human
The little girl I am going to tell you about, Dotty, lived in this state. Her name was Harriet Snow. Her father and mother were both dead. She had occasional fits of temper, which were very dreadful indeed. At such times she would hop up and down and scream.
gpt
Was the little girl pretty?
human
Not very pretty, I think. Her skin was dark; her eyes were black, and remarkably bright. When I saw her, she was thirteen years old; and you may know, Dotty, that by that time her face could not well be very pleasant: temper always leaves its marks.
gpt
Sometimes Harriet beat her head against the wall so violently that there seemed to be danger of her dashing her brains out.
human
Wasn't she crazy, mamma?
gpt
No, I am afraid not, dear. Only, when she allowed anger to stay in her heart, it made her feel blind and dizzy. Perhaps she was crazy for the time.
human
This little girl had no mother to warn her against indulging her temper. When she had the feeling of hate swelling at her heart, nobody told her what it was like. _You_ know what it is like, Dotty?
gpt
I don't want to tell you, mamma.
human
Like _murder_, my child.
gpt
Well, there was no one to love this poor Harriet; she was not lovable.
human
No, 'm, she was _hateable_!
gpt
There was no one to love her; so a woman took her, and was paid for it by the town.
human
Town? Town, mamma? A _town_ is _houses_.
gpt
She was paid for it by men in the town. I don't know whether this woman tried to teach Harriet in the right way or not. It may be she had so much to do that she thought it less trouble to punish her when she was naughty than to instruct her how to be good.
human
O, yes; I s'pose she struck her with a stick, said Dotty, patting her forefingers together--
gpt
Harriet had the care of one of Mrs. Gray's children, a lively little boy about two years old.
human
Was he cunning? As cunning as Katie Clifford? Did he say, 'If you love me, you give me hunnerd dollars; and I go buy me 'tick o' canny'?
gpt
Very likely he was quite as cunning as Katie. You would hardly think any one could get out of patience with such a little creature--would you, my daughter?
human
No, indeed!
gpt
I don't know but Harriet was envious of Mrs. Gray's little boy, because he had nicer things to eat than she had.
human
Well, it ought to have nicer things, mamma, 'cause it hadn't any teeth.
gpt
And she got tired of running after him.
human
No matter if she did get tired, mamma; the baby was tireder than she was!
gpt
And the parents think now it is very likely she was in the habit of striking him when nobody knew it.
human
What a naughty, wicked, awful girl!
gpt
She had a fiery temper, my child, and had never learned to control it.
human
The baby was afraid of his little nurse; but he could not speak to tell how he was abused; all he could do was to cry when he was left with Harriet. But one day Mrs. Gray was obliged to go away to see her sick mother. She charged Harriet to take good care of little Freddy, and give him some baked apples and milk if he was hungry.
gpt
With bread in?
human
Yes, I suppose so. Then she kissed her baby. He put his arms around her neck, and cried to go too; but she could not take him.
gpt
I s'pose he cried 'cause he 'xpected that awful girl was a-going to shake him,
human
I cannot tell you precisely what Harriet did to him; but when the father and mother got home, that darling boy was moaning in great pain. They sent for the doctor, who said his spine was injured, and perhaps he would never walk again; and, indeed, he never did.
gpt
O, mamma! mamma Parlin!
human
Yes, my child; and it is supposed that Harriet must have hurt him in one of her fits of rage.
gpt
O, mamma, what did the folks do with Harriet?
human
They took her to court, and tried her for abusing the little boy. They could not prove that she was really guilty, though everybody believed she was.
gpt
I know what 'guilty' means, mamma; it means _hung_.
human
No, dear; if she hurt the baby she was guilty, whether she was punished for it or not.
gpt
Well, she did it, I just know she did it! exclaimed Dotty, greatly excited.
human
That little tinty boy!
gpt
The judge pitied her for her youth and ignorance; so did the twelve men called the 'jury;' and she was allowed to go free.
human
Then did she 'buse somebody's else's baby, mamma?
gpt
I hope not. The last I heard of her she was married to a negro fiddler.
human
O!
gpt
Do you know why I have told you this sad story, my little daughter?