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Marie Manning, 



AND OTHERS. 



BY BITTERSWEET. 







AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY, 

1 50 NASSAU STREET, NEW YORK. 

Digitized by G00gle 



COPYRIGHT, i88o» 
BY AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY. 



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1st M.E.Sunday School 

mama* 




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Marie Manning's Birthday Page 8 

That Disagreeable Boy 14 

All about Missionaries 23 

After the Holidays 38 

How Something Happened to Jennie Brow- 
ning 47 

A Rainy Day 87 

Miss Anderson's Class 63 

HowAnniewentto Bed 72 

Two Visits to a Schoolroom 79 

How Theodore Helped 89 



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MARIE MANNING. 



OTIE MOTWJS BI^fJID^Y. 



" Now, Helen, if mamma should ask you 
what I want for my birthday present, be sure 
and tell her what it is." 

"Yes," answered Helen, looking up, her 
bright black eyes growing earnest, as she re- 
ceived this important charge from her elder 
sister ; " but what shall I say ?" 

Marie thought for a few moments. This 
was an important matter to her. After all, 
what did she want more than anything else ? 
She thought it would probably come to her if 
she made a reasonable choice, for her mam- 
ma was always so glad to give everybody 
pleasure, little people as well as big. On 
Saturdays, whenever she was allowed to in- 

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6 MARIE MANNING. 

vite some little girls to spend the day, mam- 
ma always gave them such a nice dinner, with 
hen and chickens, or a parrot, or something 
else pretty in icecream, and curious fancy 
mottoes for dessert. Then she sat at the 
table with them and talked to them just as if 
she were a little girl herself, and all the girls 
thought that she was perfectly lovely. So she 
was ; and although her children were not old 
enough to appreciate the unselfishness and 
generous consideration for others that made 
her so noble a woman, yet her presence 
strengthened her precepts, and the boys and 
girls of such a mother must look on all hu- 
manity with kind and honest eyes. 

At last Marie answered, " Well, I think 
the best thing would be a pen and pencil, but 
I hope both will be of gold. I can use them 
for my lessons, and it would be real handy 
to have the pencil hanging by a red ribbon 
around my neck." 

"Yes, that would be nice," approvingly 
said Helen. 

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MARIE MANNINGS BIRTHDAY. 7 

" Then I could write whenever I felt like 
it." 

Marie liked to write, and would often be- 
gin short stories ; but perhaps she was rather 
lazy, for she did not finish them. It is to be 
hoped that she will soon break this bad habit, 
for a life full of unfinished actions will neither 
be happy nor useful. 

Helen was very happy when her mamma 
told her that Marie should have her presents ; 
and as she was a" brave little soul and could 
keep a secret better than many older people, 
she also was told of a surprise in store for 
the birthday. 

" Truly, mamma, I will never tell any- 
body ;" and she kept her word. 

Soon the birthday came, and it was full 
of sunshine. Marie did not see any great 
change in herself as she dressed, although 
she thought she ought to look a little differ- 
ent, now that she was really eleven years old ; 
but old Father Time is kindly; he rarely 
lines a child's face, and this was a very happy 

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toJtt£SundavSflhnril. 



8 MARIE MANNING. 

one that bent over the much-wished-for pen 
and pencil as she drew them from the folds 
of her napkin at the breakfast-table. 

Having thanked everybody, Marie finish- 
ed her breakfast and began to study very 
willingly : for would not her Latin exercises 
be written with her new pen ? Musa and ager> 
with their various endings, ran off easily from 
the golden point, and proved again the old, 
old truth, that happiness lightens labor. 

After lessons came another present^of a 
box of candy, in which everybody shared, 
Helen being very happy to puzzle the old 
gardener with a piece made like a peach- 
stone, which at first he was afraid to eat. 

Yet even birthdays move on, and dinner- 
time came. Afterward, as the two girls were 
sitting with their mamma in the shade of a 
grand old linden-tree which had stood near 
the house for many a year, Helen suddenly 
clapped her hands, saying, " O mamma, Ma- 
rie, look !" Turning, they saw moving slowly 
along a stately avenue of spruce and pine 



MARIE MANNINGS BIRTHDA Y. 9 

trees a sort of procession. Two goats, one 
of pure white, the other beautifully marked 
with brown, were harnessed before a small 
cart, which seemed to be loaded, while on 
each side, as if for protection, one of Marie's 
older brothers walked with slow and solemn 
step. These were clever, manly fellows, both 
of them, and constant companions. Though 
the elder had grown away from the younger 
in inches, the shorter still held his own in 
wit. Their fathdt, with a wisdom as great as 
it is rare, had encouraged greatly their inter- 
est in raising poultry. Land and lumber were 
to be had for the asking, the only condition 
being that they should do the work them- 
selves and keep everything in good order. 
Eggs and chickens were bought from them 
at their market value, and these industrious 
young merchants were daily learning useful 
things for their whole lives. Marie, being 
somewhat ambitious, had long wished to en- 
ter the same business, but had not yet accom- 
plished it. 



Blaiie Manning. 



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io MARIE MANNING. 

As they reached the linden-tree, the goats 
stopped; both boys advanced a few steps and 
bowed very low before Marie, and one said, 

" Miss Manning, we hear that you would 
like to raise poultry. We think you can't 
do it, 'cause you 're nothing but a girl ; yet 
at the same time it gives us — W. Deff & Co., 
the great firm of poultry-raisers and prize- 
takers of this country — great pleasure to pre- 
sent you with a pair of span-new Houdin 
fowls on this your birthday; first* because 
you are our little sister, and secondly, there 
being nothing mean about us, we wish to 
start you in the business !" 

Lifting a basket from the cart, he gave a 
sudden toss to the lid and landed two star- 
tled, noisy fowls in Marie's lap ! She cried 
out with mingled fear and delight, and then 
thanked her brothers most heartily for this 
unexpected pleasure; while the happy way in 
which she caressed the beauties sliowed her 
joy at the gift. At last, when the time came 
for chickens to go to roost, she would not 

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MARIE MANNING'S BIRTHDA V. 1 1 

leave them until she saw them safely perched 
for the night. 

Soon the family were gathered around 
the tea-table, and there was the surprise of 
which Helen had never spoken. In front of 
Marie's plate was a beautiful birthday cake, 
covered with icing and bright with eleven red 
and blue and yellow candles burning around 
it. 

" Oh, how lovely !" she exclaimed, as she 
looked at it with delight. A moment later 
she saw a small white box in the centre of 
the blazing circle. Opening it hurriedly, she 
found a beautiful ivory portemonnaie from 
her mamma, which held a bright five-dollar 
gold piece of this very year, from her papa. 

Oh, how rich and happy and grateful was 
Marie ! The words would not come to tell 
all her feelings, so she busied herself in cut- 
ting great slices of cake and sending them 
around the table, with a burning candle on 
each piece, while she said, " Thank you very 
much," over and over again. 

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i2 MARIE MANNING. 

Truly she had had a happy birthday ; but 
the end was yet to come, and when her mam- 
ma called her, with Helen, to say " Good 
night," she did not wish to go. Helen obey- 
ed, but Marie did not stir. She wanted to 
read a little longer, and although her con- 
science said, " You ought to go at once," she 
still waited, hoping that her mamma would 
forget about her. So she did for a short 
time, and Marie, in spite of her conscience, 
kept on reading. Suddenly Mrs. Manning 
turned and said with surprise, " Why, Marie, 
I told you to go to bed." 

" Yes, mamma, but I wanted so to read." 

"You have done very wrong, and after 
such a birthday too. I am astonished. Now 
go at once," said Mrs. Manning seriously. 

Slowly Marie rose and walked out of the 
room with a very sullen face, not at all as a 
little girl should for whom everybody had 
been doing kind things that day. 

Up stairs conscience spoke again, and 
Marie had to listen. It said she did very 

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MARIE MANNING'S BIRTHDAY, 13 

wrong to try to deceive her mamma and to 
be disobedient after so much pleasure, show- 
ing her ingratitude. Marie began to grow 
more and more ashamed of herself, and run- 
ning to the head of the stairs she called, 
" Mamma, mamma !" 

" What is it ?" Mrs. Manning answered. 

" Dear mamma, you are too good to me. 
Thank you and everybody for my lovely 
birthday. I am very sorry I did not. go to 
bed right away." 

The tone and the words gave proof that 
the face was no longer sullen, and Mrs. Man- 
ning answered pleasantly, " Nothing is too 
good for my good little girl. Good night, my 
dear." 

" Good night, mamma ;" and the little feet 
ran back more happily than before : for Marie 
had gained on her birthday a victory more 
valuable than all her gifts. 



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i4 MARIE MANNING. 



WW DlgTOEEflBMS B0Y. 



"Oh, sister Sue, do help me quick; it 
hurts like blazes !" exclaimed a handsome, 
pleasant-faced fellow, as he burst into his sis- 
ter's room in noisy boy-fashion. 

• "What hurts?" said the sister, glancing 
away carelessly from the open window, where 
she sat sketching a fine old elm-tree that had 
always been the glory of the lawn. 

" Look and see," was the answer ; and, 
half in fun and half in earnest, the boy thrusfj 
a swollen and discolored hand between thd 
sketch and his sister's face. 

With 9, start she dropped her pencil, and 
lifting the hand tenderly, exclaimed, "My 
dear Jimmy, what is the matter ?" 

" Oh, nothing much, I guess," said Jimmy* 
with an attempt at indifference not wholly 
successful. i 

i 

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THAT DISAGREEABLE BOY. 15 

Susan Bradford had not cared for her 
younger brother ever since his birth, which 
had so sadly left- them motherless, to be de- 
ceived by this effort at calmness ; but she had 
great faith in the old adage that " All things 
come to him who waits :" so saying nothing 
more, she busied herself in caring for the 
wounded hand. A close look disclosed sev- 
eral long, ugly jagged lines, rough and bloody. 
These she carefully bathed and bound up with 
soft linen and healing salve, quietly saying 
when finishing, " You must have met an un- 
usually savage cat." 

