THE LITTLE SISTERS
"You were not here yesterday," said the gentle teacher of the little village school, as she placed her hand kindly on the curly head of one of her pupils. It was recess time, but the little girl addressed had not gone to frolic away the ten minutes, not even left her seat, but sat absorbed in what seemed a fruitless attempt to make herself mistress of an example in long division.
Her face and neck crimsoned at the remark of her teacher, but looking up, she seemed somewhat rea.s.sured by the kind glance that met her, and answered, "No, ma"am, I was not, but sister Nellie was."
"I remember there was a little girl who called herself Nellie Gray, came in yesterday, but I did not know she was your sister. But why did you not come? You seem to like to study very much."
"It was not because I didn"t want to," was the earnest answer, and then she paused and the deep flush again tinged her fair brow; "but,"
she continued after a moment of painful embarra.s.sment, "mother cannot spare both of us conveniently, and so we are going to take turns. I"m going to school one day, and sister the next, and to-night I"m to teach Nellie all I have learned to-day, and to-morrow night she will teach me all that she learns while here. It"s the only way we can think of getting along, and we want to study very much, so as to sometime keep school ourselves, and take care of mother, because she has to work very hard to take care of us."
With genuine delicacy Miss M---- forbore to question the child further, but sat down beside her, and in a moment explained the rule over which she was puzzling her young brain, so that the hard example was easily finished.
"You had better go out and take the air a few moments, you have studied very hard to-day," said the teacher, as the little girl put aside the slate.
"I had rather not--I might tear my dress--I will stand by the window and watch the rest."
There was such a peculiar tone in the voice of her pupil as she said, "I might tear my dress," that the teacher was led instinctively to notice it. It was nothing but a nine-penny print of a deep hue, but it was neatly made and had never been washed. And while looking at it, she remembered that during the whole previous fortnight Mary Gray had attended school regularly, she had never seen her wear but that one dress. "She is a thoughtful little girl," said she to herself, "and does not want to make her mother any trouble. I wish I had more such scholars."
The next morning Mary was absent, but her sister occupied her seat.
There was something so interesting in the two little sisters, the one eleven, and the other eighteen months younger, agreeing to attend school by turns, that Miss M---- could not forbear observing them very closely. They were pretty faced children, of delicate forms, the elder with dark eyes and chestnut curls, the other with orbs like the sky of June, her white neck veiled by a wealth of golden ringlets. She observed in both, the same close attention to their studies, and as Mary tarried within during the play time, so did Nellie; and upon speaking to her as she had to her sister, she received the same answer, "I might tear my dress."
The reply caused Miss M---- to notice the garb of her sister. She saw at once that it was of the same piece as Mary"s, and upon scrutinizing it very closely, she became certain that it was the same dress. It did not fit quite so nicely on Nellie, and was too long for her, and she was evidently ill at ease when she noticed her teacher looking at the bright pink flowers that were so thickly set on the white ground.
The discovery was one that could not but interest a heart so benevolent as that which pulsated in the bosom of that village school-teacher. She ascertained the residence of their mother, and though sorely shortened herself by a narrow purse, that same night, having found at the only store in the place a few yards of the same material, purchased a dress for little Nellie, and made arrangements with the merchant to send it to her in such a way that the donor could not be detected.
Very bright and happy looked Mary Gray on Friday morning, as she entered the school at an early hour. She waited only to place her books in neat order in her desk, ere she approached the teacher, and whispering in a voice that laughed in spite of her efforts to make it low and deferential--"After this week sister Nellie is coming to school every day, and oh, I am so glad!"
"That is very good news," replied the teacher kindly. "Nellie is fond of her books, I see, and I am happy to know that she can have an opportunity to study them every day." Then she continued, a little good-natured mischief encircling her eyes and dimpling her sweet lips--"But can your mother spare you both conveniently?"
"Oh, yes, ma"am, yes, ma"am, she can now. Something happened that she didn"t expect, and she is as glad to have us come as we are to do so."
She hesitated a moment, but her young heart was filled to the brim with joy, and when a child is happy it is as natural to tell the cause as it is for a bird to warble when the sun shines. So out of the fullness of her heart she spoke and told her teacher this little story.
She and her sister were the only children of a very poor widow, whose health was so delicate that it was almost impossible to support herself and daughters. She was obliged to keep them out of school all winter, as they had no suitable clothes to wear, but she told them that if they could earn enough by doing odd ch.o.r.es for the neighbors to buy each of them a new dress, they might go in the spring. Very earnestly had the little girls improved their stray chances, and very carefully h.o.a.rded the copper coins which usually repaid them. They had nearly saved enough to buy a dress, when Nellie was taken sick, and as the mother had no money beforehand, her own treasure had to be expended.
"Oh, I did feel so bad when school opened and Nellie could not go, because she had no dress," said Mary. "I told mother I wouldn"t go either, but she said I had better, for I could teach sister some, and it would be better than no schooling. I stood it for a fortnight, but Nellie"s little face seemed all the time looking at me on the way to school, and I couldn"t be happy a bit, so I finally thought of a way by which we could both go, and I told mother I would come one day, and the next I would lend Nellie my dress and she might come, and that"s the way we have done this week. But last night, don"t you think, somebody sent sister a dress just like mine, and now she can come too.
