The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-12-15
TEN IN TEN, ONCE.


That was what Fred and | called
the rule we had to use in ciphering
out our life sums. 1t was after we
had read Hale's charming story of
"Ten Times One are Ten where
good was made to work out and in
crease and multiply. We had TO work
backward, at leastit seemed SO, when
others could do so much and we SO
little.
! We got thinking about it, especial
| ly when our friends the Royals, who
| lived near by. took Sarah and Mary
Rush into their beautiful house and
gave them a home. We had all been
so sorry for the two girls! Sarah
was an inailid needing care, and
Mary an overworked teacher with an
insufficient salary. So they were
struggling along, orphans, with ab-
solutely no other resource than Ma
| rvs 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 it; when suddenly
Mrs. Royal, being disappointed about
the coming of some expected guests,
took the two lovely rooms she had
prepared for them, made them lOvIier
/ yet, and then, driving out with her
husband in their carriage, brought
back the two Rush girls and installed
them there. They should stay a.
long as they liked, the Royals said;
and, indeed, every one felt that il was
little likely Sarah ever would go
away again till she went 10 her long,
last home. went over to sec them,
and found Mary Rush weeping for
sheer relief and gratitude. / told
Mrs. Royal her house seemed COnse-
! Grated for what she h8d done.
When we first heard of II in our
own little family, a neighbor telling
the ncws, | looked at Fred, and he at
me.
Now why conldn't ,"e have done
that ?" exclaimed.
1--WE couldn't he said softly; and
then | remembered how email our
house was, with its one little spare
room, often wanted by some passing
guest, and how we had no servant,
and how much of my time and
strength it took to look out for our
tricksome two-year old.
NO, we couldn't" | echoed, more
softly still. "But oh, it does seem ~
five ought TO do something in some
way"
We talked il over good deal after
tl.at, Fred and | +; and TOR some time
VIC could think OF nothing more than
the mission school, and carrying
flowers, jelly, and little tri1es TO
some sick people we knew. You see,
our means were so small. Such
shining, lovely charities as the Roy
ais seemed out Of reach. We could
not take any poor, pining souls OFF on
a glad Journey to mountains or sea-
shore we could not put unexpected
purses in poor widows hands, nor
pay for any struggling youths educs-
ton; we had not even carriage 10
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 night 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 use in the Master {, s,seryice.
At last we thought of something, /
can remember almost the moment.
We had such a good little supper
that evening-light biscuit and but
ter, Jelly, hot oysters and remarkably
good tea. Fred wac tired and hun
CRY, and enjoyed every thing. But
when we had done, there still re-
mained a goodly portion af oysters
steaming in the dish, aad plenty of
everything else.
"Pity we hadn't had company for
tea" said Fred, rehectively.
"Oh dear" said l, ''if we had in
vited company, | should haye had to
bake all day, making cake and cook
| les and tarts and all such things.
That is why I never have tea-parties.
should be all tired out by the time
the folks came"
"Just so," replied Fred. "Cake is a
! folderol, and dyspepsia attends tea
parties, But suppose, grille, l had
| brought poor Hevins, our ovorwork-
ed 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 it,
and for one of our happy evenings in
our little parlor!"
ayes indeed" l cried catching,
his idea in the instant. Erred, you
are a blessed boy. Well do it."
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 might have had for ourselves,
| only more of il, and then called in
whomsQeVer Providence threw in
our way-sometimc not more than
one, sometimes three or four. Fred
often brought home poor, carc-worn,
Neyins, who starved at fourth-ratc
boarding house, and it heartened
him up wonderfully. Now and then
| had Kitty Lang to help Inc sew on
Bertie's dresses, and told her to in
vite any three of the most tired sew
ing, girls she knew to come to tea
aud stay the evening. And wasn't
liz a pleasure TO heap up those pale
girls plates with Strengthening oys-
ters and chicken, and see them sip
delicious tea and chocolate 1t fairly
brought color into their poor faces.
And then in the evening we had
games, or l played some of my half
forgotten musis, or Fred read poetry
slo1d TO US all and we coa1ed some
Of the girls to read to Us too. We
found out Ia tLst way that one girl
, had 8 beautiful, clear, synpathstio
voice for reading and when | told
Mrs. Royal abert it, she found a de-