" Indeed I did ; but it did n't go on four 
legs, sis," said the boy, laughing, as, with a 
kiss for his thanks, he threw himself down in 
a chair beside her. "Now I suppose you 
want to know all about it ?" 

" Of course I do, and the sooner the bet- 
ter." 

" Well, you see this was a different kind 
of cat from your Maltese ; first, it had only 
I two legs." 

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i6 MARIE MANNING. 

" Do you mean a boy ?" interrupted his 
sister. 

"And then it has various names," continued j 
Jimmy, disregarding the question. " Some- 
times it is a fraud, then again it is nothing 
but a sponge, then it is the meanest cur in 
the world, and it is always a dead beat." 

" Really," said his sister, smiling, " what a 
remarkable specimen it must be. Barmin^ 
ought to know of it." ! 

" I wish he had it, tight in a cage, jolting . 
through the streets all day and on the rail- 1 
road all night — it would improve its manners, 
maybe. But no fun now, I'll tell you that I 
I Ve just licked the aggravatingest fellow that 
ever came in my way." j 

"Jimmy, Jimmy, you don't mean that 
you Ve been fighting ?" I 

" That 's just it ; 't was a savage one, too.! 
It was after school ; all the fellows were there, 
and it did 'em good." 

" So my boy fights in the street, does he, 
like any rough fellow ? I am very, very sorry 

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THAT DISA GREEABLE BOY. i 7 

to hear it; you certainly never did so be- 
fore." 

" That 's true, and I never meant to do any- 
thing like this. Of course we all knock round 
at -school, to find out who has the most mus- 
cle; but the boy I punished to-day went home 
with a black eye !" 

" Oh, my dear boy, can you show me any 
good reason for such behavior ?" 

" Well, I '11 tell you all about it, and see 
if I had n't good reason." Jimmy's face grew 
graver as he went on with the story, for he 
had great love and respect for his sister, and 
he could see that she was troubled about the 
matter. " You see, this boy came from the 
city." 

" A stranger, was he ? I have been dread- 
ing to hear of some quarrel with your friends, 
but to be rude to a stranger was not right." 

" Now, big sis, you would have been mad 
too, even if you are a girl. Nobody likes this 
fellow nor wants him around, but he comes 
and sticks." 

Marie Manning. 3 

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1 8 MARIE MANNING. 

" How does he get here ?" 
" His family are great friends of the Ben- 
tons, and he likes to come and hang on to 
Ned Benton wherever he goes." 
" Does Ned like him ?" 
" Like him ? He despises him." 
" Can't he keep out of his way ?" 
" No, he sticks like a leech. Ned has 
told me lots of rude things he does. Only 
the other day he was bragging about the vis- 
its he would make next summer : he would 
stay so long in this house and so long in 
that, till Ned asked him if it would be conve- 
nient for people to keep him so long. That 
made no difference, he said, so long as it was 
convenient for him to stay. Do you think 
that was a nice way for him to talk ?" 

" Certainly not ; but it only shows rather 
a weak mind to overestimate himself so 
greatly." 

" Then there 's another thing. Whenever 
our gang of fellows go up to the Park or 
down to Coney Island together, we always go 

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THAT DISAGREEABLE BO K 19 

1 Jersey treat ;' that is, each one pays for him- 
self. It makes us more independent, and 
does n't prevent our treating all round when 
we want to." 

" That is very sensible," said his sister. 

" Well — will you believe it ? — that boy is 
so mean that he never pays for anything, not 
even his car-fare. I Ve come near blowing 
out about that before now. Ned always pays 
his fare. Of course, we must include him 
in any treat, and he never returns it. We 
would n't mind it if he was poor, but his father 
is rich. And then we do n't invite him. He 
knows something's up generally on Satur- 
days, and comes along." 

"All these things are unpleasant cer- 
tainly, but they do not call for blows." 

" Maybe not ; but if you could see his 
ugly phiz, and hear his conceited voice, and 
have to be bored with his company, and pay 
money for it too, I am sure you would want 
to kick him — anyway, if you were a boy you 
would. Now that I know what he is, I want 

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2o MARIE MANNING, 

to kick him as soon as I see him ; and the 
minute he opens his mouth, out comes some- 
thing he ought to be kicked for." 

" That may be ; but are you the person 
to kick him ?" 

" Why not, if he is disagreeable and pro- 
vokes me ?" 

" Because he is not under your control. 
You cannot punish a person who has as much 
riglit to be in a public place as yourself. If, 
uninvited, he joins your party and is guilty of 
disagreeable meannesses, he shows himself to 
be selfish and unmannerly. His carelessness 
of the refinements and customs of society will 
offend your sense of propriety, certainly ; but 
if you desire to be a gentleman, you can only 
leave him, or simply bear the infliction, taking 
care that you never act in the same way. 
The model man was our Lord Jesus Christ, 
and even when he was reviled he reviled not 
again." 

" Perhaps you will think I was wrong to 
fight; but those of us who are to be engi- 

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THAT DISAGREEABLE BOY. 21 

neers were talking after school and wonder- 
ing where we should make our first survey, 
who would carry the chain, and who would 
be draughtsman, and so on, when up comes 
this fellow and says, ' Pretty engineers you 11 
make, a lot of ignorant country boysf 
Then I just laid him out ; he fell heavy, but 
pretty soon picked himself up and went off 
howling, but not before snatching my hand 
behind my back and gouging those pieces 
out of it. Now, didn't he deserve to be 
thrashed?" 

" Yes, I think he did, heartily ; but I do 
not think either you or any of the boys were 
the ones to do it. As a stranger, you owed 
him civility, and his forgetfulness of duties 
will not excuse your violence. You all were 
then, as always, under the obligation which 
rests upon all God's humanity, to do good 
and not evil. I think you had great provoca- 
tion to forget this truth ; but if you had re- 
sisted it, you would have grown stronger to 
resist the next violent impulse you feel." 

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22 MARIE MANNING. 

" I never thought so far as that," slowly 
said Jimmy. 

"Ah, my dear boy, I wish very much 
that you had; it is the not thinking that 
makes trouble in this world. Never notice 
that boy, whatever he does ; that will soon 
drive him away. And for yourself, say more 
earnestly than ever the words that Christ 
taught us : ' Lead us not into temptation, but 
deliver us from evil.' " 

Not many days after, Jimmy came in 
shouting, " Hurrah ! hurrah ! Hugh Han- 
son has gone for good ! We froze him out. 
And I tell you, sis, you had the best way ; he 
tried to be ugly, and was going to fight me 
again ; but I kept cool and said nothing ; and 
he was ashamed of himself and walked off." 

" Now you have done better than before, 
and I am proud of you." 



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ALL ABOUT MISSIONARIES, 23 



flMi flBeaf jaiggieNWEg. 



" O Fannie Johnson, I 'm glad to see you ; 
I 've been waiting ever so long ; come right 
in the house and take off your things, and 
I '11 tell you something perfectly splendid ;" 
and Kate Cunningham, an impatient, warm- 
hearted, clever little girl, almost dragged her 
friend up the steps and pushed her through 
the great hall-door. Fortunately, she was as 
hospitable as she was impatient, and soon 
had placed Fannie's hat and sacque carefully 
upon a chair, and seated Fannie in the most 
comfortable corner of the broad, old-fash- 
ioned window-seat. Here these two friends 
could often be found in close conversation 
over lessons or pleasures or any of the many 
interesting matters that absorbed their atten- 
tion. All unconsciously, as they studied or 
played, were they strengthened by their sur- 

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24 MARIE MANNING. 

roundings. Before them stood the everlast- 
ing hills, strong and beautiful, while about 
the window-frame crept a running rose, from 
which every breeze, in the season of blos- 
soms, scattered odors of sweetness and puri- 
ty. So faithfully did memory hold this pic- 
ture, that in after-years neither of these two 
could see a mountain range without seeming 
to catch a faint odor of the same sweet roses. 
To-day, however, Kate was evidently very 
anxious to say something; so Fannie said, 
" Now do tell me what this splendid thing 
is, right away. Is it only for you and me, or 
for everybody ?" 

" It is for you and me at first, and then 
for our mission band, the Willing Workers, 
you know. Do n't you remember Aunt 
Laura, who wrote to mamma about our get- 
ting up the band ?" 

■ " I should think I did, and all her nice 
letters to us. I really do n't believe the girls 
would, half of them, have joined, if it had n't 
been for the letters coming from your aunt. 

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ALL ABOUT MISSIONARIES. 25 

You see that made a kind of connection be- 
tween the heathen and us; somehow they 
did n't seem so far away." 

" Well, I wonder how they will seem now," 
laughed Kate, "for Aunt Laura is in this 
house." 

"You don't say so!" exclaimed Fannie, 
with great surprise; "why, I thought she 
was in India." 

" So she was ; but now comes the sad 
part of the story. Aunt Laura's husband is 
dead, and she was very sick, so the doctor 
said she must come right back to America. 
Of course, mamma was delighted to see her, 
and we all think she is perfectly lovely." 

" Oh, how I would like to see her ; I 
never saw a real live missionary in my whole 
life." 

" Of course, you are going to see her ; 
that is just what I wanted you to come early 
for, this afternoon. You see, I sit in her 
room about half an hour every day, and she 
said I might bring you and she would tell us 



3Ui1« Mr.nuinz. 



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26 MARIE MANNING. 

something we could repeat to the band at 
next Saturday's meeting." 

"Oh, how splendid! Let's go right 
away." 

" No, we can't," said Kate gravely ; " you 
see, she is very weak yet, and the doctor 
comes to see her very often. When she came 
first I never went into the room at all ; but 
the other day Dr. James told mamma he 
thought if she would let me go in for a few 
minutes, aunty would like to see me ; and I 
love to go, she talks so nicely." 

" Dear me," said Fannie, " I wish we could 
go right in." 

