St. Landry democrat., 1881-10-22

beauties for Stella, thinking, with a
sigh, of the other little friend, who
could never know their loneliness.
hoped to find her waiting for me, as be-
fore: but she was nowhere to be seen.
Neither was Bessie's good-natured face
visible; so hurried along to Clarence
Place, ran quickly up the stairs; but,
before | had time to give the "post-
mans rap" Mrs. Dibley appeared
upon the threshold.
"Ah. knew YOU" she said, pleas
antly.
l inquired for Stella, producing my
leaves. She opened the door and
walked in. Time was precious with me;
but, for all that, | lost more than half a
second in silent, stupid staring. There
sat Stella, proppei up upon the lounge,
as usual; but it was such a happy little
face that she turned toward me that |
should hardly have recognized it else
where, while close beside her, holding
one of the thin hands, sat Angie. How
the little witch had managed to make
herself so perfectly at home was mys-
terry to me; and not less strange it was
to see the handsomely dressed lady who
stood looking with face half pleased,
half-sad upon the two.
"O-h!' screamed Stella, as she say
me. at 5 my postman.
Then it my postman, too,' cried
Angie. "This is our postman. man.
ma. He's come back, just as | said he
would"
my little girl has missed you," said
the lady, kindly. Then she apologized
for the trouble which she feared had
been given me; but l think was able
to convince her that it had been pure
selishness with me, after all.
But Stella and Angie, as they sat
there, hand in hand-the one with her
bright, eager. sightless face, the other
with the lines of suffering upon her
cheeks-made a picture which | shall
not soon forget. 1t was plain that Ar
gle had seen Stella. She knew every
curve of the delicate little face. and
Just where to find the sweetest place to
kiss, as she told me, laughingly
at seems so strange said Mrs.
Dibley, to me, in an undertone. "that
God should withhold so much from those
two poor innocents. I can't see any
reason in It,
The children's ears were sharper than
she thought We saw at once that they
had heard. Even Ang.es face was
clouded for moment.
What do you s'pose He did it for,
Angie?" asked Stella, in tone of per-
pleAitv.
I'm sure don't know; but mamma
says He does. I'm glad somebody
knows. Aren't you, Stella?''
whats the difference if He won't
tell?' was the somewhat pettish an
swer.
'sOh, but He will when He gets
ready. We must wait. Let me see
your pretty leaves, please, Stella.''
And | left them admiring the beauty
which Mrs. TroWbridge was trying to
explain to them.
Now it came to pass that Angles
gentle, loving companionship brought
so much brightness into Stella hitherto
colorless life that both little girls seemed
quite flooded with it. Their faces
shone every day as if they had received
a benediction. So it went on for a
month or more Then, as | opened the
door of the Dibley tenement one day, !
was surprised to find Stella in tears.
Don't fret over it, DEAR her
mother was saying. s'She knows you
can't do it. She doesn't look for any
thing"
But Stella wept on, though she grad
uallv found voice to tell me the cause
of her distress.
angie gives me SO much" she
sobbed. "Candy and books, and. a
cake for my birthday, and everything.
Now hers is coming, and [ can't give
her thing
So the oppression of obligation had
come to little Stella; the longing to
share in the more blessed,n which is
certainly the more agreeable, part. She
had not yet learned (what many an
older person has never grown large
enough to find QUIT that che who takes
for love sweet sake'' may sometimes
prove himself even more generous than
he who gives. No, Stella was too
young to take this comfort to herself,
and her childish longing was very nat
ural My own heart was sore for her.
as 1 went my way that day, and put
myself to thinking if some way might
not be yet devised for her to make an
acceptable birthday gift. She could
sew only a little bit. Moreover, her
sewing wasn't NICE" as she herself
informed me. While I was puzzling
my brains with a vain effort to think OF
some pretty little useless thing. which
Angie might value as keepsake,
the letter OF darling Aunt Lizzie came
suddenly into my mind and suggested
an idea. The list Of books which Angie
could read was necessarily short. Why
couldn't Stella add one to the collection
by pricking off a nice little story for her
upon good, stiff paper?
The more | thought of my plan the
more it grew in favor with ME. even
stopped in at Lee & Moore's. on my