The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1879-11-27
FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS.

sticking to the irons instead of to the
clOthcst
So many of them, too; there really was
no sense in Wills wearing so many pairs
OF cuiT,. aud Nellie four white aprons IN
one week, when people had to DO tnelr
own work: and Katy thumped the iron
OH the uuoArnding white apron most
vigorously. Everything was hard. When
she lifted the iron, she saw, right IN the
center Of the apron, a great brown
ScOrIh. ,,
|; w2< not any use, the tears would
cnu.,. aud ill her eyes SO that she coui9
No, 49,. Size would not cry; she would
no. h,. - weak But yet, after she
wi;r.i ,hrm all away, she had to press
the lip Ilwm ha.l 10 keep some more
+.u, .r,ni,e. She WAS so tired.
|, ,i,I.,y nrcn 80 easy to keep ut work
ali ,hrnu.h that pleasant October morn
ia. washing and wiping dishes, sweep
inr. iu-li:ig and ironing. And what
made it list little harder was, that
over in the next yard. and in full view
from ihr diaing-room door, was Mamie
Smith ,lrraningawav the live-long morn
IN. ia that luxurious hammock, with
ba,l;a; of prarhcS beside her, and 4 book
in hrr hanl-a book which she, Katy,
waS "dying' to read and hadn't been
able to get.
10 be sure, she couldn'tcxpect to have
th:ag, come to her just us they did to
Mamie -mi;i. whose father was mil
lia,aity There was nothing very COM
tnr,iu: in that thought. taken by itself,
bu, ,ilcn.- and she pressed the tears back
bravrly. There WAS her mother; how
hurl Il was forhcr. There she was COM
Ing down stairs, and Katy knew she was
not able. Oh, dear, those headaches
how tllcy were wearing on her.
Here. Kitty, Kitty, kitty-cat, here's
a letter for youw cried Rob, striding
into the room What! in the dumps
again, as | live; never saw anything like
it, Don't see why you can't he like other
girlS's aud, throwing it into her lap, he
was gone.
Well that he did not give her time to
answer him, forcuttug words had sprung
t. katy's lips. But never mind-they
melted and were gone before she had
halt read her letter. Such Il bright,
chccry letter it WAS. 1t seemed rs il a
flood of sunshine had burst in upon her,
until she came to the last part; then the
clouds gathered-rain-ciouds this time,
and the tears began to come in earnest as
she read:
"And, now, dear Katy, We want you to
como and make us long, long visit. We shall
havo lots Of fun. You must try and stay over
TIE holidays, if you can. Write and tell US
when we may look for you. Your loving
friend, BESSIE"
Such bright picture, held up, as it
would seem. only to try her. Surely her
lot VII, very hard. 1t was no use to say
word about it, She had heard her
father say. only that morning, that they
must be exceedingly careful OF fexpenscs,
and must try, if possible, to do without
girl this fall. So she put the letter in
her pocket. set the table, and went into
the garden to pick some of the grapes
for lunch. How rich and ripe they
were! Such beauties, and she hid the
largest clusters temptingly amid green
leaves for her mother.
"How fine your grapes are, this year!
Mine amt been doin' we'll this year; you
see they weren't taken proper care of,
last lall Simon he was real bad with
his rheumatic bout that time, and SAYS
he, Well, Sarah Ann, 'taint no use in
us workn' ourselves so hard any more
1t amt likely we'll either of US be here
much longer, and ii we be, ! guess we'll
be provided for That's his wav-'taint
mine. lie always took things kind o
easy, though and somehow he seems to
have got on just as WE'LL
You may have all the grapes you
want from here, Mrs. Blinks," said Katy,
looking up.
No. my dear-thank you; no, there's
plenty on our vines for ourselves; but
was Just thinking how uncommon strange
the workings OF things are. Here we
are, both alive and well as ordinary. and
poor Mra. Wilton wing dead this morn
ing. with her six little children crying
around her. and her husband wcli-nigh
distracted with grief. It's Il heavy
charg for Annie. poor chi!'l. and She
only Just our age. my dear. Let me sc.
your birthday com"S in March. anl hers
in .junr-thrcc minHth> younger ,Man
you, do declare. and not so strong and
well grown bv half
''Oh. am 50 >orry." said Katy. us
soon Us she had time 10 speak. 1T WAS
so.suddcn and so awful. MIR. Wilton
always seemed so we'll" she added
thoughtfully, as they walked back to the
house
That's just what l was a-sayin'," con-
tinucd the old woman. "Says I, now
there's Mrs. -speakin' of your
mothcr-I shouldn't have been surprised
to hear that she was gone 'mostany time.
She always was so pale and delicate
lookin', and of late she has been gettin'
SO much worse that everybody has been
remarking it, Then, as | said, your
fathcs is well off beside Mr.. Wilton, and
it wouldn't have come half so hard on
you as on poor Annie"
There was great lump in Katy's
throat; she could not speak. But they
were at the -Jor. and as Mrs. Blinks
stepped in to see if they had heard the