" Suppose I tell you about Uncle John's 
getting sick, while we wait," said Kate. " He 
was my uncle, though I do n't remember any- 
thing about him, I was so little when he went 
away. Aunt Laura says he never would re- 
fuse to go anywhere, if he could do any good : 
so one day he started off with some natives, 
who were Christians, to go through the woods 
to some villages where no missionary had 



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J 



ALL ABOUT MISSIONARIES. 27 

ever been. The people spoke the Teloogoo 
language : so they took books with them, and 
and as they went into the town they would 
begin to sing. These people were very fond 
of music, and would listen, because the stran- 
gers were singing one of their own tunes, but 
with different words, about Jesus, and asking 
them to ' come to Jesus, he would help them ;' 
and so they began to ask questions. Uncle 
John and all the people with him talked a 
great deal, for they asked him a great many 
questions, and would remember every word. 
One man would sometimes bring a friend 
with him, and ask Uncle John to repeat what 
•he had told him about Jesus, and if he did n't 
use the very same words, the man would say, 
' There, you did n't say so to me ; say just the 
same to him.' They are very smart, those 
people." 

" I should think they were," said Fannie ; 
" just think of remembering every word." 

" When Uncle John went away they beg- 
ged him to come back again, and they bought 

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28 MARIE MANNING. 

every book he had, Bibles and hymn-books— t 
every one. But he will never go there again ; 
for, going through the woods, he caught what 
they call the jungle-fever, and died very soon 
after he reached his home." 

" That was dreadful," said Fannie sadly, 
and the two friends sat for a few moments 
without a word. 

Soon they heard the clock strike three 
times, and Kate jumped up, saying, " Now 
come ; we can go and see Aunt Laura." 

Fannie rose quickly and followed Kate 
into the next room. She was a little excited, 
for she was not quite sure whether missiona- 
ries were exactly like other people or not; 
but she was very much delighted to find a 
pleasant face smiling at her, as Kate said, 
" Mem Sahib, this is Fannie Johnson." 

" Come and kiss me, dear, will you ? As 
the doctor says I must not spend much time 
away from my lounge, I cannot come to you 

Fannie thought, as she bent to kiss tl 
sweet, pale face, with its coronet of beautif 

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ALL ABOUT MISSIONARIES. 29 

gray hair, she would almost be willing to be 
a heathen and live in India, if she could have 
such a lovely missionary to teach her. 

" And will you call me Mem Sahib, too, 
like Kate ?" 

" Yes, indeed," said Fannie, " if you want 
me to; but I would like to know what it 
means." 

" It is the name I had in India. My hus- 
band the natives called ' Sahib/ and me they 
called ' Mem Sahib/ I like to hear it some- 
times, and so Kate always uses it in this room. 
Now, if you will both come and sit beside me, 
we will talk about India; suppose you each 
ask me questions." 

" That will be elegant," said Kate ; " Fan- 
nie, you begin." 

" I can hardly tell what to ask," said Fan- 
nie; "there are so many things I want to 
know about." 

" Begin by asking about one of them," 
said Mrs. Gardiner, smiling. 

" I think I would like to have you say 

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3 o MARIE MANNING. 

what sort of a place you lived in first ; some- 
how I seem to know people better when I j 
hear about their homes." 

" That is very true, and so I want to tell 
you something about the homes of women 
and children in India, which I hope will 
bring them nearer to you, and also make 
you very sorry for them. Now, for our own 
home, -we lived in a house that had no front 
door or back door, no up. stairs or down 
stairs." 

" That 's queer," said Kate. " Why, you 
must have had some kind of a front door." 

" Maybe you did n't have any doors at 
all," said Fannie, " it is so very warm in 
India." 

" Of course they must have had doors," 
answered Kate, rather scornfully ; " people are 
very rich in India — a' n't they, Mem Sahib ? — 
and everything would be stolen if they lived 
without doors. But, anyhow, please tell n, 
because I am so puzzled." 

" It is very simple, after all : our ho 1 e 

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ALL ABO UT MISSIONARIES. 3 1 

stood between two streets, so that the door 
on either side was front or back, just as you 
please ; and we had no stairs at all." 

" No stairs at all? — nothing but a one- 
story house !" exclaimed Kate. " Why, that's 
just like a shanty !" 

" You must remember that we were in 
India, and not in America, my dear," said 
her aunt, smiling. " Many houses are built 
but one story high, yet they contain a num- 
ber of rooms and cover a large space of 
ground. About sixteen miles from Calcutta 
are small villages with the houses built of 
mud, covered by thatched roofs and surround- 
ed by mud walls. You would call them com- 
mon clay huts." 

" You do n't mean to say that nice peo- 
ple live in such places ?" 

" The owners are chiefly farmers ; but 
some of the highest caste of Brahmins live 
in these villages, while often near them we 
find the large family homestead of some 
wealthy Babu, or gentleman." 

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32 MARIE MANNING. 

"Why, what a funny name," said Fannie;! 
" it sounds almost like baboon I" | 

" The wife of the Babu has a funny name 
too ; she is called the Bo." 

" I suppose they live just as we do at 
home, don't they, Mem Sahib?" said Fannie. 

" Ah, my dear child, there is a pitiful dif- 
ference. The Babu is often finely educated, 
speaking the European languages as well as 
many of the Indian dialects. Some travellers 
consider that there are as many as twenty 
different languages spoken by the natives in 
different parts of India ; and some years ago 
the Bible had already been translated into 
fourteen of these, and the New Testament 
into several more. Yet this same cultivated 
Babu's wife speaks but the one dialect she 
learned when a child. Surely I have written 
you something about this." 

"Yes, I know," said Kate; "but it is 
much nicer to hear you tell it. Of course, we 
remember your letters to the ' Willing Work- 
ers ' about your going to the zenanas where 

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ALL ABOUT MISSIONARIES. 33 

the women live, and how you wont teach 
them to read or sew, or anything, unless you 
can give a Bible lesson too. The little chil- 
dren in their big schoolroom we have n't for- 
gotten either; but please, Mem Sahib, wont 
you tell Fannie what you told me yesterday 
about the wedding procession you saw ?" 

" Certainly, my dear ; but first let me say 
that a Hindoo girl of good family must be 
engaged to be married very early in life'; 
only a low caste girl may wait until she is 
twelve or thirteen years old before being en- 
gaged. The groom whom I saw had a bride 
of eleven years waiting for him, and he had 
never seen her. The parents had arranged 
the affair. The procession was a magnificent 
sight. First came the torch-bearers with 
many colored lights, followed by a band of 
musicians." 

" A brass band such as our soldiers have ?" 
asked Fannie. 

" Hardly ; their drums and gongs and 
pfpqp make noise rather than music ; but the 



Marie Manning. 



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34 MARIE MANNING. 

natives consider it most harmonious. After 
them came a triumphal car, shaped like a 
peacock, which is a sacred bird in India, and 
drawn by milk-white oxen, which are also 
considered sacred. Intimate friends of the 
groom filled this car, and flung bonbons to 
the crowd. Then followed a number of boys 
gayly dressed in silken robes, with golden 
bands around their turbans, and walking un- 
der purple canopies. After these marched a 
company of men bearing a platform upon 
their shoulders, which supported the golden 
chair of the boy-groom. Two pages stood 
beside him, and a gorgeous canopy, with gold- 
en roof and silver stars, sheltered him. He 
was dressed in cloth of gold, with silk-em- 
broidered mantle, and adorned with chains 
of gold and a necklace of pearls." 

"Oh, what a splendid show!" said Fan- 
nie. " How I would like to see one." 

" But think of the poor bride, my dear. 
She knows nothing about her husband, and 
after the feasting is over, he carries her away 

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ALL ABOUT MISSIONARIES. 35 

to his father's house. There she must obey 
his mother and make no trouble with her 
sisters-in-law. She has never been taught to 
read, or to sew, or knit. She can do nothing 
but attend to her children, bring her husband 
his food, eat her own afterward, braid and oil 
her hair, look at her ornaments, and be care- 
ful to fulfil her daily poojah." 

"What's that?" said Kate and Fannie 
both at once. 

" The worship of her various gods, which 
consists in bowing before, or walking around, 
or talking to a figure of brass or stone like a 
monkey, or like a man with six arms and four 
faces. Sometimes she makes a vow to it. I 
had one pupil who asked me to see her sick 
mother, and I found her little finger nail 
almost as long as the finger, because she had 
vowed not to cut it until she had received 
the blessing asked from her god." 

" Humph !" said Kate, " if she waits till 
the brass and stone bless her, I think she '11 
never cut her nail !" 



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36 , MARIE MANNING. 

" I am afraid not," sadly said her aunt. " I 
had another pupil who was very anxious to 
learn to read, and learned quickly. How- 
ever, when she forgot a word, she would al- 
ways touch herself with her book. I asked 
her why she did this; for some time she 
would not answer, but at last she confessed 
that she was doing * poojah ' to the goddess 
of learning represented by the book." 

" Why, Fannie," said Kate, " they 're just 
babies, a' n't they ?" 

" I should think so," answered Fannie. 

" So you and Fannie were once, babies in 
body, and if God had not sent you to a Chris- 
tian home in a Christian land, you might 
have been babies yet in knowledge of the 
simplest matters." 

"So we might, Mem Sahib," said Kate 
thoughtfully. 

Just then the clock sounded, and Kate 
exclaimed, " O dear, our time has gone I 
Can I ask one more question, Mem Sahib?" 

" Of course you may ; what is it ?" 

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ALL ABOUT MISSIONARIES. 37 

" While you have been talking, I Ve been 
thinking how dreadfully these little girls live. 
Now, suppose our band dress a lot of dolls, 
and fill a box with them, and some pretty pin- 
cushions, and some texts worked on card- 
board — almost anything that we can make, 
that perhaps they could copy when they learn 
to sew — and send it to them for a Christmas 
present. I think it would be good to have 
them remember the birthday of Jesus, who 
can help them more than all of their gods 
put together." 

" I think that is a capital plan," said Mrs. 
Gardiner, as she kissed them good-by. " We 
will talk about it to-morrow." 

