Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1871-08-24
ALTHEA'S BIRTHDAY.
BY AMANDA II. JONES.

Ellen Horton, the three King girls and
their brothers, Tommic Strang, Julia Lacy
Maria Hubbard, anu Allen Bartoo; they
make twelve, and that will he about az
many as can enjoy themselves think ]
don't want my birthday party to be q
mob"
"You have forgotten Josephine Mills,
suggested her mother quietly.
Il have no intention of inviting her
Besides, presume she couldn't come, for
it is Saturday, and on that day she keeps
up stairs while her mother washes out all
the dress she has in the world 81 she can
go to Sunday school. Nobody makes any.
thing OF Josey, though she's good enough
in her way" So Allie Day put her bon
net over her brown curls and went to
school, thinking all the way about her
party Of twelve and the grand dinner her
mother would prepare ave will have
games, suppose" she thought, though I
think conversation is more dignificd and
I'll practice all my music tonight. Per.
haps Marsh King will bring his clarionet
I'LL speak to him about it."
Just then Allie raised her eyes ard saw
Josephine Mills leading her little dcformed
brother toward the school-house
"How good she is to him." thought
Allie "1f he was my brother should be
so mortified! They say his father struck
him in drunken tit with great stick OF
wood and nearly broke his back. I'm sure
Pm sorry for him, but he is as fretiul as he
can be- All the same, Josey takes care OF
him by night and day. What dull life
she must lead wonder if she ever wen
to party in all her life. I am sure she
never did, and very likely never will"
A little thought crept into Allies mind
that Josey might receive an invitation to
one party at least, but she tried to excuse
herself by thinking that the only dress
could not be possibly washed and ironed
in time for that birthday feast.
Miss Morton opened the Bible as the
last scholar settled himself in his place,
and read the fourteenth chapter of Luke.
Not line of it all did she hear-so full
was her mind of the evening party-till by
chance she looked toward the teacher and
caught the Words
"When thou makcst dinner or sup
per call not thy friends, nor thy brethren,
nor thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors
Lest they also bid thee again and recon-
pense be made.
but when thou makest feast call the
poor, the MANNED, the lame, and the
blind"
The color flew all over Allies face. "It
is true" thought she, that selected the
very girls to help me cat my birth day
dinner who will be sure to iuvitc Inc to
see them when they have party. That
would be rccompense, surely; and be
lieve should have been quite willing to
have invited Josephine if hadn't known
she could never invite me in turn. The
poor, the manned, the lame and the blind.
How Ellen Horton and Julia Lacy would
laugh if should ask Josey and her de
formed brother, and Peter Henry, the one
legged Scotch boy, and Mark Livermorc,
who has only one eye, and SAWS wood for
a living! Pshaw! what u birth. day party
that would be!'
Allie took up her reader and went into
the class. Josey stood next to her, and
she could not help but notice how pale
and tired the poor girl looked. "lknow,"
thought Allie, her father staggered home
last night just as we were leaving school,
AM, all the boys laughed to see him. !
r. remember now that Josey burst out crying,
and ran home across the field, rather than
hear them ridicule him.
The King girls laughed too-hateful
things! presume if should really in
vite Josey all the rest would snub her just
as they do in school; that s'ou'd be agreea-
ble!"
"The poor, the manned, the blind p
How these words followed Althea Day
from class to class, from study to play,
and back again to study. For some rea.
sou her invitations, which she had meant
to give at a recess, remained untendered.
" Il is four days to Saturday, she thought;
"ald there is really no hurry"
What 1t was cannot say, but the more
Allie looked at J,sey that day the more
she liked her; and when school WAS out at
night she astonlshed the drunkards 8
daughter by walking with her and actually
taking the other hand OF Willie the little
dctormed boy.
"lt is too ! leasant to 20 right home" "
sail Allie; "let's 90 to the bank OF the
cree k and get some raspberries.
IL am afraid mother will need me" said
JOsey; Mt Willie Was so pleased with the
idea that She yieli,d, and the three
climbed fence. and struck OFT through the
woods, pl. asanlly chatting, as school girls
will. 1t surprised Allie to find how Lady,
like aud agreeable !Dsey was. All her
shyncss and timidity vanished, and she
had SO many Interesting things to say
that Allie nearly forgot what they had
come for
"iIcrc we arc at the Twenty" sal! Viii
lie, at last, meaning the "Iwcnty Mile
Creek" "NOw | want some berries"
There was charming Wat, r-tall, thirty
feet down from where they were stand
ing, AID the long rays "t the evening sun
glanccd over its siltc'y nists and struck
Them into wonderful shilnmeriug rainbows.
:,,h.> A hn.I ,,VSf of
ped to the edge of the steep bank, where
two or three raspberry bushes grew out
of a cleft in tho rocks; when she caught
sight Of them she lcancd little farther to
sec them more clearly, slipped on the dry
moss, caught at the thorny boughs, swung
clear of the bank, and fell halfway down
to the foot of the fall, dragging the bush
with her. She Just heard Jo>cy's great
cry Of fright and then knew nothing more
till she came to htr senses, when Joscy
was carry ing her up the bank little way
down the creek.
A very hard struggle had Joscy just
then Her small round arms WI re strain-
ed with their burden, and her breath came
in short, quick !,aeps, rs il a feathers
weight more had been too much.
"Put me down." said Allie; IL can
walk" and then tainted again. Step by
step, rod by rod, did ,Joscy toll along with
her burden 1t was Il weary halt mile to
Mr.. Days, hut she reached there just as
the last red ray flashed through the top OF
tho great elm at tho gate.
Mrs Day ran out into the yard to meet
her, al Il took Allie III her arms; but she
turned buck, as she saw her daughter open
her eyes and smile, 10 kiss Joscy. With all
4 mothers gr;;,i,u'" shining III her sweet
eyes. That kiss would have pain for even
greater servi e, .Josey thought, and went
home. not altogether heavy OF heart,
though she knew that her young friend
had a broken arm, and must sultcr with 1t
for weeks.
You think Allie had no birth-d day party
after all? Well, yes. When Saturday
morning came she called mother and had
a long talk with her. There were tears in
Mrs Days eyes when she went away from
the bedside, but her face shown with as
sweet smile rs ever frightened Il mothers
countenance.
"Allie must have her partv,' she said to
her husband; wen have Bridget Flanagan
come over and help Lizzie get dirncr, and
George must carry invitations. Here is a
list of the guests-thcre will be only five
or six
"Do you not think company will excite
4, ~ \ AZ