Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-12-21
kittie's Resolution.

hlllle, hlttlei cOUe nome, uear, shlu
Mrs Brown, as she stepped to the door worn
and heated with her morning walk.
30 dear it is always just so as soon as
we get nicely at play; mother is sure to call
me" said Kittie mpatiently, gathering up
her doll and box of dishes. " There hear
Freddy screaming | suppose she wants me
to take care of him; wish | was like you
and did not have any brothers to be plagued
with"
30 how dreadful to wish your brother
was dead" cried Annie Norton
Il did not say wished he was dead
only said wished didn't have any" said
Kitty, getting over the fence
If had a little brother | am sure
would rather play with him than do anything
else" said Annie, thinking how she wished her
only brother who had died when she was
wee baby could have lived till now. For
Annie's mother often talked with her about
her brother in heaven, aud told her of the
cunning things he used to say and do
" You will have to take baby" said Mrs.
Brown, as Kittie came into the kitchen,
throwing her hat on the floor and her doll on
a chair, aud muttering don't see why he
had to wake up and spoil our fun, it does not
seem as if he had been asleep two minutes. "
:" | am sorry | had to call you so soon,
but it is almost time to get dinner, and
want to finish Walters coat"
81 wish you would keep servant, ma,
for Saturday is the only day have to play"
said impertncnt Kittie, taking baby from the
cradle with jerk and irown, which of course
did not stop his crying.
Mrs Browns eyes filed with tears as she
bent over her work, for it grieved her that
Kitty should show such a spirit.
Two years before Mrs. Brown had been
left widow with three children, and with
little beside their home. She was obliged to
economize in order to keep Walter and Kit
tic in school; but she was willing to make
any sacrifice herself, that they might be hap
py and feel as little as possible the loss Of a
father.
Just as the clock struck twelve Walter
came in, hot and tired with his long walk
from the store.
" Isn't this scorcher? I'm almost baked
[ wish Mr.. Norton would move his store
further up town, it is so far to 90. Mother,
you know school closes next week, and Mr.
Norton asked me to-day how | would like to
20 into his store for the vacation. He says
he will give me fifty cents a day. could
earn ever 50 much before school begins
again. Let me see if | can do it in my head
Fifty cents day, aud six days in a week tc
work. and ten weeks vacation. Yes sir, I've
got thirty collars, could get lots Of
things with that. Can | go, mother? You
look so sober don't you like the plan 2
And Walter stopped for want of breath.
Yes, my son, was thinking how thank
ful we ought to be that God has sent us Sc
kind friend as Mr.. Norton Your thick
suit will be too small for you next Winter
and did not see how was going to get yol
new one But you see if we are onIy pa
tient, all things will come right in the end.
MIR. Norton lived next door to Mrs Brown
aud since her husbands death had been verl
Kind, and helped her in many ways; Waite
had been in his store after school hours an'
on Saturdays, as errand boy almost ever since
his father died he had proved himself so ac
tive and trustworthy that it was pleasure
for Mr. Norton to help him all he could.
Annie and Kittie had been playmates frou
the time they could run alone. Although 81
different in disposition, Kittie wilful and i'm
petuous, Annie so quiet and gentle, yet unlik
most children they seldom quarreled if the.
had anything, they always shared, aud uset
to tell each other all their little troubles.
About week after Walter went to tn
store as a clerk, he and Freddy we're botl
taken sick their mother thought at first /
was nothing serious, but it proved to be scar
let fever, aud they both grew rapidly worse
Kittie had had it while spending the sum
mer with her grandmother few years before
She was not sick, but was obliged to bo yer.
quiet, and as she wandered about the house
and saw the sad faces of those about her
she was very lonely, and wished her brother
were well again,
One evening as she sat at the foot Of tn
stairs waiting for some oae to come down, tha
she might ask how they were, she began 4
think, What it they should not get well an
how unkind she had sometimes been to then
and she remembered what she had said /
Annie Norton, that she wished she had n
> brothers. She put her head down on th
stair and cried as though her heart woul
break, and wondered how she could have sal
such cruel thing.
| Just then hor mother came down stair
and took her on her lap, and told her Waite
was better but she was afraid Freddy woul
. not get we'll. She clung to hor mothers neci