In a moment after, Kate and Fannie were 
seated by their favorite window, thinking, 
talking, and planning for the happiness of 
others. 



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38 MARIE MANNING. 



W^W W& pirfWJS. 



" There, the hateful old books can go 
now," said Kate Hertford, under her breath, 
as the old Academy bell rang for the end of 
school. Hastily closing her desk, she turned' 
to give a significant look to her best friend, 
who sat at some distance from her in the 
schoolroom. Grace Cummings read, " I 'm 
dying to have a talk, so wait for me, please," 
and responded in the same mute language, as 
she was dismissed, " Yes, I '11 be ready." 

The putting on of wraps was soon accom- 
plished, and leaving behind them a busy hum 
of, " Oh, you just ought to see," and " What 
did you have ?" and " Mine was perfectly love- 
ly," the two friends walked slowly away tow- 
ards their homes. 

" I want to hear about your Christmas, 
Grace," said Kate ; " was it a good one ?" 

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AFTER THE HOLIDAYS. 39 

" You will think so when I tell you that, 
besides our own particular presents, there 
was one splendid surprise for the whole 
family." 

" What ! all of you the same thing ?" 

" Yes ; papa enjoyed it just as much as we 
did, and it was the very best thing we could 
possibly have had." 

" How funny ; it must have been some- 
thing very big to go all round." 

" No, it was n't so very large, but it was 
lovely. We each had our own share — as 
much as we could take." 

" Oh, bother, Grace, do tell me what it 
was." 

" Can't you guess ? I am- sure you Ve 
found out lots of things by guessing before 
now." 

" Well, an awful big box of candy : I do n't 
know about that, though ; for if it had been 
as big as a drygoods box, I believe your broth- 
er Frank could have eaten all of it." 

" So he could," laughed Grace, to whom 

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40 MARIE MANNING. 

the size of Frank's sweet tooth was very well 
known ; " but it was n't that. Guess again.' 1 

" Oh, a barrel of apples, or a barrel of 
flour, or a barrel of sugar." 

" O dear, no," said Grace ; "it was n't any- 
thing like a barrel." 

" Then I give it up," said Kate. 

" Now see if it was n't a splendid surprise. 
It was mamma seated in her place at our 
Christmas dinner-table !" 

" You do n't say so !" exclaimed Kate ; 
" that was lovely. How could she come 
down stairs ?" 

" Papa carried her in his arms. After 
our presents in the morning, he said we must 
wait until dinner-time for the best. So we 
did n't ask any questions, though we wondered 
what it could be. About fifteen minutes be- 
fore six o'clock he shut us all up in the library, 
and when he came and led us into the dining- 
room, we could hardly believe our eyes. There 
sat mamma in her own place, smiling and 
wishing us ' Merry Christmas.' Of course, f 

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AFTER THE HOLIDAYS. 41 

we all ran up to her and hugged and kissed 
her, and made such a fuss that papa said he 
would have to carry her up stairs, if we did 
not stop." 

" Oh, that was splendid," said Kate heart- 
ily; tr and what a surprise it must have been, 
for mamma told me, just after your horses 
ran away and your mother was hurt, that the 
doctors thought it would be six months be- 
fore she could walk as she used to." 

" Yes, it will be a long time yet before she 
is quite well; but she has a wheeled chair 
now, and goes about up stairs very nicely. 
She only came to dinner for Christmas day." 

" Well, you must have had a real good 
time." 

" So we did ; and now comes your part. 
Mamma wants you to come in and see her." 

"What, now?" said Kate. 

" Yes, she told me to bring you in on our 
way home from school, and to say that we 
would begin our nice old talks together." 
\ Entering the large hall of a pleasant-look- 

Maiie Manning. 6 

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42 MARIE MANNING. 

ing country-house, the two girls laid their 
books down, and throwing their arms around 
each other, ran gayly up to Mrs. Cummings' 
room. 

They found her seated in her wheeled 
chair, with books and flowers on the table 
beside her, and she greeted them as brightly 
as if she had just come up stairs as easily as 
they had. 

" O Mrs. Cummings !"• exclaimed Kate, 
when they had seated themselves, " bow love- 
ly it was to have you down stairs for Christ- 
mas dinner. I do wish that we all could 
have seen you." 

" Your mother knew that the doctor had 
given me permission to come down, so that 
it was only a surprise to the young people ; 
but it did us all good, and to-day I feel quite; 
well enough to enjoy a short game with you 
and Grace." 

" Not like our old ones, mamma !" said 
Grace, with astonishment. 

" Yes, the old questions and answers ; you 

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AFTER THE HO LI DA VS. 43 

must both of you have found many puzzling 
things in all these weeks. Have you not, 
Kate?"" 

" Indeed, I have," answered Kate, for she 
possessed an inquiring mind, and often won- 
dered painfully why things came to pass as 
they did. " There is one question that has 
bothered me a good deal just now." 

" Well, ask it, my dear." 

" What is the use of having Christmas at 
all?" 

" Why, my child, you know whose birth 
we celebrate on Christmas day ?" 

" Oh, of course, I understand that, and 
believe that the good Lord came to this world 
just because he loved us and wanted to teach 
us how to live rightly, and to save us by his 
death. We could keep his birthday; but 
what's the fun of having holidays? They 
never are long enough. It takes time to get 
your presents ready, and then you never have 
enough money. No matter how carefully 
you divide what you have, the only thing that 

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44 MARIE MANNING. 

suits you for anybody always costs more than 
you can give. You have to run about and 
look and fuss and lie awake at night, trying 
to make one dollar buy as much as two dol- 
lars — " and Kate stopped to take breath. 

" That is rather hard work," said Mrs. 
Cummings. " Is there anything else ?" 

"Yes; for when at last you are all set- 
tled, and wake up on Christmas morning, 
shouting 'Merry Christmas ' to everybody, 
and give them their presents and get yours, 
everything seems so perfectly lovely that you 
would just like to feel so for ever. Then, the 
first thing you know, the night comes, and 
Christmas day is over ; and pretty quick hol- 
iday w r eek is over too, and you just have to 
go back to school and study as if nothing had 
happened." 

" And how do you feel then ?" asked Mrs. 
Cummings. 

"Oh, sort of all upside-down," -said Kc 
in a disgusted tone. " I do n't believe ] 
ever get to rights again." 

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J 



AFTER THE HOLIDA VS. 45 

" Yes, you will, my deir. You have only 
made a very common mistake, and are now 
suffering the discontent that always follows 
such a blunder. You had forgotten that 
nothing stands still in this world. We should 
be unhappy if it did. Your body grows by 
food, exercise, and rest, each in its turn ; 
and just so your character must grow by 
pleasant and unpleasant experiences. When 
you have grown very strong, you will be able 
to enjoy your holidays, and enjoy your work- 
ing days too." 

" I do n't feel as if I had any character at 
all just now," moaned Kate. " I can't settle 
myself to anything." 

" That is very natural. You have been 
diverted from your daily routine, surprised 
and pleased by giving and receiving kindly 
gifts and words. Now comes the time for a 
little self-control. Say to yourself : * I have 
enjoyed these bright days. I shall be hap- 
pier and richer all through the coming year 
for my gifts and the love and sympathy which 

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46 MARIE MANNING. 

they have brought me. But I wont be either 
so greedy or so silly as to wish that this sort 
of thing would last all the time. I have got 
to work at "my books if I want to know any- 
thing, and I ought to be strong enough to 
work harder after this pleasant rest.' Do 
this, my dear, and do n't listen to your own 
grumbling. Then, though holiday week was 
soon over, more quickly will your discontent 
fly after it. Above all, never forget that the 
blessed Babe of Bethlehem came to help you 
in just such work." 

" Thank you ever so much, Mrs. Cum- 
mings," said Kate. " You seem to have 
cleared up my sky wonderfully. It does n't 
look so black for the next year as it did." 

" Try to keep it bright by brushing away 
all cobwebs of self-will and indolence," said 
Mrs. Cummings, as she kissed Kate for 
good-by. 



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HO W SOMETHING HAPPENED. 47 



pew jsejaEJpjnpe happened fe je^ie 

B^6W]5I]56. 



A light-haired little girl sat straining 
her blue eyes to read the last pages of a Sun- 
day-school book just as the daylight of a 
beautiful winter Sabbath was fast fading 
away. The sun had departed like a grand 
old monarch, leaving behind him a glory of 
purple and gold more enticing than his own 
full splendor. Many a tired heart and weary 
brain were rested by the wondrous beauty as 
it flooded so royally "that spacious firma- 
ment on high " and tinged the snowy robe 
of winter with a thousand brilliant hues. 

Yet our little reader saw none of these 
things. She was absorbed by the story of 
a child's life, for was she not a child herself, 
and all that happened in the story, was it 
not every bit true ? 

So she thought, and yet as she read, she 

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48 MARIE MANNING. 

was troubled, and a puzzled, thoughtful look 
drew deeper lines in the young face. Small 
though it was, decision and independence 
were easily traced there ; so, true to her na- 
ture, Jennie sat revolving in her troubled 
brain, a question which the reading of the 
book had brought. What could it be ? Ev- 
idently it was not to be answered easily, for 
the young face only grew more clouded; 
until at last, finding her own short experi- 
ence of life of no assistance, with the wisdom 
of a little child she resolved to ask the aid of 
some higher power. 

Fortunately, Jennie knew that she had 
but to make her perplexities known to her 
mother and they would all be explained in 
the clearest way ; for Mrs. Browning was a 
parent who considered the occupation and 
guidance of her child's mind a matter quite 
equal in importance to the nourishing and 
clothing of the body, and so in early years 
was formed a bond which in later life would 
prove a source of affection and sympathy to 

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J 






HOW SOMETHING HAPPENED. 49 

each of them. Strange it is that such a man. 
- ner of life should be as rare as it is beautiful 
in this world full of parents and their chil- 
dren ! 

Quite confident of help, Jennie ceased 
struggling with her troublesome question, 
and seating herself in her little rocking-chair 
by her mother's side, said, 

" Mamma, I want you to tell me some- 
thing." 

