Dream Scenes

Rising Star

Once not long ago in the wee village of Rye on the Hudson, a young boy was found in the only church. It was a cold snowy Sunday morning in February when the sexton of the church arrived at 8a.m. to start the furnace. When he went into the sanctuary to unlock its doors, he found the young boy asleep on the floor near the altar. The child was wearing a flowered nightshirt. His body was tightly curled up and although asleep, he was shivering. His face was blue and so were his hands.

The sexton tentatively touched the child’s shoulder and heard a pitiful moan. He picked the child up and carried him into the furnace room. There was a jug of hot tea with milk and a sugar mug on the table. He wrapped the child in several large choir robes after heating them near the furnace. The child continued to be asleep, but moaned each time he was touched.

It was quite warm in the furnace room, and the child’s color improved. The sexton attempted to arouse the child, and spoke loudly and shook him. The child appeared to be two to three years old. Just as the sexton had made up his mind to run across the street for help, the child awoke. He looked up at the sexton and wept quietly. He answered no questions, but accepted some tea. As he grew warmer, the child began trying to stand up. The sexton told him to lie quietly until he was warm. The young boy’s eyes were a bright blue, and his hair was golden. He seemed to hear and to follow directions, but he did not speak. The child appeared to be clean—his nightshirt was clean and fairly new, handmade, and of a very inferior quality flannel cloth. The sewing was very neat and well done; the sleeves, neck, and hem and the three small button holes were hand done.

After drinking the hot tea and eating some crackers, the child went to sleep. Leaving the child to sleep, the sexton pulled on his coat, cap, and rubber overshoes, closed and locked the doors, and ran across the road to get his wife to come and help with the child. As she dressed, he told her about the child and asked her to bring some oatmeal for the child.

Ma Hatcher was a good woman. She and her husband, Pa Hatcher, had never had any children. It was their only regret in life. The children in the church and at school were spoiled by the two. Ma cooked at the school lunchroom, and she and her husband cleaned both church and school.

When Ma saw the child she said, “Pa, he looks just like a picture of you at his age.”

Pa said, “I never was that handsome.”

“You still are a handsome rascal,” Ma said.

She picked the boy up and examined him all over. Then she said, “This child has lots of bruises, and some knots on his head. Someone has been maltreating this boy.”

Pa looked very angry and couldn’t believe anyone could treat a small child so badly. He just shook his head and hugged the boy, being careful not to hurt him. After eating the oatmeal, the child began to hum a tune. It sounded like “Yes, Jesus loves me.”

A little later the priest appeared and was amazed at Pa’s story. He said, “We must contact the sheriff right away. Could you care for him until the sheriff arrives?”

Ma and Pa looked at each other. Pa said, “We would love to keep him forever.”

 The priest saw them looking at each other and said, “First, we must find out who the child is, and where he belongs.”

On Monday, the sheriff and the local health nurse came by to see the child. The nurse noted the signs of abuse and put it in her report. The next Sunday the priest gave a sermon about the child. This was reported in the local newspaper, and included the stories of Ma and Pa and their love of children. Pictures were published, and the story was picked up by many of the newspapers.

Since no one had reported any missing children, the welfare department tried to take custody of the child. Ma and Pa refused to release custody to anyone other than the parents.

“Michael” could sing almost any song, popular or religious, that he had ever heard. He was too young to be bashful, and would stand up in the church and sing solos. One of the church members asked Ma and Pa if she could teach Michael to play the church piano. They were willing, and within a year he could play by ear, and was learning to read music. He actually learned to read music before he could read or write. A number of big city papers did follow-ups on Michael. His parents were never found, and formal custody was granted to Ma and Pa. The church had a great party to celebrate his formal adoption. The priest became his godfather.