The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-05-27
+" WHATTHOU DOESTDO QUICKLY"
BY VI. sTRATToN BEERS.

"WHAT THOU DOEST DO QUICKLY.
BY NJ. sTRATToN BEERS.
"Minnie, dear, put some wood in, vii
your think the fire Is low"
"In minute, auntie, Just one
"Auntie" turned over toward.t the wal
with sigh. Minnie heard the sigh anC
thought it because her auntie had such
headache that she sighed.
Does your head ache so hard, aunties'
she softly inquired. ...s
:" 1t aches badly, dearie"
Can do anything for you, auntie?"
Nothing, only the favor asked of you
a bit ago"
"Oh, yesl the fire. ! had almost for
| gotten it, declare! l was SO entertained
by this book-it is just splendid!"
She carefully placed mark in the book
and quietly replenished the fire, being
| particular not to make any noise that
| should disturb her auntie, for she knew
| how dreadfully she suffered when her
headaches came on, and how much noise
| aggravated the pain; then she took the
| napkin from her auntie's head and dipped
it in the cold ice water that stood in the
bowl by the side of the sofa, and, LAYING
it on the aching head again, bent over
and kissed the lips that were so pale and
compressed from the suffering her auntie
was so patiently enduring.
My poor auntie! | wish your head
was we'll"
A faint smile on the pale lips rewarded
her for this expression OF sympathy, and
she impulsively kissed them again, then
sat down to her reading.
Now Minnie was really a good girl,
rather an unusually good girl; but she
had one or two exceedingly bad habits
that annoyed every one about the house
very much, and especially troubled the
loving auntie, who tried so hard to cult
vate in her little niece habits of prompt
ness and order. Her greatest fault was
iHdttenti0n, and the forgetfulness sure to
grow out of thiS-no matter what it was
she had tc do, she always wanted to put
it off Just one minute" Her auntie had
talked to her kindly many times; she
prayed with her and for her; she had
several times inflicted upon her some
slight punishment or other, hoping by
better. and Mrs. Wheldon, lying there
suffering with the pain in her head, suf-
fered no less from the pain at her heart,
for she loved the little orphan niece quite
as well as she had loved her own sweet
daughters while they remained to glad
den the home with their presence;
but that had only been a few years, and
then they -sickened and died, and Min
ME, coming just then TO claim her
auptie's love, had received that which
could be second only to the dead moth
| er's, if even that.
| There came a low tap at the door.
Minnie opened it, and Rilda, the house
| servant, whispered in a voice intended
| to have been low, but which reached
| Mrs. Wheldon's ears quite as distinctly as
| if il had been intended for her special
benefit:
Minnie, that Rop boy has come foI
! that basket he says your aunt promised
to send last night" :,
"Oh, my goodness! what viii doF
Minnie was too much astonished ano
alarmed to think to speak low.
| Mrs Wheldon turned over and looked
up inauiringfy. "What is it., deariet"
"Oh, auntiel l don't see really how
YOU ever will forgive me, but ii dis
really forget to take that basket, and
never thought of it until this minute"
minnie Rice! is it possible?"
eyes, auntiel" and Minnie stood ex
Meeting she knew not what, but feeling
as if nothing was too dreadful for her t
bear now.
Mrs. Wheldon sat up. "Send the bo.
up here, Rildar'
Rilda went out and Town mutterlng T.
herself Il do hope she will thrash ne
good this time; she's the forgetfulles
thing ever seen, and never starts to d
nothing until she's told twenty times,
She can put it off; but la. forgit ny
self to do things, and she's poor, mott
erless thing. i reckon she Will outgro'
it in time"
,, Minnie did not dare to look at he
auntie, she was SO filled with shame an
remorse. The day before her aunt ha
told her to carry the basket In questio
to Mrs Rop, a woman who washed 1o
them sometimes, and who Minnie knew
had been rather miserable Tor som
, weeks. Minnie had Immediately begge
l permission to spend the remainder
Q the afternoon and night with lltti
friend who lived about two-thirds OF IN
!; way to Mrs. Rop's, promising TO com
1 home early in the morning. Her fave
being granted she had nearly flown
{ her room to get her cloak and hat, an
l. her aunt being engaged with callt
when she was ready TO go she had gor
J without the usual good-by, and, as
now proved, without the basket ais
e which her aunt had placed on the dl
{ ing room table, telling Minnie to be car
l. full and not forget it. Rilda had know
e nothing of the intended destination
l. the basket, and wishing to set the tab
e for taa had transferred the basket to u
e clos6, and thus it had escaped observ
y !, ton BY Mrs. Wheldon.
Minnie, with her characteristicth cthougi
y lessness, had gone to her frlends al
ie made her visit, even remembering
come home early in the morning twhi
81 she would not likely have done on
u from slight misunderstanding that h
:, some way sprung up between hers'
ie and friend as to the relative beauties
ie their respective Sunday hats, each thlr
ing her own the Handsomely, but neN
I'D once remembering the basket which S
5; was to have carried. Now this contain
e; medicine and some tea and some mattel
vi and a couple of candles, beside bre
and meat intended for the two chlldre
or suppers, all of which Mrs. Wheldon b
y. discovered they stood very much IN ne
al of and which she had promised to sc
! over before dark. rssBs
p- The little Rop boy" came up. looki
very much ashamed OF MS raggeu paL
~ and still "raggeder" shoes.
ns GOOD morning, Willie" Mrs. WI
al don said 81 am sorry you did not
hu those things last night; it was a sad II
:, take upon the part of Minnie. Ho"
~ your mothers?
III "She said would you be so kind as
;ss come over bit. She feels queer II
iei more than yesterday"
Mrs. Wheldon promised to 60 and
about getting ready, Notwithstanding
en- aching head.
.en Please, auntie, don't go! your b
AN aches, you know
,as Her aunt looked at her with such a
8 a look she could not say any mere
r sHad you any supper, W1iifeE'
asked.
nat "No, ma'aml nor we haven't had
Ia breakfast yet, either"
Minnie was resolved never, ne0e'