Mr. Lester had three little girls, and one little boy named Bertie. Bertie was a lovable boy, and as time passed on, he became more and more the delight of his parents. One day, when he was about three years old, he managed to slip out of the nursery and downstairs without being noticed. Coming to the hall he saw that the front door had been left open, so he thought he would take a peep at the outer world, and stepped out onto the porch.
Now, apart from his real worth, little Bertie was a valuable piece of property as he stood that afternoon at the front door. His clothes were made of expensive material; from his waist hung a beautiful coral with silver bells; his sleeves were looped up with corals, fastening with massive gold clasps; and a costly necklace encircled his little white neck.
All this was noticed by a tall, dark woman who was passing. She stopped, spoke kindly and softly to him, and taking from her pocket a. candy stick, she held it toward him.
Not in the least shy, little Bertie hastened to her to receive the prize. As he came near she slowly backed away till she had enticed the child some little distance from his home. Then taking him in her arms she gave him the candy, promising him more when he had eaten it. She wrapped her shawl round him to conceal his clothes from any passer by, and talked to him pleasantly while she bore him rapidly toward the lowest part of the city.
Soon Bertie became frightened, and asked to be taken home, but the woman was no longer afraid of his cries. She spoke sternly to him which only increased his terror. At length a narrow, dirty street was reached, down which the woman hurried, and entering a door she carried poor Bertie up a narrow, dark staircase, and into a miserable room at the top of the house.
Poor little Bertie! His sobs and screams gave no pity to the wicked woman. She took off all his pretty clothes, and while doing so, gave him many cruel blows because he cried. A ditty, ragged suit was put on him, and soon, worn-out with crying, poor lost Bertie fell asleep on the hard, dirty floor.
At first Bertie’s absence from the nursery was not noticed, but soon the nurse went in search of him. Great was her alarm when she found that no one had seen him. Soon every one in the house was searching for Bertie, but they could not find him. Someone remembered seeing the hall door open about the time Bertie must have left the nursery; so they decided he had strayed into the street.
You may imagine the terrible distress of the parents. The mother could not be persuaded to stay at home. She must join in the search for her child. Long she wandered about, but could discover no trace of her lost boy, till at length her steps were guided to the very street into which poor Bertie had been carried some hours before. At any other time she would have trembled to find herself alone in such a neighborhood. But now she didn’t think of herself. As she hurried down the street, she heard a sound coming from one of the houses which made her heart bound. It was a child’s cry, and well she knew the voice.
ML 04/18/1954