted, for she died too.
[Illustration]
The father couldn’t look after Martin and Olive, so he put them in the
Orphan Asylum. It wasn’t very long before the father was taken ill, and
had to go to a hospital, where he died. That left Martin and Olive
without father or mother, or anybody in the wide world to love them.
When Olive told Martin she was going away with a sweet lady, he threw up
his arms and rushed down the garden quite wild-like. Martin was old
enough to realize that his little sister was to be taken away from him,
and he could never be with her any more. It nearly broke his heart even
to think about it.
Olive began to think too. They cried and they thought, they planned and
they talked. Olive told the matron she couldn’t leave Martin, but the
matron said she must. When the lady came for her, Olive cried very hard,
and asked if she please couldn’t take Martin too, for he wouldn’t have
any little sister at all if she went away.
Martin came to say good-bye. He and Olive clung to each other. While
they sobbed, the matron scolded and the lady pondered. Finally the lady
asked the matron’s permission to take Martin for a few days’ visit. That
stopped the crying and the scolding, and away the children went in great
glee.
Martin was such a quiet, good boy, and so happy to be with them, that
the lady and her husband decided to keep both children. Neither they nor
the children ever had any reason to regret it.
Olive and Martin had had so little fun in their lives, had shed so many
tears, and had known so much about trouble, that they were always
grateful for everything done for them, and tried their best to do right.
They were very unlike the children, who, while always being indulged and
petted, are nevertheless discontented.