Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-10-19

her father returned, smilingly. Here,
little Essie, is your share, he said, drop
ping a crisp new note in his younger
daughters lap 81 don't know what l
shall do when Essie gets old enough to
90 to parties, unless Fortunatus should
die and leave me his purse. It's lucky
/ have no more girls to dissipate my sub.
stance-Nettie going to balls and Essie
inviting her young lady friends to opera
matinees and luncheon parties"
"If you please, papa, haven't invited
them yet, and I'd like to do something
else with the money; may II" little Essie
said, looking up from the paper she was
reading.
"What do you want to do with it9"
"Lend II to me-" Nettie cried, laugh
ingly; II will be a charity"
" Is that what you wantto do with it,"
vote it to your original intention"
No, sir" she said, blushingly; 81
want TO give it away. want to send
it o papa, I've been reading in this
paper about that terrible factory fire,
and of all those poor people who lost not
only the places where they worked, but
their homes and furniture too by the fire.
This paper says they are starving-men,
women and children, even little babies,
papa-and they need food and clothes
and everything. And don't you think
ought to give this money to them instead
of spending itY We don't have to go to
the matinee, but they must have some
thing to eat. Isn't it slreadful, papa, for
a person to have nothing to eatP"
Every dreadful" her father said,
smiling thoughtfully down on the pretty,
earnest little face.
II want you to send it to those poor
people, papa. couldn't enjoy the mat
inee; it would spoil all my pleasure
thinking how selfish I'd be to spend so
much money just for pleasure when they
need 1t so much to buy clothes and
things to eat"
think you put your money to wise
use, little girl" her father said, approx
ingly. ut is your own, my dear; do
what you like with it. And some other
time, when papa has more money, you
can take Alice and Blanche to the mat.
inee."
Thank you, sir; we can go TO the
matinee any time, but the poor people
need the money now," Essie said, giving
the bright new note back to her father.
Yes, now is their hour of need. ]
will send the money immediately
your name, my little girl. Iwish could
and fifty or hundred dollars to your
mite, Essie, but it is impossible for me
to spare it now"
81 hope you didn't think was mean,
Nettie, not to lend my money to you; but
you have so many pretty dresses already
that thought I'd rather give it to those
poor starving people," Essie said to her
sister as they were going to bed that
night.
Certainly not, little goosey. think,
like papa that you put It to good use. u
Nettie lay awake a long time that
night, for a sudden, startling and per.
picking question presented itself uncere-
moniously to her consideration: if Essie
had made wise use of her money, was
not she going to make very foolish use
of hers? She debated the question in all
its bearings, and tumbled and tossed un
easily on her very easy and comfortable
bed. Nettie was not used to making
sacrifices. There had been no need OF
any self-sacrifice in her bright young
life, and this was the first time she had
ever felt called upon to deny herself in
any way.
Fifty dollars will go but little way
in relieving their great Distress" she
thought; "and there is no use of wear.
ing my old dress, and having all the
girls make disagreeable remarks about
me, because lot of people whom l never
saw and will never see, and who, I'm
sure, would never help me, happen to be
poor and needy. There are plenty of
people who will help them, and there is
no need of giving up my dress"
But then if every one should think as
she did, and selfshly leave it to some
one else to relieve the necessities of the
poorY But then, again, Everybody was
going to have new dress for this party;
and Phil would be there, and he always
liked her to appear among the best.
Well, it was perpiexing and disagreea-
BILE either way, so why not decide on the
most agreeable alternative2
"Pll buy my dress the first thing in
the morning; then l can't be tempted
to- No, I'll ask papa which ought
to do. No, l can't do that, for he'll only
say, as he did to Essie Spend your
money as you like; it is your own" and
will contrast the difference between our
modes of using it, and think how selfish
| am to spend it for myself. o dear!
scfsh had bought my dress this morning;
then there would have been no question
of right or wrong"
Nettie ran up to her room the first
thing after breakfast to take look at
the old blue silk She threw it on the
bed and lOoped the lace dress over it with
some pale pink rose-buds, and it GER
tainly looked lovely-not much of a
sacrifice, after all, to wear such beauti-
full dress, most girls would have thought.
But then Nettie had certainly worn the
dress many times before, and her friends
were well acquainted with all its defects
as well as its beauties.
There's where Eve Mason put her
foot on the train the first time l wore it;
always knew she did it on purpose mean,
spiteful thing-although she apologized
so sweetly, and was SO sorryl Here's
where Allan Page dropped chocolate ice
over the back width; can cover that
WIN thS ihNO anu uOhOIbs MutTt
Arthur Delano splashed it with cham
pagne the night he was so dreadfully un-
der its influence; that's the worst place,
and don't know how l shall conceal it;
perhaps 1 can drape my sash gracefully
over it, pinning it tight to the skirt be-
meath the loops, and it won't look so
dreadful. o dearl after all, the worst
thing about il is that I've worn il half
dozen times already, and everybody
knows and will say: There comes Nettie
Locke in her old blue again."
The last thought was so narrowing,
Nettie couldn't restrain few tears, and
they fell, drip, drip, on the old blue"
and added another stain to its already
damaged beauty.
Right on the bosom, too" Nettie
said, drying her tears quickly, "How-
ever, 1t isn't so bad; can cover it with
some natural roses"
She sat down on the bed beside the
still lovely dress though it had certain.
" 10 haak