St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-04-25
fnr hs Children.
The Magic Slippers.
BY PAUL Golden.

seems TO me tney always 80 together
Oh dear Here l am sick in my room,
and not able to get off this bed, and
vet must be bothered with the poor
ashes worth looking at, Miss Lizzie,
eyes as bright as live coal, and
cheeks as red as cherry. She'll freshen
you up, if you'll let her in"
80 Martha, you've always got word
for these poor wretches, little and big
One would think to hear you talk, that
they were the most refreshing creatures
in existence. But do bring the child
up and I'll see her. Anything to please
you, seeing you are always waiting on
me, but she's the last one / see to-day.
l must put on my door, Positively no
Admittance,' for these poor people tire
me out"
"It's real good in you to see the
child" answered Martha in a cOaXing
tone, as she hurried down stairs, to
bring up one of the "poor wretches"
that we're always troubling Miss Lizzie
MantOn.
Patter, patter came the little feet be-
hind Martha, and the child hesitated
minute, and stood still by the door,
as if waiting to be hidden to come in,
| although hdIUuit was loitullS OIO way .
"COme right along" said Martha.
"Dont' be afraid. You know l told
you that you were good to look at"
The child crossed the threshold timid-
ly and glanced seriously at the young
lady who lay on the bed. Martha at
once put low chair by the bedside,
saying:
"There, now, little Miss Buey Simp-
kin, set yourself down in that chair. 1t
looks as if it was made on purpose for
you. Come down when you're through,
and I'll give you one of them big dough-
nuts Pm frying" Little Miss Buey
Simpkin smiled. "Now you look like
yourself" said Martha, as she stood
with her hand on the dOor-knOb. "Such
face as yours wasn't made to be sober,
and you mustn't give Miss Lizzie an
other of your sober looks for, you see,
she's sick all the time, and has enough
sOberness in here"
':Are you terrible sick, young lady ~
asked the child, as Martha closed the
door.
eyes, Pm very SICK" answered Miss
L haven't been able to get further than
times l can move slowly around the
room. l can't enjoy anything"
'But this room is awful beautiful and
bright ~ exclaimed Buey, suddenly
throwing off her timidity, as her eyes
took in the beauty of the room. "Oh,
my such handsome pictures hanging
up on the wall and there's rosies and
pOsies of all kinds in the carpet! I'd
just be looking at 'em all the time if
owned the carpet. l wish did own it,
and l wish l owned the whole room
and everything in it. If l only could
have it all for my own, l wouldn't mind
it if l was sick"
"Oh, don't talk so, child If you
were laid up with rheumatism as | am,
you wouldn't have any comfort. You
ought to be thankful that you are a
healthy child, and can take SO much
comfort. Here lie all the time with
no mother to speak kind word to me,
and my father is away all day"
81 haven't got any mother either,
and my father has to work hard to
support us, and" "But you are
healthy child" interrupted Miss Lizzie,
"and can run around and do what you
choose so you ought not to talk about
your troubles, but think of people like
me who have no comfort at all"
Little Buey began to grow restless.
She had great many troubles, real
troubles, but couldn't understand how
any one could have ''nO comfort at all -
and as she did not know what to do for
the young lady, she moved restlessly
in her chair as if preparing to go. "The
meeting bells are all Il ringing she
said, "but | can't go to meeting, cause |
haven't any good clothes; so thought
I'd come up here and ask you if you
wouldn't please to lend me some book
with nice stories and pictures in it.
thought Martha could get it for me.
She knows me, she comes by my house
often and stops at the gate to talk to
me. l didn't mean to bother you.n
Little Buey Simpkin failed to interest
Miss Lizzie Manton, for Miss Lizzie's
thoughts had so long turned toward
herself they could not easily turn toward
others; and yet Buey had story of
her own to tel, "a story of sorrow,
enough to move the most selfish heart.
Though, as Martha said, her "eyes were
as bright as a coal and her cheeks as
red as cherry" the bright eyes were
often filled, and the cherry-red cheeks
stained with tears.
"My mother is dead and nv father
is poor" the old, old story so often told,
was hers to tell and much more she
could have told, and sometimes did tell
Martha the cook. Her home was. moth
ing more than place to stay in. Her
father was hard man, and had never
learned that love brightens everything,
and so he never petted her or said any
thing to comfort her in all her hard
work, and she had a great deal of hard
work to do for her father and her little
brother.
But that morning, as she went away
from Miss Lizzie Manton's house, she
entirely forgot her own troubles little
while. "'No comfort at aU,'n she said
to herself, repeating Miss Lizzie's words.
How unhappy the young lady must
be NO comfort at ALL"
As she went on, she came to a church.
and so she thought that she would open
the door and step into the vestibuie a
few minutes. Her clothes were faded
and poor, but as there was no one there
to look at her, she sat down in a chair
TO listen to the minister; for her ear
had caught the words: $40 all things
IN the name of Jesus" and she Thought
she would like to know what thew
meant. As she listened, he used the
very words Miss Lizzie had used, and
buey said to herself, "How strange ~
"f we want to make our lives beau
tlful," he said, 1--WE must do all things
In the name of Jesus. However poor
or forsaken we may be, we may all do