Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-10-28
TEN IN TEN, ONCE.

had 10 use in cipnerfng out our life sums. 1t
was after we had read Hale's charming story of
made to work out and increase and muItiplv'
We had to work backward, at least il seemed
so, when Others could do so much and we so lit
tie.
We got thinking about ii, especially when our
friends the Royals, who lived near by, took Sa-
rah and Mary Rush into their beautiful house
sorry for the two girlsl Sarah was an invalid
needing care, and Mary an oyerworked teacher
with an insufficient salary. So they were strug-
resource than Mays ten dollars a week. which
barely paid board We all liked them, and all
said how sorry We were, and that was the end of
1t; when n suddenly Mrs; Royal, being dsap,,
guests, took the two lovely rooms she had pre-
pared for them, made them loyelier yet, and
then, driving ont with her husband in their car
stalled them there. They should stay as long as
they liked, the Royals said; and, indeed, every
one felt that 1t was little likely Sarah ever
would go away again till she went to her long
last home. went over to see them, and found
Mary Rush weeping tor sheer relief and graft
tude. told Mrs. Boyal her house seemed con-
secrated for what she had done.
When we first heard of it in our own little
family, neighbor telling the news, L looked at
Fred. and he at me-
Now why couldn't zee have done that?"
exclaimed.
1--WE couldn't" he said, softly; and then re-
membered how smallou house was, with its one
guest, and how we had no servant, and how
muOh of my time and strength it took to look
out for our tricksome twO-year old.
" No, we couldn't" / echoed, more softly
still. I" But oh, il does seem as If we ought to do
something in some way"
We talked it over a good deal after that, Fred
and Il; and for some time we could think of moth
ing more than the mission school, and CARRYING
flowers, jelly, and little trifies % some sick peo-
PIE We knew. You see, our means were 50
small. Such shining, lovely charities a. the
reach. a pot
take any poor, Pining souls of on glad journey
10 mountains or sea shore; We could not put I'M
expected purses in poor widows hands, nor paw
for any struggling youths education; we had not
even a carriage TO take invalids and neglected
people out for lovely little drives. There was
Fred hard at work all day in the Office, and at
home busy as a bee from morning till nj ght with
the housekeeping, sewing, and BERTHE. But
there must be at least one little talent hid away
IN our opportunities somewhere, that We could
bring out and u in the Masters service.
At last we thought of something. / can re-
member almost the moment. We had such a
good little supper that eyening-hght biscuit
and butter, jelly, hot oysters, and remarkably
good tea Fred was tired and hungry, and en-
jOyed every thing. But when we had done,
there still remained a goOdly portion of oysters
steaming IN the dish, and plenty Of every thing
else.
+" Pity we hadn't had company to tea" said
Fred refectively.
"Oh dear,- said I, s.if we had invited COM
pany, 1 should have had 10 bake all day, making
cake and cookies and tarts, and all such things.
That Is why never have tea-parties- 1 should
be all tired out by the time the folks came"
.'Just So" replied Fred. "a Cake is a folde-
rol, and dyspepsia attends tea-parties. But sup
pose, grille, had brought poor Neyins, our
Oyer-wOrked clerk, home to supper with me, or
suppose old Mrs Wynn had been here, or one or
two tired young teachers or seamstresses had
dropped in, don't you think they would have
heartily enjoyed just what we have had. and
been all the better for IL. and for one of our
happy evenings in our little parlOr?'
Yes, indeed" cried, catching his idea in
the instant :" Fred, you are blessed boy.
And this was the origin of our Tuesday and
Thursday evenings. There was no hard work
or fuss about them at all. We Just got up a
good, relishable little supper, such as we mi ght
have had for ourselves, only more of t. and then
called in whOmsoeyer Providence threw in our
way-sometimes not more than one, sonnet mes
three or four. Fred often brought home poor
careworn Nevins, who starved at a fourth-rate
boarding house, and IL heartened him up won
derfully. Now ami then / had Kitty Lang to
help me sew on Berries dresses and told her to
invite any three of the most tired sewing-girls
she knew 20 come TO tea and stay the evening.
And wasn't IL a pleasure TO heap up those pale
girls plates with strengthening oysters and
chicken, and see them sip delicious tea and
chocolate! IL fairly brought color into their
poor faces And then in the evening we had
games. or played some of my half forgotten mu-
sic, or Fred read poetry aloud TO US all; and we
coaxed some OF the girls TO read to US too. We
found out In that way that one girl had beauti-
full, clear. sympathetic voice for reading; aud
when told Mrs. Royal abont it, she found a
delightful old lady who wanted Just such a girl
TO go with her to the sea-shore for the whole
summer, to be company for her and read to her.
Now WASH { that a splendid thing 10 happen TO
that worn, delicate girl? and didn't one thing
grow out Of another beautifully? don't know
what We should have done without the ROYALS
They put bright finishing touch on so many
thingsi
Sometimes il was a few hard-workingte teachers
We had; and then in the course of the evening
Mrs. Royal and Mary Rush were pretty sure 10
come In upon US, with glowing cheeks and
shining eyes, bringing fruit OF flowers or a great
dish Of ice-cream; and 80, one way or another
our little evenings were a great success. We
had teachers pretty often: such young girls
many Of them oyertasked, and working for such
small salarie>-brain-wOrk, too, the most ex-
Eausting OF all Do you know how MANY such
teachers there are? Reckon them up in your
own town. look al city statistics As many times
as have done II, IL always takes me by surprise.
And then TO think what numbers Of applicants
there are for every vacant situation, 80 many
girls struggling for WAYS % support themselves,
20 many fainting by the way, like Sarah and
Fred, keeping his eyes open, made the ae
quaintance Of young clerks just beginning on
meagre salaries, many Of them strangers in the
place, and with absolutely no society. n did
them as much real good - any one, he argued
to get a taste Of home pleasures; 50 was never
surprised, when our evenings came, to see Fred
bringing in with him some bashful clerk or pale
student. Then began 20 want q romance; why
conldn = some OF our young clerks fall in love
win some OF our ysang teachers or seamstresses?
mix in sentiment with our little schemes of
good, and desired 20 know what sort OF figure
poor young Stebbins, for instance, would cut
getting married 20 one OF our bright Young
teachers, on SIX dollars o week.
One Tuesday, when had Kitty Lang to sew
she told me she had invited a new friend 10
come 70 feA-not o sewing girl nor q teacher; in
fact a girl with no business whatever.
+" But that, Ne hope, won't Last long" she adj
ded, between o sigh and Q laugh. Poor
Fanny Is trying 30 hard 20 get employment; but
there Is not a single vacancy among the school
teachers, and all the stores where girls clerk are
full. She don't know which way 10 turn"
On inquiring more, Kitty told me that her
new friend, Fanny Gray, WAS an English girl
who came 70 this country with her parents three
years before They had both died soon after,
and left her almost destitute. She succeeded in
getting few music-scholars, but earned barely
enough 70 pay board; 30 after a while she went
into seving-rOom and worked there a yeaE.
till sae found her health was absolutely break
ing Gown, and she had spirit enough LETT 10 re-
DouBee the needle, and declare her faith that
there must be other work in the world cirl
could do. Then she found her way 10 Foxbor-
ough, to the great strav-works, and found en-
ploymeBt there, sewing braid and wiring hats.
She had done well there while the busy season
lasted, but now work was slack, and they had
dismissed four-ffths Of the girls. SO she Ia