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12 THE PRESBYTERIA
For The Children
T !
For Presbyterian of the South.
KATIE OSBORNE'S EFFORTS.
By Esther Brooks.
Katie sat in a big chair before the cheerful open fire.
She looked at the glowing coals and bright, laughing
flames, and thought, and thought, and thought. By and
by a plan began to form in her wise little head. Was
she not thirteen years old, and had she not taken the
prize for penmanship at school that year? "Yes, 1
will do it. I will do that very thing," she said to herself.
"I will go to see Judge Seay in the morning."
Katie's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Osborne, lived on a
farm half a mile from a little town; and they were very
poor." Mr. Osborne worked hard,but made little money,
and his wife had been sick for several months. From
where Katie sat now she could see the brave little
woman lying upon her back patiently darning a rent in
Dany s dress.
When good Dr. Riley left yesterday Katie heard him
tell her father that the mother must have something to
tempt her appetite, to make her grow strong again.
Ever since Katie had wondered how they could get the
money to buy these things. It took all of her father's
money to pay the rent and buy shoes and dresses for
the little ones and plain food for the table. Very little
was ever spared for dainties, even at Christmas or
Thanksgiving. Rut now her mother must have daintier
and more nutritious food?food that she could eat.
So, as Katie looked into the fire and thought, this
afternoon, she decided that she would ask Judge Seay,
who was superintendent of the village Sunday school,
and a good, kind man, if there was not some copying
in his law office that she could do.
Having settled this in her mind her heart felt lighter,
and she turned to her mother, saying cheerily, "Feel better,
mother? Let me turn your pillow, I know you must
be tired. There! Isn't that nicer?"
"Yes, dear; thank you," said the mother, as she
stroked her hand.
Just then the little ones came noisily in from school.
They were hungry, after their lessons and their walk in
the cool, crisp air; so Katie hurried away to quiet them
and p-ive thrm snmpttiino- */-? ????
o S
At last, when a quiet moment came and they were
alone, Katie told her plans very secretly to Walter, a
brother two years younger than herself, making him
promise, upon his word and honor, that he would never
breathe it to a soul.
That night Katie could scarcely sleep for thinking
what she should say ?to Judge Seay, what he would
say to her, what she would do if he hadn't amr
for her, and what she would do if he did.
The next morning she was up with the sun, and as
soon as she could get off, was on her way to the Judge's
office in the village.
The air was pleasant, and the sun shone bright and
warm; but as Katie went up the steps and rang the
N OF THE SOUTH. January 20, igog.
office bell she forgot all about this, and was only conscious
of a choking in her throat and of a stifling thump,
thump, thump, within her chest.
Finally, after what seemed to her a long, ldng time,
a maid came to the door and invited her in. After another
long wait, as it seemed to Katie, Judge Seay came
*n. He looked at her over the tops of his spectacles
with wide-open eyes.
Instead of the big man he had expected to see, here
was a slender, shrinking girl.
Katie's heart thumped so hard that she wondered if
the Judge could hear it.
"Well, good morning, Miss Katie," he said, kindly.
"What can I do for you today?"
Her throat was dry, and it seemed as if her lips would
not open. But after a little she said timidly: "I thought,
sir, perhaps you had some copying that you wanted
done. My teacher said I could write very well, and I
thought maybe I could do it for vnn ;n
the doctor says we must get her some things we haven't
got." Her checks reddened and her voice trembled.
''Well," said the Judge, motioning to the desk, "there
are paper and pen. Write this for me: 'He that can
have patience can have what he will.' 'Diligence is the
mother of success.' "
"Here it is, sir," said Katie, as she handed him the
sentences neatly writen on the clean, white sheet.
"All right," said the Judge. "I have some copying to
be done, and T think- vnn /???? ? j
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hours each day? Well, if you will write here from two
until four every day I will give you three dollars a
week."
"Oh, thank you, thank you!" said Katie, as her eyes
filled with tears. "Shall I begin tomorrow?"
"Yes; and to make sure of you, I am going to pay
you now a dollar in advance," the Judge said, and
smiled.
Katie took the money in her little trembling hand, and
when she got out into the village street again it seemed
to her that the sun had never shone so brightly or the
birds sung so sweetly in all her life before.
What should the dollar buy for the little mother?
She walked past the stores and then came back again,
still uncertain how to spend it. The candy and the
peanuts looked so good, but she knew her mother
couldn't eat those. Then she saw some nice, big, yellow
oranges. She must have some of those for her mother,
she said to herself. Then she remembered having once
seen a trained nurse prepare an orange, scraped beef,
rice and toast for a sick lady. "That is it," she said, as
her eyes sparkled. "I will get a nice loaf of bread, a
piece of butter, some rice and steak for dear mother."
After she had paid for these things she had fifteen cents
left. With her packages in her arms she walked joyously
home, feeling as if she were treading on air. She
slipped quietly into the kitchen and put the things on
the clean table. Then she went to take a glass of cool,
fresh water to her mother.
"Oh, Katie,'.' she said, "I am so glad you've come! I
am so tired, and I want a cup of nice, hot tea, if you
please, dear."
"All right, mother," Katie said, cheerily.