The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1883-11-22

best side of everything. 1t is very easy
for you TO talk, but you don know tho
half of the care have. You know Mr.
Allison's affairs had all to be straight
cned out by me (this little triumph
antly, for Mrs. Allison knew she was q
good business woman), and | have to
look after everything. no one seems to
manage properly. This is world of
trouble.
"Oh, yes" said Mrs. Foster, "but
YOU know we desire a better country,
that is Heavenly Ii we only reach
that world, these troubles will seem very
small. But, Catherine, I'll tell YOU a
good thing to do. if YOU don't feel
specially thankful vourSclf-but know
you will after you think quietly awhile
sec if you can not make somebody
else thankful. Try it, and see if You
don't grow thankful yourself. Now |
must be going, or father'll think I'm
going To stay all night. But will you
try the liniment? I'll make some. and
send it over the first thing in the morn
ing
''If you please" was Mrs. Allison's
reply, in strangely soft ned voice.
And good Mrs. Foster, having endeav-
ored TO give medicine to soul and body,
babe her friend blythe good evening
and departed.
Il wonder if spoke too plain she
said, as an hour or two later she talked
over the afternoons visit with father"
mot bit. not bit" said Mr.. Eos
ter, heartily. Folks can generally
take your plain talk better'n most peo-
pies soft talk; and Catherine Allison
ought to hear plain talking once in
awhile. She's plain enough herself, FL
be bound"
Whether Mrs. Foster was too plain OF
not, Mrs. Allison could not forget her
words; and VIXEN the old lady was final
ly helped to her room, and to bed, she
could not sleep, but began to think over
her old friends suggestion, that she
make somebody else thankful And
Catherine Allison was n Christian. al
belt she confessed herself an unthankful
one. She was a Bible-readcr, and Bible
words intermingled with Mrs. Fosters
blessed is he that conSidereth the
poor: the Lord will deliver him in time
of trouble. The Lord will strengthen
him upon the bed of languishing:
Thou wilt make all his bed in his sick
ness
Il have not sufficiently considered
the poor, therefore perhaps the Lord
has withheld His strength from me.
Make some one else thankful! where
shall | begin?'
To be sure there was her poor neigh
Dor, Mrs. Vaughn, wasting away with
an incurable d sease, ard her poverty
did not admit of procuring delcacies
which might tempt the titiul appetite
Mrs. Allison bethought her of the many
Jelly glasses and the canned fruits in
her closets, and mentally set apart Il
portion for the invalid. There, too,
was the Wheeler family, who had lost
their home by fire. and who were now
receiving the half-welcome shelter of a
brothers already overcrowded house.
The tenant house on her own upper
place was empty; why should she not
offer it rent free to honest John Wheel
er for the winter?
"And Walter-my poor Walter"
And now tears, not entirely for herself,
came into Mrs. Allison's sleepless eyes.
If any one ever crept into the tendercst
corner of Catherine AlliSon's heart it
was her young brother Walter. She had
married cousin. and had not changed
her maiden name; indeed, she delighted
to say she had "always been an ALI
SON" Walter, many years younger
than herself, had been left to her care
by their dying mother, and Catherine
had given the boy all a mothers care,
if she could not give motherly tender
10 l. bN1 Il hn
to his fault-linding sister, and when
come to mans estate he could no longer
endure the incessant contradiction
and fault-fnding of her home, so
he sought another home and en-
plOyment in city. Then he
added to his olfense by tax ihg-te- ffffn--
self wife without contiding in the
least in his sister. For awhile he and
his young wife endeavored to keep up
the family intercourse by letters, but
Mrs. Allison grew cooler and cooler, and
at last all communication ceased be-
tween them. But no one knew how
Mrs. AlliSon's heart yearned after
Walter, and tonight it ached for cher
bov"
She had heard some way that he was
in straitened circumstances, that sick
ness had entered his home. Was it the
eldest or youngest child that had died?
Some one had said Walter himself had
been sick what he might have eX-
pectcd going to live in city-and his
wife had been doing sewing for people.
1t was good thing she knew how; but
-but-She was an Allison. They must
be helped some way. And the next
morning Mrs. Allison found a way, as
the reader has already been told. And
by the time Thanksgiving came it was
surprising how many ways she found in
which to make others thankful.
When Thanksgiving came bright and
clear she was amazed to see her sitting
room door open, and in came Walter
and Bessie and Ethel, and Walters
arms were about her, and Bessie
kisses on her cheek.
1--WE thought we must come to tell
you how you had helped us, how thank
full YOU have made us" said Bessie.
And oh, it was so kind of you, dear
sister Catherine.
Before they had fairly got their wrap
pings off, Mrs. Foster came in, her kind
face beaming with Joy.
"And oh, Catherine" she said, after
warmly greeting Walter and his wife,
II wish you could see how comfortable
the Wheelers are in the house you let
them have. and Mrs. Vaughn says that
last jelly helped her to sit up nearly all
day.
I'm sure | am thankful could help