Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-11-21
Mothers Curtains.

"What are you doing in that corner,
Josie ?" said Annie Grey, coming in
to call her sister out to roll hoop, and
finding her sitting IN the corner of her
mothers room, with her bright face
resting on her two little brown hands,
very quiet and thoughtful.
81 want to earn some money!" said
the little girl, "and Idon't know how
"Eam money for what ?"
II want to earn enough to buy cur
tains for mothers windows"
90, 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 | 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 fancy of mine.
And | felt so sorry Annie, cause mo
ther did look as if she'd like her fancy
very much. But since yesterday I've
felt worse than ever about it, for 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 hurry, | saw her open
that box which shuts with spring
and take some money out Of it, and
she said to father: 'how fortunate 1t
is that l have this money, now that
you are so pressed. / have been put
ting away a dime every week, to see
whether could spare it to buy some
muslin curtains for our room. There
is a dollar here, and it will just take
me out to Claras and back again. |
felt so bad, Annie, that great big
lump came into my throat, and my
eyes became all wet. 1t was. such a
disappointment for mother, and she
just tried to look as if it wasn't a bit.
Wouldn't it be lovely if we could earn
money enough to buy some?
"Oh! yes, lovely" said Annie, 'but
then we couldn't, youknow."
"How 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
"Oh! I'd do anything" she said Gag
gerly, ''and give up this Friday after
noon, too"
"Wel, 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 uncle's shop Che was cabinet
maker), and came skipping back
again
II see it, Aunt Lottie," said she, all
on tiptoe with expectations.
THAT chair must be picked over
before tomorrow night. was going
to send for a boy to do it, because |
will not have the time. 1t will be a
long, tiresomc days work, but it you
choose to do it l will give you doll
ar"
"And that will buy the curtains,
for | saw some with beautiful big scoll-
ops on the edge, marked with one
dollar in the window, and mother was
with me, and she said they were pret
ty coarse muslin, but they'd do very
nicely for poor peoples windows
Oh, Aunt Lottie! Dear, good Aunt
Lottie!" And Susie 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.
care you sure you will not be dis
couraged?"
"And so h9rid, too,' said Annie,
turning up her little nose with a look
of infinite disgust. you'll be all dir
ty, 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 pinning 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
labored diligently, pulling to shreds
the matted hair. Lower and lower
grew the heap in the basket, higher
and higher grew the mound on the
floor beside the little work-women, un-
til at twelve o'clock, when Uncle
Reuben came in to dinner, the great
basket stood empty, and with sigh
of relief as big as the basket, Josie
stepped down from her seat.
swell done, honey bee" said I'm
Gle Reuben, "and the hair looks prime,
too. 1 could not have done it better
myself
"But how red your face is and how