Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-05-23

occupied one of the best houses OPP
posite, called on the widow and in.
vited her and her children to tea.
which greatly surprised the Dobbs
family.
The little Sheafes were soon num-
bered among Miss Graham's schol-
ars. When Miss Grace told her
neighbors of it, she said playfully,i
just as soon as | get two pupils,
mother and | will put the buttons
basket out of sight evenings, and go
to bed a, ten o'clock. But I shall
always love buttons and speak re-
specially of them, for they helped
us to earn our honest bread before
we could get anything else to do.
When we were strangers here they
became our friends, and every but
ton bad a halo round it, like heads
of the Virgin In old pictures If [
ever canonize a new saint in my cal
endar, it shall be ST. Button
The girls below stairs, VINO knew
nothing but what was in school
books, began to feel their deficiencies
in comparison with this bright, COM
petent and we'll bred girl. They bor-
rowed her books, admired her pen
Gil drawings, and asked her down
to play on their piano, she, though a
skillful performer, having no such
luxury as yet.
As the old teamster's health failed
it became necessary for the girls to
do something. They opened their
hearts to the old lady above stairs
who gave them this good advice !:
DO what pleases your taste, if you
can get it to do and it not, do. the
next best thing, and thank the Lord
for that. Do anything that is hon.
est rather than live in idle depend
| ence on one who is not able to earn
your bread. Begin at the buttons,
if you like with me. When Fergus
is once able to care wholly for him.
self, neither he nor Oracle will suffer
me to touch a button; but will bid
me keep my wee bit of income for
myself. If we still 'bide here or
know where to find you, I'll pass
the buttons all DER to you,and you'll
find them friends in need, friends in
| deed, as we have done
Thank you, but but'--began one
of the girls.
sBut what? child asked the widow.
But you know-we both grad
uated at the high school,
| fAu Aacr h1k 10 L
buttons, nor ye. will the buttons
harm the education. Look at my
lassie She has the education of a
lady and the wisdom she got with
it helped her TO make the best of
matters when in poverty. If she
ard seated ourselves in this strange
land, and said, I'VE are ladies and
competent to do this and that, and
will condescend to do nothing else,
we should have been paupers to-day
instead of being Independent and
| able to give the less fortunate lift,
now and then with their burdens.
Remember, dear, God has made US
with hands as well as brains. Could
you keep books, ve~y simply 2
Mo-
Gould you teach the rudaments of
French TO the little Sheafes2 Oracle
hasn't time for that
| q shouldn't dare to undertake it
although | have studied French
| What can you do besides taking
a place in school 2
| IN hinns IN IN xunrII
Then your education is very de-
fectiSe If hall, even, of those grad
uatihg as you have done, want to DO
this, there are not schools enough
for them. Must they, therefore, live
in idleness and dependence Won.
en- are not shut up to so narrow a
sphere. There is no reason why a
woman of education and coed sense
| should flee the walks of business any
more than man of the same class.
Suppose every man with d fair edu-
cation should refuse to work unless
he could be professional MAD
wouldn't you think them all fools p
why. yes, but ladies--you know
why, the Sheafes and such folks
wouldn't
What wouldn't they do?'
They wouldn't take notice of-us
| it,
The widow smiled and replied !:
They certainly take notice of per-
sons who cover buttons and if they
scorned well educated woman for
doing the best thing she could get to
do, their regard would not be worth
having. We have nothing to do with
such folks but are accountable to
God for the use we make of our
hands as we'll as our brains and He
will not smile on us if we set up our
will and do what pleases ourselves
or nothing. We may lay out cor
tain path, but God may lay out an.
other. He may choose to lift us up
or to cast us down, but as
long as we follow his guidance we
are safe. If He shuts up our chosen
door,we must enter an open one and
acknowledge him in all our ways. In
his own good time our loving father
| will give she seat of honor to the
faithful either here or at His right
hand above.
| These girls were thought'ass rath,
er than headstrong and they ponder
ed on the lesson OF the good woman.
The eldest of the two took her seat
the next day to learn of her new
friend the mysteries of the humble
art. And we'll it was for her family
that she did so for very soon her
work was all that kept the wolf from
the door.
| The poor old teamster laid down
the reins and the whip never to raise
them again, and the whole time of
his wife was required at his bedside.
| While thus faithfully engaged. a
aat rs ma for tho aldact o;rl RI 70 lr q