The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-01-20

books to start | brary. Other ladies will
give You more, and you'll have it full, NO
douH
After leaving Mrs. Burns Alice's yor,S was
much G ,sier. for that lady gave her a little
subscription book in which she entered Mr.
Smiths gift of the room rent, MIR. Williams
giIt OF the wool, and her own, of the hire OF
won IN to tend 1t, a bookcase with a dozen
books, and two comfortable chairs
she called at near every house in the VIII
lage and almost every one gave someth Ng-
Several gave books. two or three others
agreed to send leir weekly papers when they
nai read them, many gave one chair each.
three or four gave plain tables; games--back-
gam nol AMI checkers nd two or three
br ght chromo' for the wal s, were romised.
Red pint curtains for the windows and
cups and saucers for the coffee, me from
the village store-keeper; a tea-kettle to hang
over the nre, and tn coffee-pot, ca from
the tln-shop; che p plated teaspoons from
the Jeweler; two copies of ths daily paper,
an romise OF lots OF exchanges from the
ed tor OF the only paper.
In fact, sort OF enthusiasm seemed TO be
reused on the subject, AMI when Alice went
home tn t night her little book had list of
furniture, enough to make the room as pleas
ant q could be desired.
The next day was quite as busy The wom-
an Mrs. Burns had engaged came to put the
room order AMI after it had thorough
srruobing, Alice went out to collect the fur
nituFe; The viii ge expressman, who owned
a ia lu-cant, nau subscribed his services to
the plan, and Alice went with him, book in
hand, and g lthered up the gi to-
Lac moor was covered with fresh sawdust~-
Tue butcher sent that; the gay curt ls were
up, the oook- case full of books was arranged,
some tables were covered with papers ana
others with games, a rousing fire was built in
the hre-ptaee; the tea kettle sing .ng awaF
merrly, and at side-tsble with cups and
coilee Things sat Mrs. Hart. When Alice
asked Jack TO go somewhere with her, he
consented. IhOn daal
she hr ught him to tn room
what's thisg'' asked Jack, as they turned
down the street sign over the door
lMr, Dover, the sign painter, gave that) Of
CttoYIIee-room; This is something new"
" Yes" sid Alice; 'let's 60 in"
Jack was too surpr 'sej to reply, and fol-
lowe his sister as she opened the oar
lhere sat SIN ling Mrs. Hart, W tn her knit
ting in hand, delightful odor of coffee in the
ar ar ana sign over her table, which said:
coli 'e, two cents" l
Lets have some" said Jack. "How'
good it smells"
Since you went out, Miss Alice;n. said
Mrs: Hart, as she poured out the two cups.
"a big package of coffee--ten pounds at the
lie lst-and another of sugar has most mys-
ter'ously appeared" and she nodded toward
the grocer's part Of the house to indicate the
donor. .t =
why, what have you to do with itg"
asked } elk looking sharply at Alice.
:.
know! She got it up; it's all her doing
everything in this ROOM -.
No! no! NJ S. HART" protested Alice, 81
didn't give single thing"
EXCEPT YOUR time and the pl n, and
everything, "said Mrs. Hart, warmly
''What does it means fell me, Alice
asked Jack; and Alice told him.
And the room is for you, Jack, and the
other boys, ard every ev ming there'l be a
bright Il e, and hot coffee, and Mrs. Hart to
make 1t, AMI / hope, oh, ! do hope you'll
come here and have good time every night
she added.
Jack was touched
"Ally, you're trump! And III do it. sure ~
And he did. At first, when the story got
out, all the boys and Young men came from
curiosity to see what one girl had done; and,
after thai they continued to come, because it
was the plcasantest place in town, and all
their own. ..
No irksome restraints were put upon
who came to give them TIE peraDce-
lectures or unwelcome advice; NO,
boy was aske to read book or paper, and no
one was told how much bet er was coffee for
him tina b er. This each fou I'd out for him
self. In the best W y, viz, by experience.
Every evening, be ore 1t was time for thes
boys to beg to come, Alice would run down
to see that eyeryth NJ W right, that the fire
was bright, the coffee re ldv AMI Mrs. Hart in,
her place. Then she would open the book
case, select three or 'ur the most attract
ive-looking books, and lay them around on the
tab ca IN carel :ss way, as il they were acci-
dentally left there.
Nor dill she let people forget about It, As
often as once week she went to the houses.
of those most interested, and received from
one the weekly p'pers tn had been read,
from another a fresh book or magaz ne, and
from third some new game, or pretty print
to nut upon the wall. ~.
Coffee, and the things to ut in 1t, Alice.
10 a . Il g.,
proved to be more than enough to ply for it.
Promptly at half-ptst nine Mrs. Hart gath
cred Dthe things, and washed the cups and
snoons, and as the clock struck ten she put
out the lights and locked the door.
Books and paners di their silent work. and
befo e spring the young men grew ashamed
Of owing their comfort to charity, SO they
agree among themselves TO o small sum
weekly toward expenses. 1t was not made
binding on any one, but nearly ev ry one was
glad to- Go it, and by this mears, before,
another winter the coffee-room was an indie
pendent establ shment.
The power it was among the boys of that
town could only be told years afterward,
when it was found that nearly every one who
h spent h s evenings there ha become H.
sober honest citizen, while those who pre-
ferre l the saloon ii led drunk ird,' or ives, or
live / criminals and pest upon society
On Jack himself the effect was, Ter.aps, the
Ost striking. AS Alice had started thes
thing, III could not helo feeling it his basil
ness to sea that the boys Id niCetime and
also to keep order among the n. Mrs. Hart.
soon found that be was a sort of spec J.
policeman, alw ,ys re dy to settle difficult es.
End make the boys behave themselves, II
Necessary, which 1t seldom was.
Fee ing the Importance of his POSITION and
influence, brought ont In him rasnliness- of
ch r ater he hal never before shown, and
when he became man inyears, no one coaid
have the slightest fear thit Jack Raws0n
would ever follow In the downward steps or
h g. father. D
All this he owed 10 the fact tast Alice tried
what one girl coulG'do.
. II Is Sh ,keSneare who sHvsi
"F9ow far that little candle Throws his beamse
So, shines u good q Sed In u nau yhty wosAd!"
- Youths C0ntl9RSOa>