Newspaper Page Text
io the presbyteria:
For the Children
! I
A LITTLE SERMON.
Never a day is lost, dear,
If at night you can truly say
You've done one kindly deed, dear,
Or smoothed some rugged way.
Never a day is dark, dear,
Where the sunshine of home may fail
And where the sweet home voices
May answer when you call.
Never a day is sad, dear,
If it brings at set of sun
A kiss from mother's lips, dear,
And a thought of work well done.
?Our Young Folks.
LUCY'S FIRST EARNINGS.
"I should be glad to have you do like the rest of your
Sunday school class, and give fifty cents to missions;
but for me to give you the money is utterly out of the
question. Dorothy is needing a school book, and Wilbur
can't get along another week without shoes.
Though you are but a child, you know how closely we
are pressed," said Mr. Bennet.
"Yes, I know, papa," sighed Lucy. "I can not ask
you for the money. But I want the .fifty cents so
much! If I knew some way of earning it myself!"
"You are too young to expect to earn money," said
Mr. Bennet. "You had better be giving your thoughts
to your lessons and to your little duties and to trying
to help mamma. When you are older you may be able
to give many times fifty cents if you are faithful to
your tasks now."
"Lucy is always faithful to her duties," spoke up
Mrs. Bennet. "No mother or father could ask for a
better child."
"Yes, I know," said Mr. Bennet, smilingly. "That is
all the more reason I am sorry I can not give her the
fifty cents she wants."
"She is quite reasonable; and she understands," said
Mrs. Bennet, gently.
Then Mr. Bennet went away to his work, and Lucy
began her task of clearing the breakfast table. "If I
could only earn the money myself." she sighed again,
as she worked. "It would seem so much more like
real giving."
Mrs. Bennet heard; but she did not answer, for she
could think of no suggestion that would help the matter
in the least.
After the tabic was cleared and the dishes were
washed. Lucy sat down to the piaqo for a half hour's
practice before school time. When the half hour was
finished, there still remained some time before she
need start for school.
"Mamma, here is the practice book I borrowed from
Miss Brown," she said. "It has come all to pieces, and
I am ashamed to take it home. It does not seem right
to return a book in a worse rnnditinn than it wac u/hon
it was first borrowed."
"It is not right, either," answered Mrs. Bennet. "Everybody
should take special pains to be careful wijh
that which is not their own. Very unpleasant feelings
are often caused between friends by carelessness in
j
N OF THE SOUTH. September 29, 1909.
borrowing. We must do what we can to put the book
into the best shape possible before sending it home.
The cover was badly damaged, I remember; and the
book was far from new."
"You .know I can make very pretty book covers,
mamma " ?air1 T ucv T 1? r- -* * "
, wv..v. x^v?vj. i iu?iKc one ior tins r
And we can stitch the sheets together."
"That will be well," answered Mrs. Bennet. "I believe
we can make it look better than it did when you
borrowed it. We will try as soon as you come
home from school."
As soon as school was out that afternoon, Lucy
hurried home and went to work with the book. First
she fastened the loose leaves together with a strong
inrcaa. men she bound a sheet of heavy white paper
on for the cover.
"It looks very well, indeed," said Mrs. Bennet.
"I think I shall decorate the back with a vine and
letters," said Lucy. "I can not make it look too well,
for Miss Brown was kind to lend it to me."
"Make it as pretty as you can, agreed Mrs. Bennet.
So Lucy drew a vine, and letters top from the name
of the book. After she had sketched it first with a pen,.:i
..i.? * 1 1 ?
v.i, ant uatcu 11 wnn iiik. i nen sue was ready to
carry the book home.
"What pretty letters you have made," said Miss
Brown, noticing the cover, as Lucy put the book in her
hand. "You are quite a child to do such nice work."
"I think it is natural for me to draw," answered
Lucy, modestly. "My teacher at school says I do very
neat work."
"It is remarkable," said Miss Brown. "I am sure,
too, you are a very conscientious girl to bring my book
home in such good condition. It is not many grownup
people who are so careful."
"Mamma has tauedit me that T mnct nni
0 * .iiMwv nv/b UOV UUHUW
ed things as though they were mv own," answered
Lucy.
"It would be well if everybody could have such
teaching," said Miss Brown.
Then Lucy went home. But the next day Miss
Brown was waiting for her when she came home from
school.
"Lucy," said Miss Brown, as the little girl entered
the room where the young lady sat talking to Mrs.
Bennet, "would you like to earn a little money."
"Indeed, I would, if I can," cried Lucy.
"I hope you can," said Miss Brown. "A lady saw the
jpffprc xrr\?? * *
jwn maut. un uij uuuk cover, ana sne was delighted
with them. She says if you will draw letters
like that on some invitation cards she wishes to send
out, she will pay you well. She wants every card to
be different, you see; and she could not have them
printed to her notion. Shall I tell her you will do the
work ?"
"Oh, I shall be glad to!" cried Lucy.
"Then I will take you to her now, as your mother
has said you may go," said Miss Brown. "She will
tell you how she wants them done." "
So Lucy went with Miss Brown, and got the cards
.,?,i :~* *~-? c-- >? ... -
? ( ni^iione cuci tne worK nicely; and the
lady was pleased to pay her more than th^e fifty cents
she wanted so much. Afterwards she had more such
work to do.
"You see. I am not too vounp to earn money; and to