The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-08-14
"LOOKING OVER. MOTHER.


''Going any where this vacation, Kate
Morgan?"
No, 1 did think I would go to the
Catskills for week and have one good
time like folks, You know l never
really did do anything just for pleasure,
but the stern needs of the coming win
ter think will change my plans"
''What's the need?h
"a velvet dress"
"You don't mean it. Do you forget
that you are graded-school teacher
at a salary of $500 week?''
~ can not help it. l have earned my
money and saved it, and l want one
thing that feel at home in when / am
invited to such places as Mrs. Cunning
hams, for instance.
''All right, of course e
'.Are you going anywhere, Louise?"
mo, l have changed my plan, too.
"What was it?''
81 was invited up to Uncle Edward s
farm to spend the summer, and ex-
pected to go until | heard DIR. Lanes
sermon two weeks ago.
II did not hear him allude to the
fact
mot exactly, but do you remember
his asking US if we had ever thought
what was the very best blessing we ever
had, and advised us to go home and
look over our blessings and give God
thanks for them?''
"Tes, | do remember that"
81 had no difficulty in thinking up
my best blessing. It is my good patient
mother, and when I went home and
looked her over,' it did not take me
long to decide who needed mountain
air and fresh milk the most of any one
So the upshot of the matter is, mother
goes for three weeks to the farm, and
am your most gracious and successful
housekeeper at home. Come and take
tea, will youP'
Perhaps" Kate Morgan answered,
absently, and the two teachers left the
subject and the large school-room to-
gether.
But the earnest, energetic Kate Nor
gan took a new thought along the
familiar streets. All the school years
of her twenty-one years of life had been
spent in some connection with that
graded school in the busy manufac-
turing town of Benton. The year be-
fore she had been graduated with honor
from the High School and at once
offered a situation in the intermediate
department, that she had filled to the
satisfaction of all and her own great
enjoyment. @SM
For SO many years she had known
what close economies were necessary in
her plain home that the Younger
children might be clothed decently and
that she might complete the school
course. She had seen her father count
out his quarterly salary as clerk and
sigh over its meagreness again and
again. She had seen the lines in her
mothers patient face deepen over the
problem of turned garments and doing
without things. No wonder her salary
had seemed to her almost a fortune,
and its possibilities a little Intoxicating.
She was young, too, and pretty, with
musical gifts that made her welcome
everywhere. But she was child OF
''the Kingdom" too, and every day
prayed. '.Search me, O God, of Thy
self,a and to such the Spirit is the
leader.
1t was late when she reached home,
and she was still busy in '.looking over"
her mother, and thinking that she had
never seen her so pale and worn. when
her father entered with sigh over the
warm day, and sank down in his chair
quite exhausted. His daughter won-
dered that she had not noticed before
how fast he was growing old. The
three young children came iG and they
sat down to the plain supper. Kate
wished now she had bought quart of
berries in the morning, instead Of that
fashion magazine, when she saw how
little appetite her father had, and how
the sickly boy Willis left his bread un-
eaten. Willis was thirteen Herbert
ten, aud little Alice five years of age.
Three others were waiting up in 'sGod' s
acre. on the Hill. ss
That night up in her own room Kate
went through rapid mental calcula-
ton, and with pencil and paper laid the
result plainly before her eyes, aftersthis
fashion: q.
= Kate Morgan DR..
40 twelve yds. black velvet at $500 per
ny yard s4s 90
trimmings and making 10 90
Money lost ss8 %
10 cash p land SIS 90
Butt kept her awake that night, and
u wa' several days before her busy