Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1872-10-04
MOTHERS CURTAINS.

"What are you doing in that corner
Josie?" said Annie Grey, coming in tt
call her sister out to roll hoop, and find
ing her sitting in the corner of her mothers
room, with her bright face resting on hel
two little brown hands, very quiet anG
thoughtful.
81 want to earn some money" said the
little girl, "and | don't know how"
"Earn money for what?"
II want to earn enough to buy curtains
for mothers windows"
80, Josie A girl eight years old to
earn enough money for that. What put
that in your head?"
Mother did herself. She wants them
so much. And when l asked her why
she didn't buy them, she said Because
have so many little mouths to feed, and
so many little bodies to. keep warm and
comfortable We have enough for that,
thank God, but we've nothing to spare
for fancies, and the curtains are only a
fancy of mine And l felt so sorry,
Annie, cause mother did look as if she'd
like her fancy very much. But since yester'
day I've felt worse than ever about it, fo1
when that telegram came to say that
Aunt Clara was so sick, and mother must
come to see her; and she was getting ready
in such a hurry, l saw her open that box
which shuts with spring and take some
money out of it, and she said to
father: how fortunate it is that l have
this money, now that you are so pressed.
| have been putting away dime every
week, to see whether | could spare it to
buy some muslin curtains for our room.
There is dollar here, and it will just take
me out to Clara's and back again felt
so bad, Annie, that great big lump came
into my throat, and my eyes became all
wet 1t was such disappointment for
mother, and she just tried to look as if it
wasn't bit Wouldn't it be lovely if
we could earn money enough to buy
some?"
ooh! yes, lovely" said Annie, "but
then we couldn't, you know"
GLOW hard would you be willing to
work for it ?" asked a voice from the
other side of the room. "Would you give
up your whole Saturday,"
Josie sprang up and ran to the speaker,
who sat busy making up an embroidered
chair.
ooh! I'd do anything" she said eager
ly, land give up this Friday afternoon,
"Well, that chair must be finished on
Monday, and it is to be made over before
this new cover is put on"
Josie skipped into the next room--her
uncles shop Che was cabinet maker),
and came skipping back again.
"I see it, Aunt Lottie," said she, all on
tiptoe with expectation.
"That chair must be picked over be-
fore tomorrow night. was going to
send for a boy to 10 it, because will not
have the time. 1t will be long, tiresome
DAVIS work, but if you choose to do it L
will give you a dollar"
"And that will buy the curtains, for /
saw some with beautiful big scollops on
the edge, marked with one dollar in the
window, and mother was with me, and
she said they were pretty coarse muslin,
but they'd do very nicely for poor peo-
ple's windows. Oh, Aunt Lottie! Dear,
good Aunt Lottie!" And Josie squeezed
and hugged the "dear, good Aunt Lottie"
until she had to cry for mercy.
''It will be very hard work, Josie" she
said, as soon as she was released. Are
you sure you will not be discouraged?"
"And SO horrid, too," said Annie, turn
ing up her little nose with look of in
finite disgust. "You'l be all dirty, and
as hairy as anything. / wouldn't do it,
Josie. Mother will save up money
enough by and by"
AS soon as breakfast was over she asked
for her work, and Aunt Lottie, first PIN
ming her up in great calico apron OF her
own, and knotting a handkerchief over
her brown curls, brought out the first
basket and set it before her.
All the forenoon the busy fingers labor
ed diligently, pulling to shreds the mat
ted hair. Lower and lower grew the heap
in the basket, higher and higher grew the
mound on the floor beside the little work
woman, until at twelve O'Clock, when
Uncle Reuben came in to dinner, the
great basket stood empty, and with a sigh
of relief as big as the basket, Josie step
ped down from her seat.
"Well done, honey bee," said Uncle
Reuben, "and the hair looks prime, too.
I could not have done it better myself"
''But how red your face is and how
tired you look" cried Annie; "and your
hands! Oh, what awful dirty hands!"
''The hands will wash and the face will
COOL" said Uncle Reuben. II think that
when mother comes home and sees the
pretty curtains in the windows, she won't
complain of either hands or face"
Tired little Josie looked rested already,
as Uncle Reuben lifted her up to kiss her
crimson face, and when dinner was over
she went to work with great zeal. Aunt
Lottie had offered to give her half OF the
money and let the boy finish the hair, put
she would not consent; and although she
had to sit alone-for her aunt dared not