"Well, dear, what is it?" answered her 
mother. 

" I Ve just finished my Sunday-school 
book, you know, and it 's just perfectly love- 
ly; all about the sweetest little girl; only 
she was* always doing so many kind things 
for everybody ; and I Ve been trying to 
think what's the reason why little girls in. 
books always have so many opportunities for 
doing good, and little girls like me, wha are 
all out of books, don't have any at all." 

" Not any at all," answered the mother ; 
" is that really so ?" 

Marie Manning. J 

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5 o MARIE MANNING. 

"Well, no, not quite, I s'pose," said Jen- 
nie, " but then they are just nothing but the 
tiniest little bits of things. There's never 
anything real big and splendid for little girls 
like me to do. Now, Susy Chrystie, in the 
story, why, she took her little sister May out 
for a walk, and while they were crossing a 
bridge, May pulled her hand away from 
Susy's, and tried to walk on the edge, just as 
close as she could, but in about one second 
her foot slipped, and she would have fallen 
right off into the water if her sister had n't 
jumped to her, and caught hold of her dress, 
and pulled her back all safe. Now just think, 
mamma," said Jennie, her blue eyes opening 
widely as she spoke, " Susy Chrystie saved 
her little sister's life ! Was n't that a splendid, 
big something to do ?" 

" Yes, my dear, that was a brave thing 
for a little girl to do, for even an older person 
might have been too frightened by seeing 
the danger May was in, to act quickly ; but 
if my little girl should always try to keep 

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HO W SOMETHING HAPPENED. 5 1 

still, and never scream when any sudden 
fright comes to her, she too may be able to 
think quickly of the best way in which to 
help herself or others." 

" But, mamma, you know nothing ever 
does happen to me ; and, besides, I have n't 
even got any little sister or brother." 

The mother's heart said, God be thanked 
that " nothing ever does happen " to her ; 
but noticing a sad look on Jennie's face, she 
remembered that this was a true sorrow to 
her, and welcomed it as a sign of a nature 
destined some day to do kind service in this 
busy world, since it was even now longing to 
be of use to somebody. 

So she pleasantly answered, " Never mind, 
my child ; if you will do carefully everything 
that you do understand, and obey cheerfully 
even when you cannot see why you should, 
you will always give me comfort and pleasure, 
and perhaps some day something splendid 
may happen to you also." 

Jennie's face grew brighter, as it always 

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52 MARIE MANNING. 



^ 



did when she had confided her griefs to 
mamma, and for many days she kept herself 
almost faultless, thinking something might 
happen at any time. 

And so it did ; for one day a letter came 
from Jennie's aunt, Mrs. Graham, saying she 
would come and spend a few days with her 
sister, and bring with her for Jennie's pleas- 
ure, her youngest child, a boy about two 
years old. 

Of course they were very welcome, and Jen- 
nie greatly enjoyed playing with her cousin. 
He was a charming fellow, but very fond of 
having his own way, and one of his great enjoy- 
ments was to plunge two chubby hands into 
Jennie's thick light hair, and pull it with all 
his might. Naturally, this was a short-lived 
pleasure when any older person saw him, but 
when they were alone Jennie would endure 
the pain as patiently as a martyr until she 
could coax the little fellow to let go. She 
never gave him a cross word, and when the 
nurse would say impatiently, " Indade, thin, 



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HO W SOMETHING HAPPENED. 53 

Miss Jennie, it 's a wonder ye do n't just shlap 
his hands !" she would answer gravely, " Oh, 
no ; he 's so much littler than I am." 

Yet Jennie was not perfect, and though 
she generally tried to do what was right, some- 
times like the rest of the world she wanted 
to do what she knew was wrong. So she 
felt one bright afternoon, when, as she was 
playing in the yard, her mamma called her 
and said, 

"Your aunt and I ride to the station 
directly to meet uncle and your father, and I 
would like to have you go quietly into the 
nursery and sit there until Maggie returns 
from an errand ; it will not be long." 

" But Willie is sound asleep, mamma ; he 
does n't want me," said Jennie, who was anx- 
ious to stay out of doors. 

" Yes, dear, I know it, but we shall feel 
safer to have some one in the room, even if 
he is asleep; something might happen if he 
should be left alone." 

Jennie, however, was so unwilling to sit 

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54 MARIE MANNING. 

quietly in the house that even these familiar 
words did not attract her, but with slow 
steps and a sullen face she obeyed her moth- 
er's wishes. 

She knew quite well how slight a thing 
she had been asked to do, and although at 
another time she would not have objected, 
just now, when she wanted to do something 
else, it seemed very' hard to give up her own 
will. Her conscience was so disagreeable 
too, for it would keep saying all the time, " I 
am ashamed of you, Jennie Browning ! Can't 
you do this for your kind mamma even if 
you do want to do something else ?" 

Thoughts like these were filling Jennie's 
mind as she stood looking out of the nursery- 
window ; but all at once she was aroused by 
the strong smell of burning woollen. Turn- 
ing quickly she grew almost stiff with fear as 
she saw just in front of her a small flame 
burst out from the rug before the fire, and 
not far from the crib where Willie lay sleep- 
ing. In an instant, however, the thought of 



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HO W SOMETHING HAPPENED. 55 

" What shall I do ?" was followed by the re- 
membrance of what her mamma had often 
said, " If in any way your dress should ever 
take fire, remember to smother it at once; 
never run away, but throw yourself down, or 
wrap yourself in anything to be found." 
Acting upon this principle, she hastily caught 
up the other end of the rug which was large 
and heavy and threw it over the flame. This 
quite extinguished it, for it had only just start- 
ed into life when Jennie saw it, but in her 
zeal she tore off the bed-spread and blankets, 
crowning all with two large pillows upon 
which she seated herself, having become by 
this time so confused that she hardly knew 
whether it was the rug or her own dress 
which had taken fire. 

Now she wanted to see somebody, and, 
not daring to move, she began to scream. 
This wakened Willie, who added his voice, 
and soon brought the bewildered nurse to 
the rescue. Before she half understood the 
situation the carriage returned, and in a 

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1 



56 MARIE MANNING. 



moment more, Jennie was kissed and praised 
and petted more than she had ever been in all 
her happy life, by four loving and grateful 
human beings, for they saw quickly what had 
happened, and trembled to think of what 
might have been. 

That night as Mrs. Graham gave Jennie 
her good-night kiss, she said, "May God 
bless you, my thoughtful little niece, for you 
have saved your cousin's life to-day!" 

"Why, did I really?" thought Jennie; 
" how glad, how glad I am ; for if I had n't 
been there, the fire would have caught the 
crib, and oh, that would have been awful !" 
Then as she recollected how her conscience 
had fairly pushed her into the room, her little 
face grew red with shame, and she softly said, 
" I wilj never fight with conscience again, for 
if I had had my own way I could never have 
saved dear Willie's life." 



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A RAINY DAY. 57 



% WW DAY. 



" Rain, rain, go to Spain, 
And never, never come back again. 
Rain, rain — " 

" Oh, do hush, Bell ; I can't read a word," 
said Helen Harrison, looking up impatiently 
from her book. 

" Well, I can't go out-doors, and I want 
the rain to go away; I am just tired to death 
with the drop, drop, drop, Sarah Simmons 
says, 

" ' Rain, rain, go away ; 
Come again some other day ;' 

but I do n t like that ; I wish it would never, 
never come again." 

" Oh, sister Helen," said the little one a 
moment later," and the small head of golden 
curls turned eagerly towards the grown-up 
sister, "wouldn't this world be beautiful if 
we had sunshine all the time ?" 

Marie Manning. $ 

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1 



58 MARIE MANNING. 

" Do you think so, my dear child ?" said 
Helen, closing her book and gathering the 
household pet into her arms. " Suppose we 
talk seriously about the matter. How would 
the flowers grow in your own little garden if 
we had no rain ?" 

" We would have the dew every night, 
you know. I always get my feet real wet if 
I go on the grass before it dries." 

" But the dew only lies on the flowers and 
their leaves, refreshing them after a hot day, 
just as you are refreshed by washing your 
face and hands after a dusty walk. It does 
not sink deep into the dry ground where the 
thirsty roots live ; they could not have any- 
thing to drink if the rain did not come down 
so steadily from those dark clouds above 



us. ,, 



" That would be too bad," said Bell sober- 

ly. " I should not like the beautiful flowers | 

to die of thirst." . 

" No, I am sure you would not ; nor dogs, j 

nor kittens, nor horses, nor people." ■ 



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A RAINY BAY, 59 

" But they need n't ; they have wells and 
springs; thfe water comes right out of the 
ground." 

" First, though* it must go into the ground. 
These same little drops that are so tire- 
some to you creep away under the earth and 
run quickly into the quiet, dark corners of 
some thick wood, and when they find a shady 
place, there they rest, and by-and-by other 
little drops find the same path and follow it 
to the same pleasant resting-place, and so 
after a while there comes to be a cool and 
pleasant spring. Everybody knows how hap- 
py that makes a tired and dusty traveller." 

" Yes, you and I found that out the day 
we went to look for the arbutus blossoms; 
O dear, I was so tired I" sighed Bell, her rec- 
ollection of the long walk she had taken 
being almost vivid enough to bring back the 
weariness she had. felt as well. Silent and 
thoughtful, she rested a few moments, and 
then said, although a little regretfully, " If 
we can't have wells and springs without it, I 

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1 



60 MARIE MANNING. 

spose we must have rain ; but what can I do 
all the day long?" 

"Wait patiently and hope for the sun- 
shine; it will surely come. You know the 
old story, dear, about the Flood ?" 

" Why, of course I do," said Bell, to whom 
all the stories of the Old Testament were 
familiar. 

