The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-12-10
.JUVENILE COLUMN.
MAGG1E's WAY OF HELPING!

MAGGIE WAY OF HELPING!
80 mother let me help you, please, said
Maggie, as she came into the kitchen where
Mrs. Curtis was making pies. " Let me
make pie for fathers dinner won't You =
and the esgar eyes fairly sparkled with
longing.
"No, Maggie, I've no time to be bothered
this morning." was the ars er which thre"
cold water upon the chiId's expectations.
Cannot l sIf5 the flour, or peat the
eggs, or DO a single thing TO neiP You, mo
ther I"
Mrs. Curtis shook her head. " am hur
Tying 10 get done, Maggie" che sara, nor
want to tnish your PINK dress TO day, ana
nave you To go over to your AunC Car' ,e -
for Bennie has burnt his hand badly. You
are 1eaIl, in my way, daughter, do not tid
get there by the table any longer"
81 wIsb,' said Maggie with lar4e eyes
looking as though tears were not far away,
"that real mothers were ike mothers in
books. All the GIFis who belonged to the
Cooking Club had splendid times, for
their muIhe entered into things 30. But
NO matter how much l want to help Gu, you
will never let me-"
Are you IN earnest in these offers OF
help, Maggie T.
Yrs, 'm; of course l am"
Wei then, go to the sitting room, and
look carefully over the carpet breadth by
breadth. P'ck up every pin needle and
bit of stuff or cotton that You see. Then
take the feather duster and the cloth, aud
dust everything thoroughly. Afterwards
throw away ali the faded flowers, and put
fresh ones into the saucers and vases. Ii
you are wiling to do that, you Will give
me real help, and save me good hall hUur's
work"
Maggie debated silently with herself.
The truth Was that she had no very anxious
desire to do the honeiy, commoup ace
duty with which she was familiar She
wanted to get her hands into the -four, and
to indulge IN what seemed 80 delightful
and neW-the rolling, kneadng, eating
and snipp ng of the crisp paste. Still she
was good little girl, aud she was tryiDg
to live by the pattern that had been SET
by One VINO pleased not Himself. After a
moment "r two of thought, she made great
effort. and SAID, pleasantly
"Weli, mother, will help you that way,
then"
g" And to reward you, DEAR" said the mo-
ther, next Saturday will let you help me
this way"
Whatever Maggie Curtis did was faith
fully done. She was one of those girls
whose copy books show a steady improve
ment from the first page to the last, and
whose exercIRes are models of neat rnlliDg
and penmauship. Be oIe she finished the
sitting room it was like u picture in its per
feet cleanliness and good order. She took
q damp cloth and dry one, in turn, and
polished all the glasses over the pictures,
and the large oval mirror. She busted
every book and all the pretty tril1es on the
etagere, and then, havl"g competed her
task, she darkened the room so that not
ay would be attracted to stay there.
"What else can 1 dos" che wonder
ed. She peeped into the kitchen. Her
mother's baking was nearly done Three
golden brown pies and fragrant cake,
and four great loaves set on their
sides to cool, were standing on the table
Mrs. Curtis was weariy completing the
worst part of her work the washing and
WiPing of her dishes, pastry board, bowls
and spoons.
&" I'll set them away for her." said Mag
gle. So the busy, strong little hand viii
lingly lifted, and the tireless little feet will
ingly stepped back and forth, from closet
to table, from the kitchen to the dining
room, until Mis-. Curtis eat down with a
sigh of relief.
"What comfort it is that you are girl,
Maggie" she said. " Now, poor. Aunt
Carrie ia always in trouble with that Ben
ME. When heard that lie had burned his
hand, said: There; tits only what ex
pected of him."
And MOTHER" said Maggie. "it is nice
to be girl. 1 think my self"