Oh, if I only knew who it was, I would get down on my knees and thank them, and so would Nellie. But we don"t know, and so we"ve done all we could for them--we"ve prayed for them--and oh, Miss M----, we are all so glad now. Aint you too?"
"Indeed I am," was the emphatic answer. And when on the following Monday, little Nellie, in the new pink dress, entered the schoolroom, her face radiant as a rose in sunshine, and approaching the teacher"s table, exclaimed, in tones as musical as those of a freed fountain, "I am coming to school every day, and oh, I am so glad!" The teacher felt as she had never done before, that it is more blessed to give than to receive. No millionaire, when he saw his name in public prints, lauded for his thousand-dollar charities, was ever so happy as the poor school-teacher who wore her gloves half a summer longer than she ought, and thereby saved enough to buy that little fatherless girl a calico dress.
OUR RECORD.
We built us grand, gorgeous towers Out toward the western sea, And said in a dream of the summer hours, Thus fair should our record be.
We would strike the bravest chords That ever rebuked the wrong; And through them should tremble all loving words That would make the weary strong.
There entered not into our thought The dangers the way led through, We saw but the gifts of the good we sought, And the good we would strive to do.
Here trace we a hurried line, There blush or a blotted leaf; And tears, vain tears, on the eyelids shine, That the record is so brief.
THE WIDOW"S CHRISTMAS
Mrs. Mulford was a woman who doted on ruins. Nothing in the present was as beautiful as she had enjoyed in the past; and it seemed utterly impossible for her to imagine that there was anything in the future that could compensate her for the trials she had endured.
In her girlhood Mrs. Mulford had been surrounded with the luxuries of life; and after her marriage her surroundings were but a trifle less magnificent. In such an air of luxury and ease, her children were being reared when suddenly a great change came.
Mr. Mulford was a rash speculator, and on that memorable "Black Friday," the idol he had worshiped, the G.o.d of gold, proved itself to be nothing but clay, and was as dust in his hands. He could not rally from the shock; pride, ambition, courage, were all annihilated; and Mrs. Mulford, to whom beggary seemed worse than death, could only mingle her tears with his in speechless agony.
Arthur, the eldest child, a boy of fourteen, endeavored to comfort his grief-stricken parents.
"I will work for you, father. I can easily get a place in a store."
"My boy! my boy!" said the poor man, clasping his son affectionately in his arms; "stay by your mother, and the girls, they will need you, dear boy!" And he imprinted a kiss on the glowing cheek, that had in it a father"s blessing and farewell.
The next morning Mrs. Mulford was a widow, and her children fatherless. A trifle the creditors allowed her was all she had to depend upon, the money she had inherited from her father having been swept away by the financial tornado.
She had taken a little place in the country, and with Arthur"s help, and Bridget"s,--who had followed the fortunes of her mistress--had succeeded in making things look quite cozy and attractive.
"Sure, ma"am," said Bridget, in her homely attempts to comfort her mistress, who dragged herself about like a sable ghost, "if ye"d only smile once in a while ye"d be surprised at the comfort ye"d get!"
"Ah, Bridget," Mrs. Mulford replied, with a long-drawn sigh, "my smiling days are over. I try to be patient, but I cannot be cheerful."
"Ah, but, it"s the cheerful patience that brings the sunshine; and ye really shouldn"t grieve the children so."
"Do they mind it, Bridget?"
"Sure, an" they do! Master Arthur, bless the boy! says it"s just like a tomb where ye are; and Miss Minnie and Maud have their little hearts nearly torn out of them; and they are such wee, little birdies!"
But Mrs. Mulford could not be easily beguiled from her sorrow, especially as she was obliged to have recourse to her needle to eke out the limited allowance, and every st.i.tch she took was but an additional reminder of the depth to which she was reduced.
To such a disposition the needle is but a weapon of despair, bringing neither comfort nor hope, nor in any way lightening the burdens of life. The recurrence of an anniversary was, to Mrs. Mulford"s mind like the unveiling of a monument to the departed, and was usually spent in solitude and tears.
She had managed to exist through the Thanksgiving season, and Bridget had done her best to make the occasion worthy to be remembered--by the children at least; and if it hadn"t been for that kitchen G.o.ddess, I don"t see how the house could have held together.
She had always some comical story to tell the children, something to excite their wonder or admiration, and every few days would surprise them with some fresh mola.s.ses candy or cunning little cakes baked in curious patty pans.
Minnie and Maud rather enjoyed their poverty, as it allowed them more freedom and exemption from little rules that society enjoined. It was such fun to roll in the snow, and draw each other on the sled, without any caution in regard to ruffles and frills that used to be such a torment to them, and such a restraint on their buoyant natures.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Announcement to Shepherds]
Christmas was drawing near, and its approach filled Mrs. Mulford with uncontrollable despondency. It had been a gay season in her young days, and her own children knew it as the season of especial rejoicings and unlimited toys and candies. Now it was all so changed!
Even a moderate expenditure was not to be thought of, when it was so difficult to procure even the necessaries of life, and she really wished the day was over, for she dreaded its arrival. The furniture never looked so dingy and faded, nor the curtains so coa.r.s.e, nor her surroundings so pitiful, as when she looked around and thought that Christmas was coming.