Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-08-27
Toms Sister.
BY SARAH WINTER KELLOGG

baby barely five hours old.
She never vent to school after that.
The housekeeping fell upon her. and
she had to be little mother to the
motherless baby.
Her father, who was q book-keeper,
had never earned over thousand q
year. Ivah's rearing, therefore, had
been ON basis of simplicity and fru'
gality. -,
People said the new duties would
prove too heavy for her, for there was
. hint Of fragile in her slight little
body, though there was nothing sickly-
looking about her.
There was q fresh though delicate
color 10 her cheek, life in her blue
eve. and in all her movements free
ness which asserted an elastic ma
ture.
When she was eighteen, her father
vas found dead ut his desk, At once,
al the family income was cut of.
Tom, at the time was studying book
keeping, and in assisting his father,
had had some practice in the work.
"You must ask for fathers place,
Tom," IvAh said.
Il was the day after the burial. Tom
had his face in his hands, the picture
Of abandon. He raised his head. His
eyes were swollen and red with weep
ing.
~ don't see how you Can bear to
think of such things in our great sor-
row." said Tom. Il want nothing but
70 lie down and de-"
toA MI "a I'M nhn1
but her eyes seemed looking away to
the guiding star Of duty.
Bot, dear" she said. I've have
rot 70 60 on living. It would be self
ish and cowardly for either OF us to
die and leave the other; and then, too,
there IL our baby. There is just one
WAY Tom; we must find where our
duty lies and 60 to meet it. Our
duty 10 to live for each other and baby.
To do this, we must work. We can't
afford to lose day from work. We
owe for the coffn in which our dear
lather is buried. have been making
plans. Ihsve discharged Mrs. McGili.
! can take care of baby and do our
housework. and ] can keep our table
expsnses to three dollars week. But
~ haven't even that to spend, unless
yon csn get work. You ought to 60
night away and ask for pspa,s place.
4 ycu prefer, I will go and ask for
yOu."
Harris Brothers would not pay me
. thousand dollars" said Tom.
"Of course not, said Ivah. you're
. new hand. Perhaps they would not
pay you anything at the start: but it
would be much if you could even Sc.
cure the place.
"Thsy need an experienced book
keeper. / could not do their work"
Ton aid. dejectedly.
81 could help you, Tom" said
1yah, cheering. lyon could bring
tho books home, and We could work
eogslaer ct night after ! get baby to
!" I hsve no idea they would give me
I" May 60 ssk them to?"
Toms silence gave consent, and Ivah
went.
Her father had been in the employ
al Harris Brothers for twenty three
years. They were kindly disposed to.
wards her and Tom; they would like it
Il he could take the fathers place;
they hardly thought he could fill il.
Yes, they we're willing he should try.
Tom was q beginner; his brain was
cloudsd with sorrow; his heart ached.
He felt such dread of the future,
with its sudden responsibilities, that
he must have failed, but for Ivah's
words Of courage and hand of help.
In the most Responding mood, when
he was ready to let 60. to let fate come
On, there was the sister, patient and
brave, to bring forward reserved forces
and save the day.
Never word had she about her own
heaxt-ache, never Q word of the hard
day passed at washing or ironing or
baking. with baby's hindering little
hands 10 be kept away from the scald
ing water or the hot irons or the swell
ing dough.
Never Q word heard Tom of the
sweeping day. when she went into
every corner Of the desolate house,
discovering reminders of the dear
father, which brought sudden spasms
Of pain, to be borne alone. Not q
word did he hear of the back aches
and arm aches in soothing fretting
baby to her afternoon nap; nothing Of
the lonely time when she sat in the
silent, silent house, YEARLY patching
and darning: nothing Of the drudgery
over the hot stove. of the dish. va shing,
OF the mopping.
She planned her work and hurried it
along 70 keep the unpleasant out of
Toms sight aud hearing.
Returning at night. he would fiud
baby in bed, having had her bread
and.milk supper.
The little round table would be set.
looking cherry and inviting with clean
linen, clear glass, and polished silver,
while. perchance, flowers on the man.
tel frightened and sweetened the
room.
And when the supper-table WAS
Cleared, Ivah would sit by Tom, to do
the multiplying and dividing, and add.
ing and verifying, the drudgery OF the
book kSeping.
At length the anxiously. ex pected day
came when Tom was TO hear the judg-
ment - to bis trial.