The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-09-17
JUVENILE COLUMN.
THE POOR NEIGHBOKS.
by T.. CARMEL HENDRY.

two pretty little girls who came every day
with their school books under their arm, out Of
| q largo brick house in K street. were sis
tiers. In I'd Isome persons, to whom they
were strang Sfs, took them to be mere school
companions. and will tell YOU the reason
The elder girl was tall aud rather stout; heI
complexion was very fair and her eyes q deep
blue, and she had profusion of faxen hair
with o slight wave in it, falling over hel
The youmgss was o very email and
and her hair, Of deepest brown, just fell to
her neck SO YOU see what q difference there
| was in their looks, and you can easily excuse
one for having thought that they were not
related.
| But these sisters were were unlike still, in
their dispositions. Carrie, the elder, was very
] naughty and selfish, and was not always care
while little Ellie was very amiable and gentle,
| and had never been known to speak o rude or
| harsh word to any one.
One day, as these little girls were walking
home from school, you could see that Carrie
had been acting unkindly towards Ellie, for
! the child's usually bright and happy face wore
q very mournful expression, and tears stood in
her eyes, while Carrie looked sullenly iudif-
ferent.
Flies evident grief did not escape her mani.
mas atfectionate notice, and when her little
daughters came to her in the sitting-room to
give her their afternoon kiss, she took Ellie in
her lap and asked tenderly, What ails you
my darling 2"
Nothing, ma, but some ridiculous nom
sense" exclaimed Carrie, vehemently. 81
scolded her for going with some common little
girls that entered the school to-day, and told
them that wished them to keep their place,
aud Ellie says I hurt their feelings, and has
THAT word 7c,mmon,' that yon use so f.e-
quently, jeTs on my ears, Carrie" said Mrs.
May, pnsting up her hand. "Now, will you
have the kindness to tell me what it means. as
applied to these schoolmates of yoursT
why. in the first place, ma, they live in
poor little house around the corner, and, sec
ondly, one of them had on q calico dress, and
the other an old delaiue that had been washed"
"But, Carrie, such circumstances as those
yon mention do not make them common as
you express 1t, nor render them unfit for Ellie
t. few questions did these little girls that you
felt friendship for act rudely towards the
talk slangf"
dren. Mary is twelve years old, aud has made
her first communion, and the Sisters are going
to instruct Jennie for hers. She is to be in the
class with me; she is ten yeats old, just my
We'll, Ellie, if she is a good girl will be glad
to have her for q companion for You during the
time of instruction, for good example is always
as, indeed, it is at all times-and the very fact
of your conversation turning on that subject
at the beginning of your acquaintance, gives
promise that it will never lie injurious to you.
As to the circumstance of these children, Car
RE, bling reason for avoiding them, and treat
ing them rudely, as / regret to hear you did, I
never wish to hear one Of my daughters again
give utterance to SO foolish an idea. You must
remember, my daughter, that the day was,
when you papa did not own this fine house,
and was not at all ashamed to wear q dress
of calico or faded delaine. audl would have
thought it very singular had any of my friends
esteemed mo beneath their notice on that ac-
count. You know. Carrie. that would not
ance with Helen Greyson, who was one
of the wealthiest and most fashionable
girls you knew, because she Taught you to
fSEshy and to
manner are to be the standard by which you
estimate your friends. Perhaps these very
children HON you contemn are yoursuperiors
in both those respects my dear Carrie. Your
aunt Georgia was here this morning, and pro-
missed to send yorr cousins Amy aud Lucy to
take tea with You this evening; and if you
little friends of yours to come also, for know
that all the girls in your class consider them
selves more Carries companions than yours;
and if find that these children, whom you
find congonial, are as we'll disposed as take
them to be, l will be very happy to have you
cultivate their acquaintance"
Ellie was delighted with this privilege, and
early in the afternoon she availed herself of it.
The mother of the little girls gladly permitted
them to accept the invitation When they
came, Mrs. May was charmed with them. They
Ellie show ed them ali the expensi We aud curious
toys that a relative had sent her from Europe,
they did not make nse of one exaggerated ex-
preston of astoni,bment or admiration, nor
did they seem to think that happiness consist
cd in the possession of snch things as some
children do. They also carefully refrained
from handlng any of the toys, OF the orna-
ments scattered around, unless Ellie invited
them to do so.
Mrs. May became SO interested in the chill
dren that she inquired their surname, and
found that their mother was q former friend,
of whom she had not heard for many years,
and VIXEN the children spoke of their fathers
death, the change in her friends circumstances
was explained to her, for in other days she
had been quite wealthy.
Carrie did not extend any particular courtesy
to the little guests. Her mothers remark that
these children were probably superior to her,
ranked in her mind, and she followed her
mother out of the room to observe scornfully
that she did not see anything uncommon in
those quiet little things, that seemed afraid to
say their lives were their own.
"Your prejudice is unreasonable, my daugh-
ter" said Mrs. May; perhaps you may be
brought yet to acknowled sc their superiority"
Mrs. Mays words came true that very after
noon. 1t began to rain, and the children had
to come in from the garden, whittier they had
gone, after seeing all the toys, and their kind