The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-03-24
POOR KATE.

1lrs. Lowell, hatles mOtDcr, was q seam
stress, and there were many days when she
bad but little work 10 do, and the pay was
always small-only few cents fora gar.
ment that she must work at the whole day
long. But she struggled hard to pay the
rent and keep Tim and Katie in school.
In school-that was the great thing
''Penty oil money may come one day, little
ones" she would say, "but 1t will not bt
worth much If you do not know how tc
use 1t. This is the most wonderful country
in The world, my brides. Tim may BIZ
President and Katie Mrs. President, and
YOU csn't know too much Of school books
I'm sure that, when you re grown up, you
can never be glad and thankful enough
that your mother sent you regularly tc
school. So don't mind the patched clothes
hut keep at the head OF the class, il you
have MT hat for your headw
But the winter Katie was eleven years
old, the brave little mother had LEES money
than ever before, and as the spring tint
came on they grew 80 very poor that there
was not always enough oil bread left aitel
breakfast to make school luncheon iol
Tim and Katie.
Give ut all to Tim," Katie would say
~ believe l don't want anything at noon
Poor little Katie! How hard she tried tC
think that she was not hungry! How
empty her hands felt at first as she trudged
along without her dinner! And how hei
heart beat, and how the blood burnt in hel
cheeks, when the incoming came, and she OIL
all the girls had no luncheon to eatl Oh
il any ono should notice il! she thought
and she studied how she might behave
that nobody she was 20 very poor. The
hunger in her stomach was not half so hard
to bear as the fear that somebody would
know that she had nothing 10 eat.
But, after few days, poor Katie began
to think that ,he girls noticed that she
brought no luncheon, Then she though,
that perhaps II she brought something thai
looked like one, they would never think
about her eating it. How she thought /,
all out cannot tell; but II any OF you have
ever been in trouble and tried to think
your way ont OF 1t, perhaps you may re
member that you thought OF some very fool
ish and queer things, and this was the way
with Katie. She might tie up few Goals In
paper, she thought. but her mother would
need every coal 10 keep up the fire. There
were some blocks In one corner OF The
small room-Tim's blocks, that Santa Clau:
had brought him one Christmas, two OF
three winters before. Size could tie up 9
few blocks neatly, and when her mother
noticed 1t as she started Tor school, and
asked in surprise what she had in the pa
per, the poor child hung her head, and
then burst into tears.
"0h, Mammal" she sobbed, ~ wanted
it g only Tins blocksw
For one moment the little mother did
not understand, and then Suddenly it all
came into her mind-how the pride OF her
child was wounded because she could no,
appear as the other school.children did,
and that she had fixed upon that simple
device to hide her want. And how it made
her heart ache more than ever that her
poor little girl must go hungry! But she
would not deprive Katie Of the poor com.
fort Of trying 10 keep US appearances, u
and her throat was too full OF choking
Jumps for her to trust herself to say much:
so she smoothed the little girls hair and
wiped away the tears from her face, and
said bravely: "Never mind, Katie! Better
days will comet Mother feels sure OF it p
And then Katie clipped away with her Iii.
tie bundle, and the poor little mother sat
down and sadly wept at the hardships that
had beiallen her little ones.
When the incoming came, Katie sat at her
desk with her make-believe dinner before
her. Her teacher noticed that ahe kept
her seat, and seeing her luncheon, went to
her and said: "Why do you not go into
the lunch room and eat your luncheon
with the other girls ?" at the same time
reaching out for Katie's bubble.
"Oh, teacher!" cried Katie, bursting into
tears, "don't touch Il! and oh, teacher,
don't tell, please It's only blocks"
"0nly blocks!" softly repeated the
teacher, and tears filled her eyes. "Never
mind, Katie, I'll not tell the girls You
are brave and dear little girl, and one
OF the best in the schoolw
Poor, poor child The kind words were
like mamma TO her heart; but longing as
the teacher was to give the child portion
OF her own luncheon, she would not hurt
her pride by the offer before others. But
during short session OF the teachers
when school was over, she related the in.
cident, and spoke in such high terms Of
praise OF the little girl, that each one re.
solved to do all possible to bring "better
days" at once to the poor mother; and early
next morning the better days began. No
one touched the brave little mothers self.
respect by offering her charity, but plenty
OF work, with good pay, was carried to her,
and enough oil bread and milk, and new
shoes, and coal, and all other needful
things, soon came to their home through
the mo'her's industry. And Tins blocks
went back into their corner to stay there.
Happy little Katie! Mary Wager Fisher