Fortunately Bell's parents believed that 
God made and governs this world, and that 
he had grand and glorious purposes to fulfil 
in the being and destiny of both mind and 
matter. They did not allow second causes, 
however mighty, to obscure their sight of the 
Great First Cause. Law could never take 
the place of the Lawgiver to them, and among 
doubts and mysteries they held but the more 
firmly to the unanswerable words of the apos- 
tle Paul, " For every house is builded by some 
man, but he that built all things is God." So 
believing, they fed the instinctive faith of 
childhood with Bible stories, that through 
later life, with its inevitable cares, might often 

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A RAINY &AV. 6 1 

come the comforting remembrance of Go<fs 
love to his ancient people. Would that more 
parents, in these latter days, so believed and 
taught the old record. 

" My little sister would be wise, then, if 
she used her memory to bring her hope this 
dreary day." 

" Why, how do you mean, sister Helen ?" 
"What came after the Flood ?" 
" Oh, the rainbow — the bright, beautiful 
rainbow !" 

" Yes," answered Helen ; " and think for 
a moment that you are finding one' rainy day 
tiresome and dreary, while* then the rain fell 
day and night. In a little while you will see 
the sun shining as brightly as before ; but then 
the water was poured out of the * windows of 
heaven/ until nearly six weeks had gone by, 
and all the people who did not love their 
good God and would not obey him had per- 
ished. For a hundred and twenty years Noah 
had been telling them of God and warning 
them of the Flood, but they would not listen, 



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62 MARIE MANNING. 



and so they died. Then came the beautiful 
bow of promise that there should be no more 
flood. Now, does any rainy day that can 
come to us seem so dreary if we hope for the 
rainbow that may shine after it ?" 

" No, indeed," said little Bell, the discon- 
tent all gone out of her face. 

" There is another story about the rain- 
bow ; it is such a beautiful thing that people 
who do not believe as we do must think some- 
thing about it. They say, if any one can 
reach the place where the ends of the bow 
rest on the earth, they will find there a pot 
of gold ! Which story do you like the best?" 
quietly said Helen. 

With a puzzled look at her sister's face, 
as if she wondered why such a question had 
been asked, Bell answered with a tinge of 
scorn, " What use would a hundred pots of 
gold be if we should have another flood ?" 

And Helen answered, " What, indeed ?" 



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MISS ANDERSON'S CLASS. 63 



TO flPE^SN'jS CW. 



There they sat in the Sunday-school, five 
boys. They were not children nor men, but 
had just reached the age of great self-appre- 
ciation. All boys may know when that comes. 
It is when they do n't see why they should be 
obedient, or respectful, or neat, or mannerly, 
o*yin fact, why they should do anything but 
just as they please. 

Their elders and their betters know also 
when it comes, for it is always an anxious 
time to all who have any sense of the respon- 
sibility of guiding a growing soul in the right 
direction. Looking over life's sea, and no- 
ting the sad wrecks of crafts that seemed to 
be once fairly started, carrying full sail, happy 
are those guardians who can be sure 't was 
from.no neglect of their duty that the vessel 
was launched without chart or compass. 

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64 MARIE MANNING, 

Some of these boys could, sadly enough, 
find no help at home, and so they were very 
near to the heart of their faithful teacher. 
She neglected no duty ; indeed, she was al- 
most morbidly conscientious ; and in herfear 
of hindering their full growth, yet knowing 
that all the religious instruction which some 
of them ever heard fell from her lips, scarce- 
ly a Sabbath passed but she feared that some 
word had been left unspoken. 

The lesson for this bright morning was 
about Temperance. The best manner in 
which to present so important a subject to 
the minds of boys for whom it was necessary, 
and yet who were full just now of false ideas 
of freedom, caused serious thought in their . 
earnest teacher. In considering the matter, 
she was almost tempted to wish that some 
one else would take her place for the day who 
might make more impression upon them. 
This was but a passing thought, howev 
the duty lay before her, and, like a hxi 
woman, she determined to do her best w 



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MISS ANDERSON'S CLASS. 65 

it, not unmindful of those blessed words, " I 
can do all things through Christ, who 
strengtheneth me." 

At first, strong drink, its evils, and the 
best way by which to prevent its power, were 
discussed. Miss Anderson had great wisdom 
in her manner of teaching, as her popularity 
among the boys proved. To be sure, they 
sometimes chose to show this in an embar- 
rassing way, for if by any chance she should 
be detained from the service, each boy always 
thought he could find something better to do 
than to sit still and hear some " stupid," as 
any stranger was recklessly dubbed. Having 
once or twice suffered from such an experi- 
ence, their regular habit now was to stand in 
line just outside of the schoolroom door until 
Miss Anderson took her seat, when they 
would file into place like a company of gren- 
adiers. This was ' an annoying habit, but 
their teacher wisely took no notice of it, 
knowing that time, bringing them better 
judgment, would cure it. 

Marie Manning. Q ' 



66 MARIE MANNING. 

The wisdom of her teaching, however, 
lay in the fact that she was more anxious to 
hear the boys' opinions than to overwhelm 
them with her own; and to influence the tur- 
bulent boy nature to form and express opin- 
ions upon religious matters at least once 
every week was no slight success. There 
was the usual variety of minds among them. 
There was the dull, quiet-looking boy, who 
never seemed to listen particularly, and for 
whose ideas one would ask without really ex- 
pecting much response, only to be astonished 
at the quickness and cleverness of his replies. 
There was the boy who always thought just 
as the other boys did, and from whom the 
most skilful questioning could never entice 
an original remark. There were the medium, 
well-trained boys, who'remembered what they 
had been taught, and repeated it ; while there 
was also the independent, outspoken boy, 
who never thought as anybody else did, and 
did n't know that he ever wanted to. 

" Now, Joe," said Miss Anderson, address- 
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MISS ANDERSON'S CLASS. 67 

ing him, " tell us what you think on the Tern- 
perance question." 

"Well, I just tell you one thing," said 
Joe ; " I do n't believe in taking the pledge." 

" Why not ?" was the quiet answer, while 
the other boys looked somewhat startled by 
Joe's vigorous condemnation of blue ribbon 
societies. 

" Because I do n't. I do n't believe in get- 
ting drunk, Miss Anderson," said Joe hur- 
riedly, as he feared he might lose what he 
valued very much, her good opinion. " I 
think a man who drinks more than he ought 
to is just beastly — that 's what he is. But a 
man who goes and puts his name to a piece 
of paper, just as if he could n't take care of 
himself, and signs away his liberty, why, he 's 
a coward — that 's what he is ; and I mean to 
be too brave for that." 

Oh, how much of a man Joe felt himself 
to be then ! And how admiringly the other 
boys looked at him ! That must be the best 
way, after all, never to make any promises in 

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68 MARIE MANNING. 

life ! Little did they know of the trials, temp- 
tations, and troubles surely coming to test all 
of them, and to combat which a man's unaid- 
ed will would prove a slight defence. So 
Miss Anderson answered, 

" Does it seem a brave thing to leave 
yourself to be influenced by any chance that * 
may come, and so form habits of good or ill, 
just as it happens, rather than by your own 
free will to promise never through your life 
to indulge in certain things which have the 
power to do you great harm ?" 

Leaving this seed to bear fruit in its own 
time, Miss Anderson touched upon the top- 
ics of card-playing and smoking, thinking 
that a word concerning each might be of v 
service, and saying that many boys fancied 
that they could never become men without 
taking up these habits. 

" Why, Miss Anderson," said Joe, in his 
outspoken way, " I smoke." 

Miss Anderson's heart commended tl. 
boy for his honesty, though she feared h 

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MISS ANDERSON'S CLASS. 69 

words had come too late, but she simply said, 

"Why do you do it?" 

" Because I like to," was the answer. 

" How often do you smoke ?" was the next 
question. 

"Well, I must smoke after breakfast — 
you know there's nothing else to do right 
away ; and then, when I go hunting, I always 
smoke for company: and in the evening I 
do n't feel satisfied unless I have a cigar be- 
fore I go to bed." 

As there were not many dayg when Joe 
did not contrive to have a stroll in the woods 
with his dog and his gun, his smoking for 
company could not be seldom ; and Miss An- 
derson thought sadly this was not a very good 
showing for a boy of seventeen years, for 
whose highest good she was anxiously striving, 
but with her usual quiet manner she said, 

" So, Joe, you have signed away your lib- 
erty to tobacco, have you ? Was it not you 
who said, a short time ago, that you would 
not take the pledge, because it was not a 

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70 MARIE MANNING. 

brave thing for a man to sign away his lib- 
erty? At least three times a day, by your 
own confeslion, this filthy thing demands 
your attention, and you are forced to obey. 
Is that what you call being brave ?" 

The other boys were all full of glee at 
their teacher's wisdom and Joe's discomfiture, 
for they were quick-witted enough to see the 
difference between Joe's assertion and his 
actions ; but before more could be said the 
signal for closing school was given, and the 
class dispersed. 

Signing away one's liberty, however, 
seemed a different matter to Joe now, and 
the air of manly independence with which 
he had always taken his cigar was altogether 
wanting. In fact, it did not seem such a 
manly accomplishment to smoke as it had; 
indeed, the days when he decided not to take 
his cigar seemed to be more satisfying than 
when he did take it. 

Miss Anderson, knowing nothing of the 
working of Joe's mind, feared that perhaps 

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MISS ANDERSON'S CLASS. 71 

her turning of his own words against him 
might vex rather than convince him; so a 
few days after, on meeting him, (he said, 

• "Joe, I am afraid you thought me rather 
hard upon you last Sunday ; yet it was your 
own confession that condemned you, not I ; 
though I was sorry enough to hear that you 
were in such bondage to tobacco." 

" Oh, that 's all right, Miss Anderson," 
was the honest answer. " You did hit me 
pretty hard, but I deserved it, and I have 
made up my mind now that I wont touch a 
cigar again." 

" Then, Joe, you are taking a long step 
toward forming a brave character, for self- 
control is one of the greatest powers in life." 

Both Joe and Miss Anderson go their 
different ways, yet she will always, be to him 
a great power for good, while she balances 
many a sorrow by the joy with which she 
notes the beautiful blossom that sprang from 
a seed of her careful planting. 

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72 MARIE MANNING. 



peW 7OTIE WE]OT ¥0 BED. 



On the piazza of a pleasant country-house, 
one summer evening, sat Mrs. Raymond 
watching her two children, Annie and Ar- 
thur, as they enjoyed their usual frolic with 
Carlo on the lawn. She was a young moth- 
er, but one who had strong faith in that com-, 
mon-sense fact that refreshing sleep comes 
more willingly to all human beings after a 
cheerful, happy hour ; and so the children's 
time for fun and frolic just before going to 
bed came as regularly as their daily meals. 

Yet even wholesome pleasure must have 
an end ; so with a word Mrs. Raymond called 
her children, and gayly they ran to her, with 
Carlo at their heels. Stopping only to kiss 
their father good-night, they chased eac 
other up stairs as happily as if cross wore 
and looks were utterly unknown to them. 

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HOW ANNIE WENT TO BED. 73 

Mrs. Raymond followed slowly after, for 
she believed that in the quiet evening a child's 
heart opens naturally to its mother's care and 
guidance, and well she knew by happy expe- 
rience that a sense of refreshment comes with 
mother's kiss at night-time which can never 
be forgotten through life. The darkness 
always seemed brighter if mother's hand put 
out the light and gave a loving touch to the 
pillow as she left the room. So, always mind- 
ful as she was of the little things that win 
hearts, whether old or young, Mrs. Raymond 
gave much of her personal attention to her 
children, and rarely missed seeing them safe- 
ly in bed. As she entered the room, Arthur 
sprang forward, exclaiming, 

" Mamma, mamma, may I be undressed 
first?" 

" Yes, if you would like to," answered 
Mrs. Raymond. 

" O dear, that 's just what I was going to 
ask you my own self," said Annie. 

" Well, I got ahead of you," triumphantly 



Marie Maiming. 



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74 MARIE MANNING. 

said Arthur ; " and I '11 get into bed first, and 
begin to dream long before you do." 

" You 're just a real mean, ugly boy/' said 
Annie, giving Arthur a push as he stood be- 
side her; and then, bursting into tears, she 
added, " I hope you wont sleep a wink all 
night." 

" Annie," said her mother gravely, " you 
are not behaving well, and I would like you 
to step inside of that closet. You know that 
Arthur asked me first, and it is only fair that 
he should be gratified. When you are will- 
ing to be quiet and good, you may come out 
and go to bed." 

Annie obeyed, and went into the closet ; 
but she carried her bad temper with her, for 
soon she began to talk and say, " I do n't love 
you. I a' n't your girl. I wont be sorry 
when you 5 re sick. I wont 'scuse you when 
you rock on my foot. I don't love any- 
body." 

Poor little girl ! Of course she did not 
love anybody. She had been selfish and ill- 
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HOW ANNIE WENT TO BED. 75 

tempered, and kind or pleasant thoughts 
never follow in the train of such wicked feel- 
ings. She was not very lovable then herself, 
and if her mother had not been a patient 
woman, who had often talked to her about 
the need of controlling her quick temper and 
hasty tongue, Annie might not have been so 
good a little girl as, after all, she may prove 
to be. 

As it was, however, Annie soon began to 
see that she was wrong; but, somehow, she 
found it pleasanter to think of Arthur's ag- 
gravating words, as if these would excuse her 
own behavior, and whenever she thought of 
telling her mother, who was sitting in the 
room, waiting until her better thoughts 
should gain control of her little girl, some- 
thing would come right up in her throat and 
choke her. 

Before very long Mrs. Raymond was made 
happy by hearing a trembling voice say, 
" Mamma, I will be good now ; may I come 
out?" 

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76 MARIE MANNING. 

"'Yes," was the answer; "come and pre- 
pare for bed." 

Annie's tear-stained face was very grave 
as .she began to undress, and Mrs. Raymond 
wisely refrained from disturbing her thoughts 
by any words. She knew that Annie could 
judge very well of what she had done, and so 
left her conscience to speak for itself, only 
helping her to undress with her usual kind- 
ness. 

Soon everything was in order. Annie's 
clothing was laid carefully upon a chair, each 
garment in its place, ready to be put on the 
next day ; her two little shoes standing side 
by side, not tossed about the room or under 
the bed, as children sometimes leave them. 
Then Annie knelt by her mother and said 
her prayer, but waiting a moment before she 
said "Amen," she added softly, "And will 
God please forgive me for being a naughty 
girl ?" Without another word, she held uj. 
her face for her mother's kiss, and crept qui- 
etly into bed. 

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HOW ANNIE WENT TO BED. 77 

Mrs. Raymond was somewhat surprised 
that Annie had said nothing to her, and so 
busied herself abotit the room for a little time, 
wondering if the child would fall asleep di- 
rectly; but she was startled to hear some- 
thing that sounded like sobs. Turning at 
once to the bed, she was surprised to find 
Annie with tears running down her cheeks 
and her little frame shaking with sobs. 

" My dear child, what is the matter ?" said 
Mrs. Raymond, almost frightened, as she saw 
how sadly Annie was grieving. 

" O mamma, dear mamma," cried Annie, 
raising herself in the bed and throwing her 
arms about her mother's neck, " really and 
truly I do love you, and I am your little girl, 
and I will be sorry when you 're sick, and I 
will 'scuse you when you rock on my foot, 
and I do love everybody — and wont you 
please forgive me ?" 

Mrs. Raymond's tears joined with Annie's 
as she listened to these penitent words, and 
very gladly did she say how much more she 

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78 MARIE MANNING. 

loved her little girl now that she had done 
what she knew was right; while as for An- 
nie herself, now that she had taken back the 
ugly words she had said, and promised to 
tell Arthur so in the morning, with both her 
little hands clinging close to mamma, she 
quickly and peacefully fell asleep. 



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TWO VISITS TO A SCHOOLROOM. 79 



¥we Yigi¥g ¥6 n pcpeei^eeja. 



On a village street not many miles away 
from New York stands a tall, bare, unattrac- 
tive-looking building, which may be easily 
recognized as the schoolhouse. Around it 
lies the hard, dusty yard, which school com- 
mittees seem to consider a necessary accom- 
paniment of education, though perhaps their 
weather-beaten judgments think it wise so to 
prepare fresh young minds and hearts for the 
. dusty highway of life. However that may be, 
there stands the barren building, unsheltered 
by trees, and the yard unadorned by a blade 
of grass. Fortunate is it that children will 
be happy in spite of their surroundings, and 
- unfortunate enough that their elders pay so 
. little heed to the powerful though silent aids 
to the best education that such surroundings 
might be made. 

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80 MARIE MANNING. 

Yet all about stand charming homes, for 
the whole village is an attractive one, lying 
as it does on the slope of a highland which 
its lovers call the, mountain. Not an unde- 
served title does this seem when one finds 
how much muscle and wind are needed to 
reach the summit, and the glorious panorama 
at its base delights the eye. In quiet beauty 
lies the broad expanse, dotted with meadow 
and woodland, city and village, and skirted 
by the grand old Hudson, calmly flowing on 
for ever towards the sea. Often when " the 
day is done," and the setting sun sends gleam 
and glitter over this distant and dusty mart 
of ours, bathing it in glory as in royal robes, 
making it, though but for a moment, like unto 
a golden city, truly our feet seem to rest, with 
good John Bunyan's pilgrim, upon none other 
than a Delectable Mountain. 

Yet within the schoolhouse doors more 
may be learned than " reading, 'riting, an 
'rithmetic." The wisest teachers have hear 
for and in their work, and remember tV 

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TWO VJSITS TO A SCHOOLROOM. 81 

human and moral as well as the intellectual 
nature of their pupils. There were some such 
brave souls here, and the delight with which 
the scholars crowded about them after school 
hours proved the power of their influence, 
and left many a pleasant and helpful memory 
for coming years. 

Miss Jamison was one of this sort, and as 
she wisely sometimes lightened the weariness 
of constant study by a few words of encour- 
agement or warning, or even by a round of 
hearty laughter, the progress of her scholars 
was remarkable. Of course, narrower rrtinds 
thought her method sadly lacking in restraint 
and discipline, but her pupils loved her ; she 
seldom had occasion to reprove them more 
than once concerning any matter, and the 
reputation of her rodm was unexcelled. 

One day, however, came a new experience, 
and as Tom Chester, one of the boys, was 
walking thoughtfully home, he heard close b** 
his ear, 

" Hullo, Tom ; can't you see a fellow ?". 

Maria Manning. 1 1 

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82 MARIE MANNING. 

Looking up, Tom saw his cousin, John 
Garrison, who had come to meet him. u Well, 
yes, when I look at him," was the good-hu- 
mored answer; but taking John's arm and 
drawing closer to him, Tom said confiden- 
tially, "You see, just then I was medita- 
ting." 

" You do n't say so," said John, impressed 
by Tom's serious manner ; " what about ?" 

" Miss Jamison has just been talking to 
us, and I was kind o' thinking it over to see 
if she was right, 'cause nobody meant to do 
any harm; but it's no use, she's all right 
every time, and I feel real mean." 

" But what 's the row, any how ?" 

"Sure enough, you don't know. Well, 
I '11 tell you," answered Tom. " We were all 
studying our spelling-lesson, and the room 
was so still you could have heard a pin drop, 
vhen somehow I looked around, and what do 
u think I saw ?" 

" I do n't know," said John. 

'Well, right there in the door stood 

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TWO VISITS TO A SCHOOLROOM. 83 

lady, and how under the sun she got there 
beats me." 

" There are stairs, a' n't there ?" 

" I should think so, goose ; but they are 
bare boards, and you can't go up and down 
without making an awful racket." 

" Goose yourself; do you think ladies play 
tag, and stamp up and down stairs like boys ? 
Of course, she could walk softly ; I do n't see 
anything in that." 

"Well, there she was, any how, dressed 
all in black, and standing perfectly still, only 
smiling just as if she liked to see us; so I 
* kind o' smiled back, you know, and nudged 
the boy next to me. He, big stupid, had to 
drop his spelling-book and say awful loud, 
4 Why, she 's got a man's hat on !' Then all 
the scholars about us heard that, and they 
looked and laughed. Maybe it was n't a reg- 
ular man's hat, but it was a big black felt hat, 
and they all thought it was. The lady walk- 
ed up to Miss Jamison, who seemed real glad 
to see her, and made her sit in her chair. By 

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84 MARIE MANNING. 

that time all the school had seen her, and 
there was a good deal of disorder. Miss 
Jamison spoke to us two or three times, but 
somehow we 'd got a going and we could n't 
stop ; so there was n't much studying done. 
After looking all round the room and talk- 
ing some to the teacher, the lady smiled 
and said, sort of half-aloud, ' I 'm afraid I '11 
be marked if I stay any longer;' so she went 
away." 

" Why, I do n't think that 's so awful bad," 
said John. 

" Neither did I till after school; then we 
got our penny lecture — that 's the name Miss 
Jamison has for the talks she gives us ; may- 
be it 's because they are so short — but, I tell 
you, her words cut right into a feller if he 
has done wrong, and he can't forget them. 
They just stick to him until he behaves him- 
self. 

" First she asked all those who though" 
they had been perfectly obedient to hold u 
their hands. Of course, nobody could, fc 

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TWO VISITS TO A SCHOOLROOM. 85 

though Miss Jamison had only said 'too 
much noise,' she expects us to mind one 
word as much as twenty, and we do general- 
ly, but the mischief was in us to-day. Then 
she said we had been very rude, we had 
laughed. in a lady's face, and she was a stran- 
ger, which made it worse. We had laughed 
at her hat, and she had just as much right to 
wear a large hat as we had to wear smaller 
ones. What if it did seem funny to us ; per- 
haps if we had travelled about the world 
more, we might see many things that we were 
unaccustomed to, and so we showed our own 
ignorance by laughing. Then we had morti- 
fied her too, because when she spoke to us 
we did not try to be quiet, but had showed 
her friend both bad manners and disobedi- 
ence. After she had finished, every scholar 
there would like to have gone straight through 
the floor. After waiting a few moments she 
said, 'All who would like to have that lady 
come again hold up their hands.' " 

" What did they do then ?" said John. 

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86 MARIE MANNING. ' 

" Do ? Why, a kite in a tornado a' n't 
nothing to the way the hands went up and 
tossed round. The room seemed full of noth- 
ing but hands — 'most everybody held up both. 
'Shall we have obedience and politeness if 
she does ?' said Miss Jamison. ' Yes, ma'am,' 
we all shouted; and if that lady will only 
come again, she'll know what order is then, if 
she never knew before. Some of us a' n't 
going to wink even." 

The next day lessons were learned and 
recited in good order, and if a visitor was ex- 
pected nothing was said. About the same 
hour, however, Tom could not resist turning 
his head, and there, in the same place, stood 
the same lady. For a minute he had quite a 
hard struggle with himself, for, although she 
wore another hat, she stood there smiling 
just the same, and he did want to smile back, 
but he bent his head down closely over his 
spelling-book, and tried to think of nothing 
but his lesson. In a few moments all desire 
to laugh had gone, and he felt stronger and 

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TWO VISITS TO A SCHOOLROOM. 87 

better, as one always does after conquering 
any wrong inclination. All the other schol- 
ars were quiet, and the school routine went 
on like clock-work. Lessons in spelling, 
arithmetic, and physiology, were quickly and 
perfectly recited, and as quietly as if there 
had been no stranger in the room, although 
she was seated at the teacher's desk, where 
all could see her. When the lessons were 
ended, the teacher asked their visitor to say 
a few words to the scholars. So she said 
she was very glad to tell them how much 
better she liked them on that day than she 
did the day before, because they were so much 
more polite and quiet. It was pleasant to 
know that her friend had a room full of such 
little ladies and gentlemen. Then she asked 
them if they would try to remember how one 
wrong action leads to another, as they had 
just found out. Yesterday they had been 
impolite, and then they had disobeyed ; to- 
day they had conquered the temptation, and 
she w r ould like to know how many were going 

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88 MARIE MANNING. 

home with happier hearts than they carried 
yesterday. 

Again the air was thick with hands, and 
every face was a bright one. Then the bell 
for closing the school was heard, and the vis- 
itor went away, remembering very pleasantly 
her two visits to a schoolroom. 



^ooTpg^ptrng-sinsj 

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HOW THEODORE HELPED. 89 



pew ¥pE6De^E JffiltPED. 



Theodore Denny had lived with kind 
parents for ten short years in a happy home. 
But one day there came a change in the 
pleasant home on the hill. Theodore's fa- 
ther, who had been ill for some time, grew 
worse. He was not strong enough to drive 
out, even on the warm days, any more ; soon 
the children were not called to his bedside 
for their morning kiss, and then very soon 
they were told that their dear father had 
gone to heaven. The younger children only 
knew that the house was strangely quiet, and 
their father's face was so cold and stiff, it 
would not smile even one little bit v and then, 
ever so many people came to the house, and 
a man read out of a book, and then that great 
long box was carried away. It all seemed 
very mysterious. Theodore could only com- 

Marie Manning. 1 2 

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9 o MARIE MANNING. 

prehend two things: one was that he did not 
see his father any more, and the other that 
his mother looked like another person. She 
was pale and thin and sad, and wore such 
dreadful black clothes. It must be because 
his father was staying away so long, for when 
he asked her if his father would be gone a 
good while, she said, "Yes." Then he look- 
ed so frightened, and asked her if she never 
expected to see him again. She said, " Oh, 
yes, yes, my child, I shall go to him." " And 
are you going away too," cried Theodore, 
"to leave us all alone?" Then his mother 
kissed him, and said, " Not until God sends 
for me; but my little boy must try to be a 
comfort to me, and grow fast and strong and 
good, so that when he is a man he can take 
all the care of me that his father would have 
done." 

Theodore promised to do his best, and 
thereupon set his youthful mind to thinking 
out some plan by which he might be useful 
to his mother, even now. 

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HOW THEODORE HELPED. 91 

There were some other changes in the 
family now, and even Theodore's young eyes . 
saw that his mother did not have quite so 
much money to spend as she used to have. 
She had sold all the horses and carriages but 
one, and one day, gathering all her children 
about her, she said they must try to be care- 
ful in wearing their hats and shoes and 
clothes, for it would not be so easy to buy 
them new ones as it had been once ; but that 
if they all were careful, she still had enough 
money to feed and clothe and educate her 
children, and to live in the same pleasant 
home their dear father had made for them. 

All these words sank deep into Theodore's 
heart, and he thought if he was the only man 
in the house, he ought to take some care of * 
it ; but what should he do ? At first he could 
think of nothing at all ; he could not go to 
town and make money, for nobody would 
want to employ such a little fellow as he was ; 
there really did not seem to be any way in 
which he could help his mother except by 



92 MARIE MANNING. 

being a good boy and obeying her always. 
So he did his best in this way, and succeed- 
ed in pleasing his mother greatly, but not in 
satisfying himself. At last one day in de- 
spair he said, 

" Mamma, I want to earn some money." 

" Why, Theodore, I can give you some if 
you are very anxious to buy something ; what 
is it?" 

" I would rather not tell you, mamma, but 
I want to earn some, to do work for it, you 
know ; but nobody wants such a little boy to 
work for him as I am." 

" Yes, my child," said his mother, " I want 
just such a little boy to work for me, and I 
will pay you for it ;" for Mrs. Denny thought 
this desire to earn, rather than receive with- 
out effort, one to be encouraged, and imme- 
diately formed a plan in her own mind to 
make him useful. " You know that since the 
under-gardener went away James cannot keep 
the grounds looking quite so nicely as they 
used % to, for he has so much to do; and I can- 
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HOW THEODORE HELPED. 93 

not afford to hire another man. Yesterday 
I noticed that ugly plantain weeds were grow- 
ing about some of the paths and through the 
lawn, and if you will dig them up by the 
roots, I will pay you ten cents for every hun- 
. dred you throw away." 

" Oh, how splendid, mamma," said Theo- 
dore. " I '11 begin right away." 

So he did, and worked bravely, though it 
was tough pulling for his small fingers. James 
gave him an old trowel, and every morning 
before breakfast Theodore might be seen out 
of doors working with all his might, though 
his patience was often sorely tried. The end 
came one day, and all his weariness was for- 
gotten, when his mother counted out five 
bright silver pieces into his hand. 

" Now, mamma, 1 11 just tell you what I 
want to do with this money," said Theodore, 
with a quaintly serious air. " You know you 
said you wanted me to help take care of you 
in papa's place, and I Ve been thinking there 
was n't any need of my waiting to be a man 

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94 MARIE MANNING. 

if I could only get some money, and now that 
I 've worked for it, I want to pay you some- 
thing every week for my board." 

Mrs. Denny's heart was touched as she 
heard these words, but she only said, " Thank 
you, my dear child, it helps me very much to 
find you so thoughtful; how much do you 
think you can pay ?" 

" Well, I thought about two cents a week 
would make the money last longer, and then 
I could be earning some more," answered 
Theodore with a grave, business-like air. 

Mrs. Denny agreed to make the bargain, 
and every Saturday night Theodore brought 
her the two cents, and she gave him a receipt 
in full for one week's board. Of course he 
did not know that the pennies were safely 
hidden away ki his mother's drawer in a 
bright, new purse, which he would find with 
his presents on the Christmas-tree. By that 
time Mrs. Denny felt that Theodore had done 
much towards forming .a habit of self-denial 
that would all his life prove of far greater 



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HOW THEODORE HELPED. 95 

value to him than the few cents he was now 
so carefully dividing. It was a thankful moth- 
er who noticed how, week after week, noth- 
ing could induce her boy to touch his board 
money ; while she could not help hoping that 
he would grow to be a thoughtful, kind- 
hearted man, who might dp great good in the 
world. So Theodore helped ; and was it not 
in a good way ? 



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